A Mark In Time
Mark Knopfler Discussion => One Deep River / The Boy => Topic started by: Jules on January 30, 2024, 12:02:21 PM
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Chess
The boys play cards and they don't care
A breeze blows in from the sea
It's warm outside but I'm aware
It's neither here nor there to me
I can hear the cooks in the kitchen
The sprinklers on the lawns
My knights out there have both been pitching
I have sacrificed a pawn
It's Chess
A little mouse could trip that wire
You won't be going anywhere
Your noble house will be on fire
And you trapped in that golden chair
Surrounded by your works of art
The flames will do their worst
You may be rich, you may be smart
But the truth will finish first
It's Chess
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Maybe it's about his dad? :hmm
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Maybe it's about his dad? :hmm
I guess you don't need to be Einstein to realise this connection. David Knopfler had a song "When Grandpapa Sailed" and it's about his grandpapa sailing. Mark is more clever.
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The boys play cards and they don't care
A breeze blows in from the sea
It's warm outside but I'm aware
It's neither here nor there to me
I can hear the cooks in the kitchen
The sprinklers on the lawns
My knights out there have both been pitching
I have sacrificed a pawn
It's Chess
A little mouse could trip that wire
You won't be going anywhere
Your noble house will be on fire
And you trapped in that golden chair
Surrounded by your works of art
The flames will do their worst
You may be rich, you may be smart
But the truth will finish first
It's Chess
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A highly recommended tune, up there with dolly shop as the best two vinyl bonus tracks!
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From the first time I listened to this song I was thinking it reminded of something but couldn't figure out what...
Now I know! It's similar to "on the beach" by Chris Rea, musically talking, and the McGokdrick flute is awesome!
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From the first time I listened to this song I was thinking it reminded of something but couldn't figure out what...
Now I know! It's similar to "on the beach" by Chris Rea, musically talking, and the McGokdrick flute is awesome!
Good call!
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Love this song - it's so quirky! Check it out with your mates on AMIT! 😁
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Love this song - it's so quirky! Check it out with your mates on AMIT! 😁
Absolutely amazing tune that really works.
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Love this song - it's so quirky! Check it out with your mates on AMIT! 😁
;D Nice :clap
As for the song ... Ugh :thumbsdown
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It has the same cricket noises as Coyote I think.
A cool little tune it is. As a bonus song, at least. Different in many ways.
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Sorry, but I think it's a really boring tune.
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Sorry, but I think it's a really boring tune.
We forgive you. And the track is catchy.
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Sorry, but I think it's a really boring tune.
It's the sort of tune you have to check out over a glass of wine at knight.
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Sorry, but I think it's a really boring tune.
It's the sort of tune you have to check out over a glass of wine at knight.
;D Ha ha!
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Sorry, but I think it's a really boring tune.
It's the sort of tune you have to check out over a glass of wine at knight.
Either that or Pawnhub.
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Sorry, but I think it's a really boring tune.
It's the sort of tune you have to check out over a glass of wine at knight.
Either that or Pawnhub.
:lol :lol funnily enough I was about to write something similar...
LE
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Sorry, but I think it's a really boring tune.
We forgive you. And the track is catchy.
If you say so and I might say the same after many listens. Sometimes those songs that don't appeal at first eventually become favourites and that could be the case on this occasion. :)
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From the first time I listened to this song I was thinking it reminded of something but couldn't figure out what...
Now I know! It's similar to "on the beach" by Chris Rea, musically talking, and the McGokdrick flute is awesome!
just thought the same thing !
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Well, I can hear a JJ Cale vibe on this one. He's had quite a few of this bossa nova type tunes on his records. But everything that Mark did on this album seems improved, taken to another level. Love it.
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hi,
question. so i bought the box set, is there no way to get the 4 tracks on the bonus LP digitally?
thanks in advance for the answer!
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hi,
question. so i bought the box set, is there no way to get the 4 tracks on the bonus LP digitally?
thanks in advance for the answer!
I think, just LPRip. Not sure about official DD in near future.
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hi,
question. so i bought the box set, is there no way to get the 4 tracks on the bonus LP digitally?
thanks in advance for the answer!
