(8) Watch me gone

[Robson]

This is the power of suggestion:) And I can't stop thinking that it might be about David.

[quizzaciously]

That's not going to be an easy song to strum. It heavily relies on thumb over the top and tricky sus2 voicings, the song reminds me of "Wherever I Go" guitar-wise, and also a little bit of "Everybody Pays" (coincidentally, another "homage" to David). Somebody already uploaded simple chords for the song on Ultimate Guitar, here's my version: https://tabs.ultimate-guitar.com/tab/mark-knopfler/watch-me-gone-chords-5156620

[richardmu]

listened, nice sound but no melody so will unlikely be on my regular MK playlist.

[Beryl]

A good song indeed, IMHO. At last. Definitely one of his best songs since 2015. Some of the customary autoplagiarism (musical sections stolen from River Towns, Seattle and Wherever I Go), but also some original chord changes worked out and great melody lines and singing. And the arrangement is beautiful, including his guitar. And dark and intriguing lyrics. Very good stuff overall

[Love Expresso]

I have trouble with this one and hesitate to listen to it on repeat as I usually do with new songs. The way he sings it sounds somehow as if he  has too many words or syllables to make it sound smoothly rhyming, somehow stumbling through it. His vocals sound as tired and weak as in Follow The Ribbon. Musically, we have heard it all in the 30 seconds of the  snippet and the remaining 4 minutes add nothing interesting to it.

I think it's about Ruth, his sister who died in 2020.

LE

[Love Expresso]

And the hopscotch traces, well, you can still see 'em here
The chalk lines faded and unclear
Time for me to disappear
Put my old boots back on, whatever

The same boots as he refers to in Pale Imitation, also the same house? How can these chalk lines still be visible after 60 years or more?

My question might sound stupid but since DTRW I detect a certain lack of clarity in his lyrics. I know that it's sort of poetry and not the news but he always had a way with words that was totally on point and always nailed it but in the lyrics of late he lost that somehow.

LE

[Robson]

Very sad song, very sad memories. The music fits perfectly.

[Robson]

And the hopscotch traces, well, you can still see 'em here
The chalk lines faded and unclear
Time for me to disappear
Put my old boots back on, whatever

The same boots as he refers to in Pale Imitation, also the same house? How can these chalk lines still be visible after 60 years or more?

My question might sound stupid but since DTRW I detect a certain lack of clarity in his lyrics. I know that it's sort of poetry and not the news but he always had a way with words that was totally on point and always nailed it but in the lyrics of late he lost that somehow.

LE

I also thought about Pale Imitation.

[richardmu]

I have trouble with this one and hesitate to listen to it on repeat as I usually do with new songs. The way he sings it sounds somehow as if he  has too many words or syllables to make it sound smoothly rhyming, somehow stumbling through it. His vocals sound as tired and weak as in Follow The Ribbon. Musically, we have heard it all in the 30 seconds of the  snippet and the remaining 4 minutes add nothing interesting to it.

I think it's about Ruth, his sister who died in 2020.

LE

Yep, sounds all over the place in the verses. I'm surprised people are talking about the great melody, I don't hear it, just another dreary miserable song. It's almost chord for chord the same Seattle without the nice Hank Marvin bits.

[the visitor]

I like everything about this song apart from the backing vocals, not at all to my taste and sounds immediately dated. I guess they (GF and MK) thought the song needed something to lift it, but it doesn't need it.  Autobiographical lyrics from the heart and great musicality.

[Kris-b]

Reading the lyrics I have the feeling it it about his first marriage.

[Jules]

Reading the lyrics I have the feeling it it about his first marriage.

I also had the same feeling when read the first part of the lyrics, but the second part made me think about David, and then, about leaving the band behind for a solo career.

Maybe it's just about all the things he had to left behind during his life pursuing his dream, so it's about all that I mentioned.

However, most of the lines made me think about the first marriage more than the rest of things.

[Love Expresso]

Reading the lyrics I have the feeling it it about his first marriage.

That was an idea I had, too. I also thought about the woman he was trying to visit in Laughs & Jokes & Drinks & Smokes.

So many options so far..shouldn't the lyrics make clear who it is about or shouldn't they give hints that we can work it out? Remember, this is where the Get-A-Lifers meet who seem to know everything about him. How should the non-fan casual listener ever work out what the song is about? That's something I have trouble with in his lyrics since let's say Tracker...

LE

[Jules]

Reading the lyrics I have the feeling it it about his first marriage.

That was an idea I had, too. I also thought about the woman he was trying to visit in Laughs & Jokes & Drinks & Smokes.

So many options so far..shouldn't the lyrics make clear who it is about or shouldn't they give hints that we can work it out? Remember, this is where the Get-A-Lifers meet who seem to know everything about him. How should the non-fan casual listener ever work out what the song is about? That's something I have trouble with in his lyrics since let's say Tracker...

LE

He uses to say that he likes that people makes the song whatever want to be, but also he sometimes explains what's some songs about...

I'd say that in general this song might be more about everything he had to leave behind for his dream, it might be his first wife, it might be his family, his brother, his old band mates, after my N time listening to the song, I got the impression that it's more like that, a general idea of everything he left behind, more than one concrete theme.

[superval99]

This is one of those songs that need to be listened to quite a few times - it didn't grab me immediately, but those are the songs that stay,
 rather than those that are liked instantly.  This song is definitely a grower and I like it more and more with each listen.  Mark's guitar is beautiful all through the song.   I think it's about Mark's first marriage as others have said.