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1952 Vincent Black Lightning
1991 song by Richard Thompson
1952 Vincent Black Lightning
"1952 Vincent Black Lightning" is a song by English guitarist and songwriter Richard Thompson from his 1991 album Rumor and Sigh. It tells the story of a thief named James and the girl Red Molly whom he charms with a ride on his 1952 Vincent Black Lightning motorcycle, which he bequeaths to her on his deathbed. In 2011 Time magazine listed the song in its "All TIME 100 Songs", a list of "the most extraordinary English-language popular recordings since the beginning of TIME magazine in 1923," praising it as "a glorious example of what one guy can accomplish with just a guitar, a voice, an imagination and a set of astonishingly nimble fingers." Despite not being issued as a single, the ballad became a fan favourite and is one of Thompson's most highly acclaimed solo compositions. A live version of the song appears on Thompson's album Two Letter Words: Live 1994. The band Red Molly, who has covered the song, takes its name from the lead female character in the song.
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