(07) My Bacon Roll

[kaleo74]

This is my favourite song in DTRW.
I think BR is pure emotion from an old man who falls out of a very fast changing time. He does not know how to live in it. And he is alone. Very beautiful and emotional song, I heard it at a concert. Mark chose her for his set list is no coincidence.

Welcome to the community Quality shoe,

yeah, you're right, I love this song too, Mark always finds a funny/emotional way to talk about his caracters or him. The live version is stunning.

[Love Expresso]

This one is known as the Brexit or Anti Brexit Song, but only after MK stated that in interviews. I guess when we started discussing this song back then, we thought about all different things but not Brexit. To me, these interviews showed a new MK, and it was not the most likeable one.

But speaking about the song: I have a problem with putting these two images together. Would you see the character in that song as likeable, sympathetic? Or more negative like let's say the guy in Money For Nothing?  To me it read like MK has a whole lot understanding and pity for a man dealing and trying to cope with the modern world (team building, wild water rafting, still smoking).The song has a big heart, so to say. Claiming that it is about "one of those lost Brexit people" ruins the message  and seems not honest to me.

So is his songwriting really that good if the message does not come across properly? I know about making your own decision on reading songs, Guy once called it applicability. But would this not mean that MK is positioning himself between both views? Is that a good thing?

LE

[Jules]

In Lisbon, before he sings the songs, MK says something like "Mr Brexit Man".

Maybe the character is old fashion and also a brexiter, because of that...

[Love Expresso]

In Lisbon, before he sings the songs, MK says something like "Mr Brexit Man".

Maybe the character is old fashion and also a brexiter, because of that...

Yes, that's clear. That is not my point.

LE

[Jules]

In Lisbon, before he sings the songs, MK says something like "Mr Brexit Man".

Maybe the character is old fashion and also a brexiter, because of that...

Yes, that's clear. That is not my point.

LE

Mk always says that he preffer that people gets his own feeling about songs, not telling what they are about, but sometimes he says exactly what those songs are about, like in the case of "Bacon Roll". In my opinion that doesn't ruins the song but really adds something to it. If not you can think the song is about a random guy eating in a bar, the kind of character like MFN, but pointing to the old fashion man, the brexiter, it gives meaning to the whole thing, like "When you dealing with the toastie, what you prefer , brown or red", literally these are different sauces, but maybe the toastie is not a toastie, is the brexit thing, and the sauces are the choices... If MK doesn't explain such things, you can just understand the waiting is asking which sauce you want with the toastie...

Many songwriters doesn't want that the message is crystal clear when they write and record a song, and like that people gives it's own meaning, but maybe in the end they feel the song might need some explanation to get the meaning properly, specially when you are talking about toasties, that would be difficult to get for foreign listeners...

I hope i'm closer to your point now

[Love Expresso]

No, I am afraid not. But thanks for your input.

I know all that about red or brown. In fact it was me suggesting that earlier in this thread. I also know about how MK usually writes.

My point is that the song shows a likeable character and is written from a very understanding point of view, but later in interviews MK is talking disparagingly about the type of man.

LE

[Jules]

No, I am afraid not. But thanks for your input.

I know all that about red or brown. In fact it was me suggesting that earlier in this thread. I also know about how MK usually writes.

My point is that the song shows a likeable character and is written from a very understanding point of view, but later in interviews MK is talking disparagingly about the type of man.

LE

Maybe it's your own interpretation of the character. From the first listening I didn't like the character and sounded to me like the MFN ones, or even the Heavy fuel character, obviously not that rude or disgusting, but certainly too old fashioned, the kind of person who is always complaining about modern life and telling everything was better before, so, when MK explained the song, it fitted well with the image I made myself of the character.

In a way I felt identified with the character as I also thinks sometimes modern life is too modern and I feel more comfortable with how things were before, but I know I have to adapt to the modern times, the character looks like he can't do that, or doesn't want to have to do that and is always complaining, and grumpy about that. Probably the same kind of person who would be a strong brexiter, the one that wants "Britain to be great again", if I'm allowed to compare it to Mr Orange man, formerly president of the USA.

[dmg]

Since Brexit was voted for in a referendum and Boris Johnson won a landslide election surely "Mr Brexit man" is the most fashionable person in town and the song is a joke.  Certainly backfired big time.

[superval99]

Since Brexit was voted for in a referendum and Boris Johnson won a landslide election surely "Mr Brexit man" is the most fashionable person in town and the song is a joke.  Certainly backfired big time.

Yes, the remoaners have gone mysteriously quiet now!   