I think, just LPRip. Not sure about official DD in near future.
he keeps things interesting! ;)
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Amazing session!
I also really like the bonus songs on the vinyl. I single out "Dolly Shop Man" and "Chess: Yes, kooba in "Chess" we have J.J.'s vibe again. The songs are more laid back and different than on the ODR album, but they are also great.
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I love this track! It's got a groovy 60s/70s vibe, with another driving bass from the brilliant Glenn Worf and a flute/keyboard solo like in the fight scenes in series like The Saint or another 60s/70s series, superb.
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Sorry for being such an ignorant, but did Down the Road Wherever come with vinyl-only bonus tracks, too? And if so, how and when did the become available digitally?
(No need to tell me that shouldn't have sold my father's vinyl player many years ago ... ;))
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Sorry for being such an ignorant, but did Down the Road Wherever come with vinyl-only bonus tracks, too? And if so, how and when did the become available digitally?
(No need to tell me that shouldn't have sold my father's vinyl player many years ago ... ;))
That box came with a download code for all tracks.
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Sorry for being such an ignorant, but did Down the Road Wherever come with vinyl-only bonus tracks, too? And if so, how and when did the become available digitally?
(No need to tell me that shouldn't have sold my father's vinyl player many years ago ... ;))
Yes. Don't Suck Me In, Sky And Water, Pale Imitation. I don't know the answer to the second question :)
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Sorry for being such an ignorant, but did Down the Road Wherever come with vinyl-only bonus tracks, too? And if so, how and when did the become available digitally?
(No need to tell me that shouldn't have sold my father's vinyl player many years ago ... ;))
That box came with a download code for all tracks.
You mean the Down the Road Wherever boxset, right? I wonder/hope that the same will be true this time.
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Sorry for being such an ignorant, but did Down the Road Wherever come with vinyl-only bonus tracks, too? And if so, how and when did the become available digitally?
(No need to tell me that shouldn't have sold my father's vinyl player many years ago ... ;))
Yes. Don't Suck Me In, Sky And Water, Pale Imitation. I don't know the answer to the second question :)
They weren't included in my download link, for whatever reason. If someone has a digital version, I'd be grateful if you could share. :)
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Sorry for being such an ignorant, but did Down the Road Wherever come with vinyl-only bonus tracks, too? And if so, how and when did the become available digitally?
(No need to tell me that shouldn't have sold my father's vinyl player many years ago ... ;))
That box came with a download code for all tracks.
You mean the Down the Road Wherever boxset, right? I wonder/hope that the same will be true this time.
Yes, DTRW box.
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Updated with lyrics, thanks Knopflerfan
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Chess, my favorite song ; I tuned it loop !
Chess would go very well with the next OSS 117 :lol
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The song is also playing non-stop for me today. The groove, flute and guitar are addiction.
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The last phrase of each verse (sung or played on guitar) reminds me of Preciso Me Encontrar, the song that closes the soundtrack of the film Central do Brasil (at 1:16) :
https://youtu.be/GkYcFV7qkyk?t=76
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Only listened to this now (needed some summery weather to back it, it wouldn’t have worked in the snow).
It‘s Mark going lounge pop! I love the the flurrying flute work, too. Perfectly clear why there was no place for it on the album, though.
The story it tells seems to be rather nasty — any idea from what point of view it’s told? Another pyroman?
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Not sure about lounge pop, but not sure what it actually is! Maybe yacht rock/jazz fusion type style, Steely Dan/Weather Report?!
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For me, the spirit of J.J. Cale is present in this song.
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Not sure about lounge pop, but not sure what it actually is! Maybe yacht rock/jazz fusion type style, Steely Dan/Weather Report?!
That sounds like a fair description, yes (and better than mine). But give me a clue about the lyrics, please!
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Don't ask me, I've no idea.
(That was pretty funny, actually)
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It's one of those songs with a hundred meanings, I guess.
The storyteller is playing chess, maybe at a hotel by the sea (cooks in the kitchen), while others are not involved in the game (the boys play cards), or they are not really interested in it, because they (usually) play cards, not chess.
