(13) Small potatoes (3:11)

[shangri la 1]

Small Potatoes (Mark Knopfler) 3.11

LYRICS

You can hire and fire, wheel and deal
Run your streets with a fist of steel
But you're small potatoes
Strictly nickel and dime, nickel and dime
Small potatoes, small time

You can raise an army on a town
Be the rent collector, come around
Yeah, but you're small potatoes
Strictly nickel and dime, nickel and dime
Small potatoes, small time

If you take your leave of reality
You have to believe in your own publicity
But you get yourself and agent
Hire the Albert Hall
Make like Humpty dumpty and look down on it all
But you're small potatoes
Strictly nickel and dime, nickel and dime
Small potatoes, small time

Out on the town for your charities
Hanging in around with the VIPS
They say the duke of York took his men
Marched them up a hill of beans and down again
He was small potatoes
Strictly nickel and dime, nickel and dime
Small potatoes, small potatoes, small potatoes, small time

CHORDS
Ragpicker’s Dream Album – by foma
https://tabs.ultimate-guitar.com/m/mark_knopfler/small_potatoes_crd.htm
 

[Justme]

So what is it all about? Renting the RAH and the Duke of York  ...I simply don't get it.
Any ideas? 

[Love Expresso]

I have no idea. But lots of potatoes mentioned on RPD. In this song and in the title track and Old Pigweed, too. Don't know if that means something. ;-)

LE

[Jules]

Someone that pretends to be important but it's not?

[Justme]

Hm, important potatoe - that Simon Cow*%$§ again?   

[shangri la 1]

My closest match for the saying small potatoes is something or someone of little significance. 

[dustyvalentino]

Was Simon Cowbell well known at the time of RPD. Maybe another dig at Ed?

Sent from my Tab2A7-20F using Tapatalk

[quizzaciously]

Was Simon Cowbell well known at the time of RPD. Maybe another dig at Ed?

In other hand, if I remember correctly, in one of the interviews Mark said something like "what I do is just small potatoes" or something.

[Jules]

Calling Ed small potatoes would be quite arrogant since Ed had a big role in Dire Straits managing them and helping them in his road to success.