(21) Precious Voice From Heaven

[skydiver]

So actually he's singing to a woman

And is the woman singing the chorus back to him?

I don't see that but anything is possible, what makes you think that?

It may be wrong, but for me the ageing unsuccessful singer would have quit by now "I'd be long gone ... if not for you, girl".
And the girl urges him not to stop and quit "Ah, but you have a precious voice from heaven".

So for me the beautiful heartwarming melody reflects a beautiful story:
He and his music is not important to the people (anymore) but it still means the world to her.
For her it's still "a once in a blue moon ecstasy" and even if he would just be singing the phone book it would still sound beautiful to her.

Is that not beautiful?

[Robson]

It's beautiful.

[naif]

Great song. Glad to hear it. İt reminds me the movie ,Crazy Heart's story... Beautiful, beautiful song. Gift from MK.

[dustyvalentino]

Somehow the film "Wild Rose" came to mind...

Hmm, I don't see any connection, but that's a good film.

[KnopfleRick]

So actually he's singing to a woman

And is the woman singing the chorus back to him?

I don't see that but anything is possible, what makes you think that?

It may be wrong, but for me the ageing unsuccessful singer would have quit by now "I'd be long gone ... if not for you, girl".
And the girl urges him not to stop and quit "Ah, but you have a precious voice from heaven".

So for me the the beautiful heartwarming melody reflects a beautiful story:
He and his music is not important to the people (anymore) but it still means the world to her.
For her it's still "a once in a blue moon ecstasy" and even if he would just be singing the phone book it would still sound beautiful to her.

Is that not beautiful?

I also have something like this on my mind when I hear the song. Just beautiful!

[Robson]

But the final verse is a little incomprehensible to me.

The Cool kids who make your town
Gotta help them stick around
You wanna keep your city hip
Or all the kids will desert the ship

[KnopfleRick]

But the final verse is a little incomprehensible to me.

The Cool kids who make your town
Gotta help them stick around
You wanna keep your city hip
Or all the kids will desert the ship

That's true. The final make no sense to me too compared to the previous text. Mark's lyrics often give me a headache. 

[Robson]

"Mark's lyrics often give me a headache"

     I have the same.

[skydiver]

But the final verse is a little incomprehensible to me.

The Cool kids who make your town
Gotta help them stick around
You wanna keep your city hip
Or all the kids will desert the ship

Since the overall theme of the song is the difficult fate of an (ageing unsuccessful) musician
it makes sense that the song ends with yet another perspective (apart from that of the singer and of his girl), that of an onlooker or storyteller with a more general thought-provoking call to do something for the musicians/artists in your local community (the cool kids who make your town), because they'll leave for other/bigger places if the venues are closing down.
And thus we as listeners of the song's story are drawn into it as well at the end.

[Robson]

Therefore, the finale has a different melody. I like this interpretation very much.

[skydiver]

Therefore, the finale has a different melody. I like this interpretation very much.

The noticeable different parts and melodies of the song, which may seem a little confusing, could make sense this way.

[KnopfleRick]

Absolutely! 

[Pottel]

As a father I don't find All That Matters cheesy, quite the opposite.

As someone who has been dumped lots of times I don't find Whoop De Doo cheesy either. It might just be my favourite MK solo song.

Don't Crash the Ambulance is pretty cheesy, and makes no sense.

fully agree with 1 and 2. not at all with 3, love that one too :-)

[Pottel]

Thank you, thank you, thank you, herlock! 

or: Thnx sherlock!
 :-)
Also, funny to hear Mark sing something we ALWAYS say about him, --> he could even read from a phone book and we would still love it!

[dustyvalentino]

But the final verse is a little incomprehensible to me.

The Cool kids who make your town
Gotta help them stick around
You wanna keep your city hip
Or all the kids will desert the ship

It speaks earlier in the town about being priced out of the area, the coda is warning that if property prices get too expensive the cool people who made the town famous will have to move out.

Maybe the song is about Austin, Texas.

https://www.mysanantonio.com/entertainment/article/Austin-musicians-leaving-Elgin-16917681.php