Then he becomes aware that it would take just a small thing, an accident or whatever for his whole perfect litttle world to collapse, and he could do nothing at all about it.
So, literally, the mouse that trips the wire would upset the chessboard and stop the game.
Metaphorically, it's the storyteller's life, and our own lives that could be upset by some small incident. And of course you can take this idea further and expand it to the world as a whole.
The only thing that doesn't fit is the last line! "But the truth will finish first." That means "the truth will win" (finish first as in horse racing), right? Which means "Lies and Fake News" will lose. And somebody "rich and smart", in his "noble house", "his golden chair", "won't be going anywhere", because he'll "be trapped" and roasted alive amongst his "works of art".
Now, let's all guess who that may be. ;)
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Don't ask me, I've no idea.
(That was pretty funny, actually)
Oh, it was! ;D
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It's one of those songs with a hundred meanings, I guess.
The storyteller is playing chess, maybe at a hotel by the sea (cooks in the kitchen), while others are not involved in the game (the boys play cards), or they are not really interested in it, because they (usually) play cards, not chess.
Then he becomes aware that it would take just a small thing, an accident or whatever for his whole perfect litttle world to collapse, and he could do nothing at all about it.
So, literally, the mouse that trips the wire would upset the chessboard and stop the game.
Metaphorically, it's the storyteller's life, and our own lives that could be upset by some small incident. And of course you can take this idea further and expand it to the world as a whole.
The only thing that doesn't fit is the last line! "But the truth will finish first." That means "the truth will win" (finish first as in horse racing), right? Which means "Lies and Fake News" will lose. And somebody "rich and smart", in his "noble house", "his golden chair", "won't be going anywhere", because he'll "be trapped" and roasted alive amongst his "works of art".
Now, let's all guess who that may be. ;)
So you think the storyteller is talking about himself and his life all the time? Interesting. I didn't think that for a second (although of course you could be perfectly right). I kind of had the impression that somebody poor(er) than that rich bastard, maybe a maltreated employee, was planning his revenge, planning to set that noble house on fire. But why exactly, or how, I have no idea. "It's a mistery to me ..."
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"Now, let's all guess who that may be"
Did you know?
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"Now, let's all guess who that may be"
Did you know?
I think so. If you read it as a political song, anyway, which I think it is.
Then it all points in one direction.
All the "boys" play cards, but one "strong man" plays chess, the game of emperors, which is all about winning. He sits in a palace by the sea, in a golden chair, he is rich and smart, and he is moving his pawns and knights across the global chessboard, sacrificing a few on the way because he wants to win, even if that means setting the world on fire.
There are not many that fit the description...
So you think the storyteller is talking about himself and his life all the time? Interesting. I didn't think that for a second (although of course you could be perfectly right). I kind of had the impression that somebody poor(er) than that rich bastard, maybe a maltreated employee, was planning his revenge, planning to set that noble house on fire. But why exactly, or how, I have no idea. "It's a mistery to me ..."
That's the image we get at the beginning, but it's very unlikely that he is talking about himself or people in general. I thought about the revenge thing, too, someone must be very angry.
But it's really the last lines that change the whole picture. The line about truth (and the underlying contrary of fake news and lies) and the chess image itself, which is often used as a metaphor for political "power play".
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"Now, let's all guess who that may be"
Did you know?
I think so. If you read it as a political song, anyway, which I think it is.
Then it all points in one direction.
All the "boys" play cards, but one "strong man" plays chess, the game of emperors, which is all about winning. He sits in a palace by the sea, in a golden chair, he is rich and smart, and he is moving his pawns and knights across the global chessboard, sacrificing a few on the way because he wants to win, even if that means setting the world on fire.
There are not many that fit the description...
Of course! All clear.
But musically this song is confusing to understand in this way. It doesn't help like Don't Crash The Ambulance, for example.
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Yes, that's true!
"Ambulance" was a bit easier to understand because it was openly satirical, and it wasn't about a real person, just a type of person.
But "Chess" is much more serious, I think. And may be the contrast with the music makes it even more intense.
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Yes, that's true!
"Ambulance" was a bit easier to understand because it was openly satirical, and it wasn't about a real person, just a type of person.
