(6) Broken Bones (5:30)

[LoveExpresso]

"After I broke listons jaw, he hit me harder than any man has a right to be hit. I had to be packed in ice for five days after the fight. I can't imagine being packed in ice for 15 minutes! Five days!!!"

Mark quoted this from a famous boxer the "Evening with Mark Knopfler, at the Hurlingham Club in 2009. The broken jaw and being packed in ice for so song seems to resonate in Broken Bones, too. It seems the pure agony, the endless pain seems to be reflected in this monotonic and almost endless track? Don't get me wrong, I like every second of it, but it is unusual and I know some forumers are not happy with it..

LE

[yontwocrows]

Interesting remark, LE. So it could be Marty marshall vs. Sonny Liston http://www.boxing.com/early_train_to_broken_jaw.html

[LoveExpresso]

That evening, said the name, it was Chuck Wepner who was quoted by Mark here.

After the fight with Liston, Wepner needed 72 stitches in his face.

from Wepner's wikipedia site. So it seems this song is not so much from the viewpoint of Sonny but of one of his opponents.

LE
 

[dmg]

Why is he so hung up on boxing?  It's a dreadful, barbarous spectator sport.  I'm sure anyone who studied neurology would be against it.  It's a bit like rugby I suppose, only less boring.

[H97]

Cajun moon, where does your power lie... 
 

Was about to post the same thing, they are very much alike! 

[peterromer]

Why is he so hung up on boxing?  It's a dreadful, barbarous spectator sport.  I'm sure anyone who studied neurology would be against it.  It's a bit like rugby I suppose, only less boring.

It is totally off the topic and not that I like boxing but I do love martial arts. I am old Black belt in traditional karate but you probably either hate or love the battle of warriors so to speak. So if MK has an interest here and can get inspired to do more good songs then so be it       

[the visitor]

This is a fantastic song, incentive production and assembly. More like this please

[kaleo74]

Love it ! rythm guitar remind me "another brick in the wall" in down beat tempo, Glenn Worf playing in great too, the hand claps....perfect on tour.

[LoveExpresso]

Yes I was literally jumping up when I first heard it as I like it so much. It might be interesting to know that on this track, Guy plays bass, not Glen.

I don't know exactly where I read that, but it is pretty sure. Man, so many posts since last Wednesday, must be nearly thousands of posts about tracker in a few days.

Maybe another one can verify about Guy playing bass on this one. Would be interesting to know on which other tracks he did that on Tracker. (I know he did on Redbud Tree).

LE

[yontwocrows]

Yes it's written in the credits. He plays bass on River Towns and on Broken Bones. Ukulele on Skydiver

[yontwocrows]

Mark about Broken Bones:

"Though listeners often insist on taking his words more literally than he means them. "If I've written a song called Broken Bones people say 'are you a boxer?'. But actually, that one is more just a figure of speech. A friend of mine said, 'This getting old shit, it ain't for wimps.' Somebody else said, 'You know, you carry your injuries.' And that's what got me thinking about that - just to use the imagery of boxing. But it's funny what people think about songs. Once the song is out there, it goes out the door, and you don't know what's going to happen to it, but that's part of the joy."

(http://www.independent.ie/entertainment/mark-knopfler-let-the-music-do-the-talking-31064547.html)

I just wanted to put this information of the interview to the Broken Bones thread, so it would not get lost. Found that quite interesting that the song might be connected with age. The whole song is getting just another interesting dimension. I listened to it just now with the aging sense in mind. Quite interesting which spin the song takes. It must be repetitive.

[Nick14]

Probably my least favourite of the 18 songs so far - but by no means bad, just not really my taste.

[foma]

LOL faster YouTube version seems actually works:

 

[vgonis]

I wonder if the average listener loses much of the experience due to inadequate audio playback system.

BTW, I was expecting an actual bell ring, when he sings that words.

[border_reiver]

LOL faster YouTube version seems actually works:

 

Wow! Almost twice as good in that tempo