Mark's songwriting

[Love Expresso]

Mona, the list of stuff for me has the meaning that he thought he was prepared for everything - he had the right tool for every case - but now she maybe left him and he has no "tool" to repair it (no pun intended). About the slip road, he is not able to find the right way to her,  ... something like that..

LE

[Mona Dee]

LE, thank you for the explanation, now we have two slightly different ones. IMO a lyrics thread would be interesting!

[paddybrown]

I think the two interpretations complement each other nicely, and don't have to be alternatives. To me it sounds like he's trying to hold it together emotionally by thinking of practical work matters, but the woman who's left him keeps coming back into his mind and he breaks down again.

Thanks for bringing this up, it's a song I'd never really listened to properly before - just let it wash over me.

[Masiakasaurus]

It's a great track! For some reason I really like the middle part ("give me a..."), it's what makes the song stand out IMHO.

[Love Expresso]

I didn't like it the first few months but fell in love with later. The drumming is excellent, although not right into your face but very nice and with some drive.. .also the orchestra part is phantastic. Nice little gem, great songwriting.

LE

[JF]

I love So Far from the clyde

I didn't understood all the lyrics until I read a french translation on Aurelien Brusset's blog :

http://aurelienbrusset.over-blog.com/article-traduction-so-far-from-the-clyde-mark-knopfler-59016037.html

the music is gorgeous, and I love the choir part, I would have needed more chorus sung by the choir

[McDeb]

Mona, the list of stuff for me has the meaning that he thought he was prepared for everything - he had the right tool for every case - but now she maybe left him and he has no "tool" to repair it (no pun intended). About the slip road, he is not able to find the right way to her,  ... something like that..

LE

Oh <slaps forehead>! You are so right, I think! That is a quite lovely interpretation of those lyrics. And this thought brings to mind one of the aspects of MK's lyrics that I love so much - he writes so well about how, well, gallant, men can be in relationships - if that's the word I want. Despite heartbreak, they pick up the pieces and carry on, try to do what's expected of them. (We all do, I guess, but I don't think I've heard it much about men in songs.) ... Also, does anyone else think "Hard Shoulder" has a similar feel to Jimmy Webb's "By the Time I Get to Phoenix"? Sort of in the same wistful, working-man genre?

[Jules]

I like a lot LE

[sweetsurrender]

"Hard Shoulder" has always been one of my favorites from GL.

[Justme]

To me, the song is a quiet, understated beauty. To anyone who hasn't read the diaries, there is even a recording of slip road noise included.

[Jules]

To me, the song is a quiet, understated beauty. To anyone who hasn't read the diaries, there is even a recording of slip road noise included.

In which moment of the song you can hear the slip road? I recall someone asked that to Guy and he answered the slip road noise was there.

[Justme]

At first you hear it in the first seconds, before the horns come in. It pans from right to left and fades out. And then it comes back at 3:38 or something like that. Sorry can't give precise seconds right now. But try listening with headphones, then it is easily recognisable.

[Lis]

So cool!  Thanks Justme!  The sound of cars going by (sounding much like waves crashing in) can be heard in the very beginning of the song, and again at about 3:18.  Super-cool addition to the song.  Love this song.  (like so many other MK songs....)

[Mona Dee]

Yes, really great, now I can hear it, too  thank you for telling us!

[Justme]

Nothing beats proper London traffic noise ;-)