But "Chess" is much more serious, I think.
This is also debatable issue :) There are different opinions on the subject (father and son) ;)
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Yes, that's true!
"Ambulance" was a bit easier to understand because it was openly satirical, and it wasn't about a real person, just a type of person.
But "Chess" is much more serious, I think.
This is a debatable issue :) There are different opinions on the subject (father and son) ;)
Haha! Of course there were some bits about the son, but it was all so wild and exaggerated that it was clearly meant as a joke, just like the whole film. I really love both the film and the song!
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I don't know if we're thinking the same thing :)
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Do you mean the George W. Bush reference? MK answered the question in an interview at the time, saying it was more about the idea of a handover of power at the White House, not specifically about the Bushes. But of course that was on everyone's mind at the time because they were father and son.
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Yeah, the handover thing doesn’t work due to Clinton’s two terms.
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That's right. And Junior wasn't even president at the time, that was in 1998. But I think that it was clear that he'd be running for president, after the mid-terms, which triggered a lot of jokes all over the world.
The amazing thing is really that the film somehow turned into a satire on the Clinton administration, with all that Lewinsky stuff coming to the surface just when the film came out. Hilarious!
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Do you mean Wag The Dog movie (and song)? Or was there a movie related to the Ambulance situation? :think
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Do you mean the George W. Bush reference? MK answered the question in an interview at the time, saying it was more about the idea of a handover of power at the White House, not specifically about the Bushes. But of course that was on everyone's mind at the time because they were father and son.
Yes, we were thinking the same thing:)
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Exactly, which movie you have in mind ?
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Wag
Exactly, which movie you have in mind ?
Wag the Dog, of course.
Omg, it just dawning on me that this is all huge nonsense! "Don't crash the ambulance" wasn't on "WTD" :smack
Sorry, sorry, sorry, very sorry! :-[
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Yeah, the handover thing doesn’t work due to Clinton’s two terms.
Maybe Junior was already the candidate for their party, and the possibility of that handover made MK guess how it would be if that would had happened (which it did)?
For me it was always clear the song talked about that, as it clearly showed an US president handing the power to his son, called like him (junior...) and the way things explained clearly showed Junior was not very clever...
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I don't know when the song was actually written, but it was recorded in 2004, so it had already happened.
And of course the idea of the Bushes is there everywhere between the lines, but it's not literally about Bush Junior.
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No, it really doesn't work.
Clinton beat Bush Sr in 1992. Then the Republican candidate in 1996 was Bob Dole. Then Bush Jr was elected (just) in 2000. And the song came out in 2004, just before yet another presidential election.
So unless MK is living in the metaverse there is no way that Bush Sr would be handing over to Bush Jr.
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on first page of this thread, it was said that the song could be about Mark's dad
it isn't the case anymore ? :hmm :think
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on first page of this thread, it was said that the song could be about Mark's dad
it isn't the case anymore ? :hmm :think
That was speculation from the title, based on the fact that MK's father was a chess player of some repute.
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on first page of this thread, it was said that the song could be about Mark's dad
it isn't the case anymore ? :hmm :think
That was speculation from the title, based on the fact that MK's father was a chess player of some repute.
ah ok thanks :thumbsup
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"Now, let's all guess who that may be"
Did you know?
I think so. If you read it as a political song, anyway, which I think it is.
Then it all points in one direction.
All the "boys" play cards, but one "strong man" plays chess, the game of emperors, which is all about winning. He sits in a palace by the sea, in a golden chair, he is rich and smart, and he is moving his pawns and knights across the global chessboard, sacrificing a few on the way because he wants to win, even if that means setting the world on fire.
There are not many that fit the description...
Of course! All clear.
Not sure it's so clear. The politician you have in mind is hardly capable of playing chess, is he? He can't even play golf.
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Not sure it's so clear. The politician you have in mind is hardly capable of playing chess, is he? He can't even play golf.
I'm not sure if we mean the same person, but I don't mean the one who boasts that he is a golf champion. The other one is frequently associated with chess, although nobody knows how good he is really.
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"Now, let's all guess who that may be"
Did you know?
I think so. If you read it as a political song, anyway, which I think it is.
