Page type: lyric reference
Artist: Richard Thompson
Canonical path: /richard-thompson/a-love-you-can-t-survive
Related lyric paths: 6
Video embedded: yes
Lyric guide
A love you can't survive
Read A love you can't survive lyrics by Richard Thompson on LyroVerse, with linked artist context and related song paths.
person
Curated by Ethan Walker
LyroVerse team
Reference snapshot
The page facts to cite before the commentary
Use this page for the lyric text, linked artist context, and any LyroVerse editor's note attached to the song. Listener comments remain user-generated and should not be treated as the primary source.
Lyrics
A love you can't survive
The lyric stays readable and compact here; the note and related paths sit nearby so you do not lose the song while looking for context.
Now I remember the promise I gave you
The night I shipped out as a peace volunteer
As we sat holding hands in the Lamb and Flag tavern
I swore I'd be back for you same time next year
But I killed a man in a Brazzaville street fight
I tried to hold back, but he taunted me so
5 years till they freed me from that Brazzaville prison
Out of boredom or pity, I never will know
Now I bear the stain
The scar on my name
I never can go back again
There's a love you can't survive
And it burns you up inside
I sailed my boat into New Orleans harbour
Tied up at the jetty, as bold as you please
With a half-ton of charlie built in to the bulkhead
Right under the noses of all them police
Now here I sit in my house on the mountain
King of the clouds and all I survey
There's women who are willing, and the law can't touch me
Yours is the one face that won't go away
Quick answers
What this page can answer fast
Who performs "A love you can't survive"?
Richard Thompson performs "A love you can't survive", and this lyric page sits inside the Richard Thompson catalog on LyroVerse.
Are there related songs to explore after "A love you can't survive"?
Yes. The related section below points to Bogie's bonnie belle and A heart needs a home with a short reason for opening each page next.
Where can I find more songs by Richard Thompson?
Use the artist link near the top of the page or the related paths section below to keep moving through Richard Thompson's lyric pages.
Song Room
Open Song Room
Interpretations, questions, and corrections for this song
Interpretations, questions, memories, and correction notes live together here. The room stays noindex while the best insights are reviewed.
Listener comments
What people are saying
No listener comments on A love you can't survive yet.
A strong comment here is specific: the phrase you keep hearing, the mood you come back for, or the reason this song stays in rotation.
Sign in to post the first listener note. Reporting stays open to everyone.