Song discussion: Angel of Mercy

[paddybrown]

Thought I'd start a new discussion about what I think is one of Mark's wittiest and most underrated songs, Angel of Mercy from Communiqu

[Al]

OMG! My idea exactly! http://www.amarkintime.org/forum/Smileys/classic/wink.gif

[JF]

I love this song

I think you explained very well the meaning. I remember reading an article/itw where it was said it was one of the mots "sensual" (almost s e x u a l ?) songs by MK, (other ones were like Portobello Belle or Expresso love)

I don't know if I'm allowed to talk about music/gear in this thread (as if it's more about lyrics ?) but I just wanted to say that Mark played the 12 strings baldwin guitar (same model, but not same guitar, as the one later used on rhyhtm part of Cleaning my gun by both Mark and Richard) for the gorgeous mid solo.

He played also this guitar live in early 79 with a bottleneck (!) 

more info on Ingo's blog :

http://www.mk-guitar.com/2010/03/24/angel-of-mercy-live-in-early-1979-mark-knopfler-on-slide-guitar/

He played this guitar in 80/81 too. I looove the werchter version, with the long bridge introducing the band. Some licks bring me to tears. Fabulous !

the late 79 versions are nice, linked to solid rock !

I love the studio version too. One of my fav Mark's tone (both rhythm and lead)

[CarrionSpy]

I love this song

I think you explained very well the meaning. I remember reading an article/itw where it was said it was one of the mots "sensual" (almost s e x u a l ?) songs by MK, (other ones were like Portobello Belle or Expresso love)

I don't know if I'm allowed to talk about music/gear in this thread (as if it's more about lyrics ?) but I just wanted to say that Mark played the 12 strings baldwin guitar (same model, but not same guitar, as the one later used on rhyhtm part of Cleaning my gun by both Mark and Richard) for the gorgeous mid solo.

He played also this guitar live in early 79 with a bottleneck (!) 

more info on Ingo's blog :

http://www.mk-guitar.com/2010/03/24/angel-of-mercy-live-in-early-1979-mark-knopfler-on-slide-guitar/

He played this guitar in 80/81 too. I looove the werchter version, with the long bridge introducing the band. Some licks bring me to tears. Fabulous !

the late 79 versions are nice, linked to solid rock !

I love the studio version too. One of my fav Mark's tone (both rhythm and lead)

I love this song and I thing that the werchter version is the best like JF said! I always remember Mark saying during the introductions "It is Dire Straits rock n roll orchestra!" . Thank you everyone for the analysis of this beautiful song. I am looking forward to hear the bottleneck version as I didn't know its existence. I didn't know also the fact about Baldwin guitar thank you JF!

[yontwocrows]

I love the song too.
Paddybrown: thanks for the hint with angel delight. Didn't know! Thanks also for presenting the topic combining lyrics and music, like that a lot.
Jf: thanks for guitar hints. Like the sound of this sound a lot, didn't know that it's a twelf string. have also the feeling that the sound of guitar is somehow voicelike and supports the meanings of the lyrics, or levels them in another dimension.

To the lyrics:
Yes, i think that your reading of the song is correct. But still i have some doubts / questions? The song is presented in a very positive mood that underlines your reading perfectly. But even when i listened to the song for the first time (more than a decade ago), i didn't fully trust this romantic, se xual love song feeling. I've also kind of a bitter, unsecure feeling. Why's that?
Well, i don't understand why everything is dressed in children-appealing metaphors. Peter Pan moon, knight, sword, armour, dragon-fight etc. Why?
And i reflect upon the meaning of "angel of mercy" a lot. It can have a total positive meaning, i know. But it can also have a negative meaning (you know, some serial-killers are named "angel of mercy). Don't get me wrong: I'm more convinced that the positive understanding of the song is correct, but still i have to think about this connotation when i'm listening. But when you read the song in this way it is getting really evil, which doesn't fit to the sound. "I don't want your money, I want you instead" - sleeping with a prostitute?
Anyone who understands a bit my weird thinking?   
 

[JF]

just a precision to be not misunderstood :

the twelve string guitar is the one on the left channel, played by Mark, since the start of the song.
David comes in at 0:16 on the right channel
The lead guitar starting at 0:29 in the center channel, is one of the 2 Mark's first red strats (the 2 ones used on the 2 first albums, and live during 77-79 )


the first solo at 1:50 is the strat

the 2nd solo from 2:20 to 30:6 is the twelve string guitar (one of my favorite Mark's solo, both tone and melody)

the outro solo is the strat again (I like it a lot too, very rocking !)



I compiled this kind of info here :
http://www.mk-guitar.com/gear-on-all-songs-for-all-albums-wiki/

the info about Angel of mercy is here :
http://www.mk-guitar.com/gear-on-all-songs-for-all-albums-wiki/gear-on-album-communique/#Track%206%20-%20Angel%20of%20mercy

[nababo]

I have - of course, everyone has - ny theory. Firstly, I think he was successful in his attempt. The lyrics are in a mood that, to me, he was asking something he already knew he would get eventually. And he didn't need that much - just a little oblivion...

The intriguing verse "don't want your money" appears, imo, because he did something useful for the angel of mercy and he does not want to get paid, as she might have offered. And it's the opposite way of transaction mede with a prostitute. If it was, HE would have to pay.

Nevertheless, I understand yontwocrowns feelings about unsecureness. I think that if we read the lyrics in a teenager or a unexperienced guy perspective, it makes sense. But still I think he was sure he would get what he wanted.

I love the song, I love the lyrics, but this thread made me compare, for the first time, "Angel of mercy" with "Night in summer long ago". The 1979 song uses a knight as a metaphor, while NiSLA, to me, tries to evoque the knight days to create a momentum, and at the same time can be seen as a metaphor of a fling, too. But I think his imagery evolved a lot in 20 less years, no?

[yontwocrows]

But I think his imagery evolved a lot in 20 less years, no?

yes, certainly!

[vgonis]

I like this topic! I think the song expresses various degrees of a flirtatious behaviour all mixed together. I mean that all the imagery and double meaning sentences could be used in a flirting situation a bit jokingly, but always pointing to a certain direction.  Some are quite naive like testing the ground, while others are quite serious and if there is no previous ground covered too straight forward.
 
I agree with the initial reading of paddybrown! And thank you for bringing it up! Thank you also JF for all these info. And Nababo I also think he was successful, without trying too much.

It really reminds me of a Dylan song and of Bruce Springsteen early narratives as well. 

[yontwocrows]

Agree, with what you said.

Still have problems with these lines. Don't get the connection between a-Peter-Pan-moon-sheperd's-delight-dragon-at-noon-thing with the rest of the story. And don't get the importance of the swear-thing? What do you think about these lines?

Well there's a Peter Pan moon, shepherd's delight
I got the dragon at noon, yes and I won the fight

Well, if you cross your heart
And spit and swear upon the grave of your mother
You gotta get into it, you gotta tell me that I'm more than a lover

[vgonis]

Child, pastoral, hero gets the dragon references. Playful imagery.
Angry, rude maybe, pledge for recognition, that actually should be translated more as an effort to look sincere rather than just swearing for the heck of it.

[nababo]

Child, pastoral, hero gets the dragon references. Playful imagery.
Angry, rude maybe, pledge for recognition, that actually should be translated more as an effort to look sincere rather than just swearing for the heck of it.

Perfectly summarized! If we were in Facebook, you would carry my entire provision of likes
 

[vgonis]

This is not facebook?  That is why I get no likes... 

[yontwocrows]

  i like

[vgonis]

Thank you     I still can't find the like button!