Then it all points in one direction.
All the "boys" play cards, but one "strong man" plays chess, the game of emperors, which is all about winning. He sits in a palace by the sea, in a golden chair, he is rich and smart, and he is moving his pawns and knights across the global chessboard, sacrificing a few on the way because he wants to win, even if that means setting the world on fire.
There are not many that fit the description...
Of course! All clear.
Not sure it's so clear. The politician you have in mind is hardly capable of playing chess, is he? He can't even play golf.
But chess is a metaphor. That's how I understood stratmad earlier post.
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Yes, of course. And it's also a hint. He did not choose golf or tennis, but delierately chess, so I suppose there's a message in that.
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When I first heard Chess I didn't like it at all, but after many listens I have changed my opinion - I like it a lot! :)
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When I first heard Chess I didn't like it at all, but after many listens I have changed my opinion - I like it a lot! :)
It was Glenn's bass that got me hooked from the start, he leads the way and sets the groove. I love it!
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And a great flute part by M. McGoldrick. It's a pity that fading away.
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Not as good as the musical Chess :)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s2SDInk6voA
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Not sure it's so clear. The politician you have in mind is hardly capable of playing chess, is he? He can't even play golf.
I'm not sure if we mean the same person, but I don't mean the one who boasts that he is a golf champion. The other one is frequently associated with chess, although nobody knows how good he is really.
Oh, then I really missed that hint. I really thought of that golfing poser. But I guess your man lives on the other side of the pond, and has wild hair.
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If we mention Bush's name in Don't Crash The Ambulance why are we so careful here :think
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If we mention Bush's name in Don't Crash The Ambulance why are we so careful here :think
'Cause Putin is scarier than Bush?!
Does Putin have a palace by the sea? I don't know.
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If we mention Bush's name in Don't Crash The Ambulance why are we so careful here :think
It's more like a game. No need to be careful, I agree. Let's call them the turd (Trump) and clown (Johnson) that they are.
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If we mention Bush's name in Don't Crash The Ambulance why are we so careful here :think
It's more like a game. No need to be careful, I agree. Let's call them the turd (Trump) and clown (Johnson) that they are.
Is Bojo a suspect here?
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Can Bojo play chess? I doubt he would be able to see his pawns through his fringe. :lol
No, the guy I had in mind does not suffer from a life-long succession of bad hair days. He lives on this side of the Pond, he does have a palace by the sea and a few golden chairs, and he is (said to be) very clever, but perhaps too blind to see that it would just take a tiny little thing and his whole game could backfire on him.
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Can Bojo play chess? I doubt he would be able to see his pawns through his fringe. :lol
No, the guy I had in mind does not suffer from a life-long succession of bad hair days. He lives on this side of the Pond, he does have a palace by the sea and a few golden chairs, and he is (said to be) very clever, but perhaps too blind to see that it would just take a tiny little thing and his whole game could backfire on him.
I had googled Bojo and chess, and found an article claiming that he loves the game. But you're right about the fringe, of course. I now finally think I know who you were referring to. No hair problems there, anymore. ;)
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By the way, I just realized that if you assume that the second verse is a different character talking, the whole thing could make more sense ... Still in :hmm mode, though.
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Here we go again. ::)
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By the way, I just realized that if you assume that the second verse is a different character talking, the whole thing could make more sense ... Still in :hmm mode, though.
I realise I wasn't very clear on that point.
The first part is clearly Mr. Strong Man talking, in the second it could be a general use of "you" in the sense of "one", so it would be gradually dawning on him that he would also be annihilated in the end. Or it's someone else talking to him, as a word of warning. That makes more sense, I believe.
In any case, I'm sure that all those images (the palace, the golden chair) were chosen on purpose and that, together, they all point to one specific target. I wish we knew when the song was written, then we would also know who the "pawn" was that he has "sacrificed":
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By the way, I just realized that if you assume that the second verse is a different character talking, the whole thing could make more sense ... Still in :hmm mode, though.
I realise I wasn't very clear on that point.