[Stanko]

This one is known as the Brexit or Anti Brexit Song, but only after MK stated that in interviews. I guess when we started discussing this song back then, we thought about all different things but not Brexit. To me, these interviews showed a new MK, and it was not the most likeable one.

But speaking about the song: I have a problem with putting these two images together. Would you see the character in that song as likeable, sympathetic? Or more negative like let's say the guy in Money For Nothing?  To me it read like MK has a whole lot understanding and pity for a man dealing and trying to cope with the modern world (team building, wild water rafting, still smoking).The song has a big heart, so to say. Claiming that it is about "one of those lost Brexit people" ruins the message  and seems not honest to me.

So is his songwriting really that good if the message does not come across properly? I know about making your own decision on reading songs, Guy once called it applicability. But would this not mean that MK is positioning himself between both views? Is that a good thing?

LE

The song leaves it to you, really (if you're not encumbered by suggested prejudices).
It's all up to story you like to build around him.
Personally, I take him as a hero, the same one you find in Camerado, 38' special, Skydiver or Basil...

[Robson]

This one is known as the Brexit or Anti Brexit Song, but only after MK stated that in interviews. I guess when we started discussing this song back then, we thought about all different things but not Brexit. To me, these interviews showed a new MK, and it was not the most likeable one.

But speaking about the song: I have a problem with putting these two images together. Would you see the character in that song as likeable, sympathetic? Or more negative like let's say the guy in Money For Nothing?  To me it read like MK has a whole lot understanding and pity for a man dealing and trying to cope with the modern world (team building, wild water rafting, still smoking).The song has a big heart, so to say. Claiming that it is about "one of those lost Brexit people" ruins the message  and seems not honest to me.

So is his songwriting really that good if the message does not come across properly? I know about making your own decision on reading songs, Guy once called it applicability. But would this not mean that MK is positioning himself between both views? Is that a good thing?

LE

The song leaves it to you, really (if you're not encumbered by suggested prejudices).
It's all up to story you like to build around him.
Personally, I take him as a hero, the same one you find in Camerado, 38' special, Skydiver or Basil...

But Lucian Freud and Basil Bounting are not fictional people

[dustyvalentino]

I think this is one of MK's most amazing songs.

On hearing it I can picture EXACTLY who that person is.

What surprised me at first is that people who are not from the UK could see that as well so I have obviously done some of you a disservice as your contributions above show.

This is a typical British man (actually more likely to be English, but there are a few in Scotland, just not so many) in his late 50s/early 60s who has been bypassed by the 21st century and is now a dinosaur.

I think it was very lazy shorthand to call him "Brexit man". Yes, he would have voted for Brexit but the song isn't about Brexit, it's about a man out of time.

I'm surprised to see people are sympathetic to this character - he is moaning all the way through the song, and this reaches a climax when he impatiently asks the waiting staff where his food is instead of just waiting.

As I say, to me this is a great character study of a middle aged English man, but I guess there are also plenty of people like this in other countries, millions will have voted for Trump for example.

[superval99]

I think this is one of MK's most amazing songs.

On hearing it I can picture EXACTLY who that person is.

What surprised me at first is that people who are not from the UK could see that as well so I have obviously done some of you a disservice as your contributions above show.

This is a typical British man (actually more likely to be English, but there are a few in Scotland, just not so many) in his late 50s/early 60s who has been bypassed by the 21st century and is now a dinosaur.

I think it was very lazy shorthand to call him "Brexit man". Yes, he would have voted for Brexit but the song isn't about Brexit, it's about a man out of time.

I'm surprised to see people are sympathetic to this character - he is moaning all the way through the song, and this reaches a climax when he impatiently asks the waiting staff where his food is instead of just waiting.

As I say, to me this is a great character study of a middle aged English man, but I guess there are also plenty of people like this in other countries, millions will have voted for Trump for example.

Yes, it is one of those songs where you can picture the whole thing - similar to The Scaffolder's Wife for example where I can see this lady with dyed blonde hair, teetering along in her stilleto shoes.   MK is a master at these sort of songs.

[dustyvalentino]

Exactly, I was thinking of The Scaffolders Wife when I was typing that.

I'm just surprised that these songs resonate with non UK people, because to me these people are just so British.

[quizzaciously]

Exactly, I was thinking of The Scaffolders Wife when I was typing that.

I'm just surprised that these songs resonate with non UK people, because to me these people are just so British.

Not always... I'm a Russian and to me, lyrics are extremely hard to understand. But maybe I'm just stupid because I don't understand lyrics even if it's in Russian... So in order to get MK's lyrics, you need to be smart first and also know English pretty well.