(01a) What it is (EXTRA VERSE) (5:35)

[shangri la 1]

What it is (EXTRA VERSE) (Mark Knopfler) - Mexican Promo

LYRICS

The drinking dens are spilling out
There’s staggering in the square
There’s lads and lasses falling about
And a crackling in the air
Down around the dungeon doors
The shelters and the queues
Everybody’s looking for
Somebody’s arms to fall into
That’s what it is
That’s what it is now

There’s frost on the graves and the monuments
But the taverns are warm in town
People curse the government
And shovel hot food down
The lights are out in city hall
The castle and the keep
The moon shines down upon it all
The legless and asleep
And it’s cold on the tollgate
With the wagons creeping through
Cold on the tollgate
God knows what I could do with you
It’s what it is
It’s what it is now

The garrison sleeps in the citadel
With the ghosts and the ancient stones
High on the parapet
A Scottish piper stands alone
And high on the wind
The highland drums begin to roll
And something from the past just comes
And stares into my soul
It’s cold on the tollgate
Let the drums beat the Tatoo
Cold on the tollgate
God knows what I could do with you
It’s what it is
It’s what it is now
What it is
It’s what it is now

And the highwayman stands blowing on his fingers by the green
I've walked inside his shoes before so I always buy his magazine
He's with a local mystery with blood stains on her hands
I like the way she winks at me but I leave her with the highwayman
Cold on the tollgate
With the Caledonian blues
Cold on the tollgate
God knows what I could do with you
It’s what it is
It’s what it is now
what it is
It’s what it is now


There’s a chink of light, there’s a burning wick
There’s a lantern in the tower
Wee Willie Winkie with a candlestick
Still writing songs in the wee, wee hours
On Charlotte Street I take
A walking stick from my hotel
The ghost of Dirty Dick
Is still in search of Little Nell
It’s what it is
It’s what it is now
Oh it’s what it is
What it is now

CHORDS
https://tabs.ultimate-guitar.com/m/mark_knopfler/what_it_is_crd.htm

 

[Klaus74]

That longer version is included on a Mexican-Promo-CD-Single with an enhanced video-track.

[Knopflerfan]

Is it me or is this track just so, so good even after all these years!!!

[dmg]

Is it me or is this track just so, so good even after all these years!!!

No, it's not just you.  Pity it was never performed quite so well live IMHO.  Some performances were really nice, especially around 2002 - the charity shows etc. 

[Knopflerfan]

Is it me or is this track just so, so good even after all these years!!!

No, it's not just you.  Pity it was never performed quite so well live IMHO.  Some performances were really nice, especially around 2002 - the charity shows etc.

Again like you say some performances were better than others - in 2005 I thought they were mindblowing performances of it and in particular the sample played at Beulieu was exceptionally good....
I wrote the original post as I was listening to the StP album in the car and it blew my mind!!!

[qjamesfloyd]

This is a classic Mark Knopfler solo track, I love it, if you wanted to let someone hear Mark for the first time, play them this song.

[Knopflerfan]

This is a classic Mark Knopfler solo track, I love it, if you wanted to let someone hear Mark for the first time, play them this song.

Like you say this track is pure and utter class and yes the ideal track to introduce MK to anyone...

[Rivers Of Rain]

This is a classic Mark Knopfler solo track, I love it, if you wanted to let someone hear Mark for the first time, play them this song.

I can personally vouch for this, about 7-8 years ago after listening to all the official Dire Straits releases I became curious about Mark's solo work and What It Is was the first solo track I listened to. I loved it right away, listened to the rest of the Sailing To Philadelphia album, I could go on but safe to say it did the trick for me!

Even though this song is on Mark second solo album, I think it is the perfect bridge between DS and his solo career - I think for anyone familiar with the former but not the latter it provides an introduction to the quirkier, more personal lyrical style of his solo albums but musically has the trademark guitar style from the DS era which is less prominent on his later releases.

[Stanko]

If I just look to find the connection with some other songs, there are some lines that just ring a bell for me!
For example:
- "the Tattoo" could be easily from "I wish i had never been Tattooed" from Fade To Black;
- "Highwayman" the same one that "many a young maid lost her baubles to his trade" in the famous song of the same title;
- and of course, "It never rains", this one is just topping it!
You would just think of the same girl and a guy she left with, at least i would.
Even Planet of New Orleans comes to mind, and maybe Romeo and Juliet as well...