The first part is clearly Mr. Strong Man talking, in the second it could be a general use of "you" in the sense of "one", so it would be gradually dawning on him that he would also be annihilated in the end. Or it's someone else talking to him, as a word of warning. That makes more sense, I believe.
In any case, I'm sure that all those images (the palace, the golden chair) were chosen on purpose and that, together, they all point to one specific target. I wish we knew when the song was written, then we would also know who the "pawn" was that he has "sacrificed":
Yes, what you're saying makes perfect sense. My guess for the pawn would be Mr. Prigozhin.
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Here we go again. ::)
?
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By the way, I just realized that if you assume that the second verse is a different character talking, the whole thing could make more sense ... Still in :hmm mode, though.
I realise I wasn't very clear on that point.
The first part is clearly Mr. Strong Man talking, in the second it could be a general use of "you" in the sense of "one", so it would be gradually dawning on him that he would also be annihilated in the end. Or it's someone else talking to him, as a word of warning. That makes more sense, I believe.
In any case, I'm sure that all those images (the palace, the golden chair) were chosen on purpose and that, together, they all point to one specific target. I wish we knew when the song was written, then we would also know who the "pawn" was that he has "sacrificed":
Yes, what you're saying makes perfect sense. My guess for the pawn would be Mr. Prigozhin.
Thanks!
That was my idea, too. And now we can speculate about who the knights are that "have been pitching" the opponent to Mr. Strong Man's advantage, meaning they are working for him?
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By the way, I just realized that if you assume that the second verse is a different character talking, the whole thing could make more sense ... Still in :hmm mode, though.
I realise I wasn't very clear on that point.
The first part is clearly Mr. Strong Man talking, in the second it could be a general use of "you" in the sense of "one", so it would be gradually dawning on him that he would also be annihilated in the end. Or it's someone else talking to him, as a word of warning. That makes more sense, I believe.
In any case, I'm sure that all those images (the palace, the golden chair) were chosen on purpose and that, together, they all point to one specific target. I wish we knew when the song was written, then we would also know who the "pawn" was that he has "sacrificed":
Yes, what you're saying makes perfect sense. My guess for the pawn would be Mr. Prigozhin.
Thanks!
That was my idea, too. And now we can speculate about who the knights are that "have been pitching" the opponent to Mr. Strong Man's advantage, meaning they are working for him?
I could think of quite a number, sadly ...
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Second line actually goes:
*A breeze blows in from off the sea*
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My favorite song from the vinyl extras:)
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My favorite song from the vinyl extras:)
It would make a good OO7 song.
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Or 70's porn music...
LE
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My favorite song from the vinyl extras:)
It would make a good OO7 song.
It would not.
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This should be a radio single.
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Or 70's porn music...
LE
Will need to take your word on that ;)
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Hi! I know, coming back to this topic after a few months is boring, but I may have a theory.
I was sitting on the sofa, watching TV, trying to figure out what to watch, and then I came across a film called Cadillac Record.
In 1947 in Chicago, a Jewish immigrant from Poland and bar owner Leonard Chess hires a blues combo, including guitarist Muddy Waters, Willie Dixon and harmonica player Little Walter. Waters' and Walter's success leads to Chess opening the doors for black musicians and beginning a new record label in 1950 – Chess Records. This attracts stars like Etta James, Howlin' Wolf and Chuck Berry.
Even though he was successful, Chess sacrificed Little Walter because he was becoming unmanageable due to alcohol, but always protected Muddy Waters and Chuck Berry (the golden goose). It was like a chess game where he moved the pawns as he pleased.
Muddy Waters was a big influence on Mark, as was Chuck Berry, and I've lost count of the number of times he's played the song I Can't Be Satisfied, for example, so I found a lot of similarities in that.
That was my two cents :)
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Hi! I know, coming back to this topic after a few months is boring, but I may have a theory.
I was sitting on the sofa, watching TV, trying to figure out what to watch, and then I came across a film called Cadillac Record.
In 1947 in Chicago, a Jewish immigrant from Poland and bar owner Leonard Chess hires a blues combo, including guitarist Muddy Waters, Willie Dixon and harmonica player Little Walter. Waters' and Walter's success leads to Chess opening the doors for black musicians and beginning a new record label in 1950 – Chess Records. This attracts stars like Etta James, Howlin' Wolf and Chuck Berry.
