Let It All Go

Mark Knopfler said in an interview that he was reading The Horse's Mouth by Joyce Cary and the song came from that. The book is about an artist and the song is this artist warning a young devotee not to follow in his footsteps.

About a young man in the 1930s who wants to paint but the as war effort increases he is of course encouraged to join.

What I came up with many years ago...

Let it all go Mark Knopfler

When it's pop goes the weasel (see explanation below) let go of the easel
You don't want this rickety rackety life. The old man advises that if it comes to pawning his work (compromising the value of what he as an artist creates, then it is time to quit, yet there is no way to quench the unquenchable fire that makes him an artist It's seat of the trousers (A warning perhaps to the young artist he is addressing) It's all sink or swim, son

I'd kill to get crimson (His passion as an artist) on this palette knife. And I'd steal in a minute I'm up to here in it

You here behaving (His unworthiness; a confession perhaps) as though I'm a saint Get a job with a pension (His advice which he himself cannot accept) Don't ever mention you once had a craving for the brushes and paint.

So go, forget it, let it all go let it all go. Go, forget it, let it all go Go, forget it, let it all go let it all go. Go, forget it, let it all go let it all go.

A hack writer judges (see explanation below) my swipes and my smudges he doesn't like pictures with blotches and blots.

The drawing room tea set (What the upper, power class focuses on—a world devoid of true feeling) wants horses, sunsets sweet nothing - the seaside with yachts.

Here's the end of the thirties (What was told to the old man. Art was not valued during war time—his time no time for arties over in Poland a right old to-do So go join the navy the air force or the army They'll all be enrolling young fellows like you. So go, forget it, let it all go let it all go. Go, forget it, let it all go Go, forget it, let it all go let it all go. Go, forget it, let it all go let it all go.

These are not my decisions (The trappings of a true artist) flaming visions ringing expression the clamoring voice. It's volcanic desire the unquenchable fire It isn't a question of having the choice.

Anyway, now I'm old (The old man’s warning yet understanding the youth is trapped as an artist) but if you won't be told
if you've been created to answer the call all passion and lust (The old man’s realization that it all is for naught—very sad)

is going to end in the dust but you'll hang on some (This is all he can hope for—mediocrity through giving up—very sad) government gallery wall.

So go, forget it, let it all go let it all go. Go, forget it, let it all go Go, forget it, let it all go let it all go. Go, forget it, let it all go let it all go.

Pop and Weasel

These words are derived from Cockney Rhyming slang which originated in London. Cockneys were a close community and had a suspicion of strangers and a dislike of the Police (they still do!). Cockneys developed a language of their own based roughly on a rhyming slang - it was difficult for strangers to understand as invariably the second noun would always be dropped. Apples and Pears (meaning stairs) would be abbreviated to just 'apples', for instance, "watch your step on the apples".
To "Pop" is the slang word for "Pawn". Weasel is derived from "weasel and stoat" meaning coat. It was traditional for even poor people to own a suit, which they wore as their 'Sunday Best'. When times were hard they would pawn their suit, or coat, on a Monday and claim it back before Sunday. Hence the term " Pop goes the Weasel" Hack writer is a colloquial and usually pejorative term used to refer to a writer who is paid to write low-quality, rushed articles or books "to order", often with a short deadline. In a fiction-writing context, the term is used to describe writers who are paid to churn out sensational, lower-quality "pulp" fiction such as "true crime" novels or "bodice ripping" paperbacks. In journalism, the term is used to describe a writer who is deemed to operate as a "mercenary" or "pen for hire", expressing their client's political opinions in pamphlets or newspaper articles. So-called "hack writers" are usually paid by the number of words in their book or article; as a result, hack writing has a reputation for quantity taking precedence over quality.

Hi! Could anyone pls explain, this song is about whom? i mean, that's about some particular polish painter?