Even though he was successful, Chess sacrificed Little Walter because he was becoming unmanageable due to alcohol, but always protected Muddy Waters and Chuck Berry (the golden goose). It was like a chess game where he moved the pawns as he pleased.
Muddy Waters was a big influence on Mark, as was Chuck Berry, and I've lost count of the number of times he's played the song I Can't Be Satisfied, for example, so I found a lot of similarities in that.
That was my two cents :)
Nice story. Just how to connect it with the text.
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Hi! I know, coming back to this topic after a few months is boring, but I may have a theory.
I was sitting on the sofa, watching TV, trying to figure out what to watch, and then I came across a film called Cadillac Record.
In 1947 in Chicago, a Jewish immigrant from Poland and bar owner Leonard Chess hires a blues combo, including guitarist Muddy Waters, Willie Dixon and harmonica player Little Walter. Waters' and Walter's success leads to Chess opening the doors for black musicians and beginning a new record label in 1950 – Chess Records. This attracts stars like Etta James, Howlin' Wolf and Chuck Berry.
Even though he was successful, Chess sacrificed Little Walter because he was becoming unmanageable due to alcohol, but always protected Muddy Waters and Chuck Berry (the golden goose). It was like a chess game where he moved the pawns as he pleased.
Muddy Waters was a big influence on Mark, as was Chuck Berry, and I've lost count of the number of times he's played the song I Can't Be Satisfied, for example, so I found a lot of similarities in that.
That was my two cents :)
Nice story. Just how to connect it with the text.
I don’t know but this line maybe:
My knights out there have both been pitching
I have sacrificed a pawn
It's Chess
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Hi! I know, coming back to this topic after a few months is boring, but I may have a theory.
I was sitting on the sofa, watching TV, trying to figure out what to watch, and then I came across a film called Cadillac Record.
In 1947 in Chicago, a Jewish immigrant from Poland and bar owner Leonard Chess hires a blues combo, including guitarist Muddy Waters, Willie Dixon and harmonica player Little Walter. Waters' and Walter's success leads to Chess opening the doors for black musicians and beginning a new record label in 1950 – Chess Records. This attracts stars like Etta James, Howlin' Wolf and Chuck Berry.
Even though he was successful, Chess sacrificed Little Walter because he was becoming unmanageable due to alcohol, but always protected Muddy Waters and Chuck Berry (the golden goose). It was like a chess game where he moved the pawns as he pleased.
Muddy Waters was a big influence on Mark, as was Chuck Berry, and I've lost count of the number of times he's played the song I Can't Be Satisfied, for example, so I found a lot of similarities in that.
That was my two cents :)
Nice story. Just how to connect it with the text.
I don’t know but this line maybe:
My knights out there have both been pitching
I have sacrificed a pawn
It's Chess
Everything would be fine but: :think
A little mouse could trip that wire
You won't be going anywhere
Your noble house will be on fire
And you trapped in that golden chair
Surrounded by your works of art
The flames will do their worst
You may be rich, you may be smart
But the truth will finish first
It's Chess
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I did a bit of a research and I suspect the song is about multi billionaire Edmond J. Safra and the people involved. There is a book written about the subject: Vendetta: American Express and the Smearing of Edmond Safra.
I even found in a review of the book on Amazon a reader compares the activities of those as of the game of chess. There is a mention of mysterious Tony Greco:
...But most interesting of all is the individual named Tony Greco. A true chameleon, Greco masters the energy between the opposing parties, and plays it to his advantage at every turn. While the titans battle, he steals millions form them. While Cantor conspires for her own silly career, he uses her every move to his advantage. After all is said and done, only Greco comes out ahead.
Multilingual (to the point of being able to assume specific accents in several tongues), so international no on knows his home, Greco owns the game. Powerful chess pieces have no idea that he plays both sides. Tony Greco, or someone with his name...
Monaco and the guard being off guard also match the set-up where Safra was suffocated by fumes in a fire deliberately lit at his home.
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That seems to make a lot of sense. So it would be about this Greco guy, rather than Safra himself?