The Ragpicker's Dream

I agree with butcherdawood and haxorchick, this song is beautiful--this might be my favorite song of all time. And it does always remind me of the holidays as I almost always begin to listen to Mark when the weather begins to change in the fall.

Where I have to disagree with you guys is in the song's tone. It's actually a pretty straight forward story, and since no one's taken a crack at breaking it down, I'll give my interpretation of it.

When Jack Frost came for christmas With a brass monkey date The rail-king and the scarecrow Hopped a Florida freight And they blew on their paper cups And stared through the steam Then they drank half a bottle Of ragpicker's dream where

The song starts off with an introduction of our two protagonists, The Rail-King and the Scarecrow, two alcoholic (see meaning of brass monkey) hobos (bums, homeless folk) are fleeing the bitter cold of the northern United States for the warmer climes of Florida. They try to warm themselves against the cold with paper cups of coffee, but eventually turn to the warmth and mental respite found in a fictional bottle of what is probably some kind of gin or whiskey, called The Ragpicker's Dream. This name has a double meaning at the end of the first verse, and throughout the song. The bottle of liquor also functions as an escape to a dream world--a warm place where loved ones reside and food is plentiful. Ragpicker's were very low, working class people who rummaged and salvaged materials of any value that could be sold. So, a Ragpicker's dream would probably consist of material things that he could never hope to have; wealth, warmth, and a constant supply of food and drink. In any case, it simply translates to getting lost in a bottle.

The whiskey keeps following Cold pitchers of beer Me and my associate Like the clientele here get The onions and the 'taters Rib-eyes on the grill Toothpicks and luckies And a coffee refill as

This verse is probably a memory within a dream, where the reality of the memory is skewed to have a happier outcome for the two men. The two men are obviously enjoying a meal and some warmth in a restaurant. They are living it up, and probably living beyond their means, which foreshadows what is to come.

The rail-king lay rocking He was leaving the ground Then he was flying like Santa Claus Over the town where He came to the window Of a house by a stream It was a family christmas In the ragpicker's dream there

Were kids at the table All aglow in the light Music in the wintertime Sure carries at night there Was turkey and gravy Pie and ice-cream And gifts for each and everyone In the ragpicker's dream where

These two verses, I think, are yet more foreshadowing for the end of the song. I'll come back to this point, but suffice it to say that the Rail-King is dreaming again. He might be remembering a time when he was a child, and life was better. But the dream could also be an amalgamation of scenes pieced together as an outsider looking in the windows of wealthier homes.

The red-eye keeps tumbling In our glasses of beer Me and my associate Like the service in here there's A ten for your trouble You have beautiful hair Make the last one two doubles It's a cold one out there where

This is where the dream begins to fade back into reality. The two men have had their fill of food and are now getting drunk in the restaurant (red eye is a type of whiskey), and when they leave they are pretty much wasted.

The scarecrow and the rail-king Have started to dance But a nightstick and a billyclub Won't give peace a chance here I think they went thataways Your song and dance team Heading home for the holidays With the ragpicker's dream on

At this point, the Scarecrow and Rail-King have left the restaurant and are making a lot of noise out on the street, dancing and singing in a drunken manner. It might be inferred that they made an untoward gesture toward the waitress. In the narrator's, memory of the night he recalls only telling her that she has nice hair, and he tips her a ten, which would have been a LOT of money (remember this). But the compliment might have been a little more on the blue side, and more than likely, considering the kind of food they were eating, the drink they imbibed, and the good cigarettes they were smoking, coupled with the fact that they are basically two train riding, homeless guys, leads to the probability that they skipped out on the bill. Someone, possibly the waitress, is telling the beat cops in which direction the two con-men have fled--probably for the train yard.

His knees like a fighter The rail-riding king Like a sack of potatoes Like a bull in the ring where The scarecrow falls over With a tear in the seam Home for the rover In the ragpicker's dream where

The red-eye keeps tumbling Like tears in our beer Me and my associate Like the ambience here where They cornered two castaways In a white flashlight beam Merry christmas and happy days In the ragpicker's dream

The cops have now caught up to the two men, and are beating them senseless (Rodney King style) with billy clubs. This scene is foreshadowing the verse where "the Rail-King lay rocking, he was leaving the ground". The foreshadowing in that verse suggests that he has been knocked unconscious, or perhaps he has been mortally wounded and his soul is leaving his body, rising up above it all. In any case, his mind is working to dull the reality of the situation.

The imagery of the two men's beating is so subtle and gracefully written that it's poetic. The Rail-King is trying to fight back, but he is too drunk. He's knocked to his knees and hits the ground "like a sack of potatoes". Meanwhile the Scarecrow, who by his very name is probably a very tall, skinny man incapable of putting up a fight, take one hit and rolls over "with a tear in the seam" (probably a very nasty cut to the head).

Both of the bums have been heavily handled by the cops, and the two men are unconscious and dreaming once again. But as they recall things at the very end, they remember that their good times ended in the glare of a flashlight beam, and in violence.

I find the last few lines particularly poignant, and it's here that the listener has to make a decision on how he/she interprets the song. Were they simply "two castaways" looking for warmth and a place to belong who were picked on by the locals because of their shabby appearance? Or were they two drunkards who behaved badly in public, insulted the honor of a lady, and neglected to pay their bill?

I like to believe the former. I think the tone of the song is sad and intentionally evokes a feeling of pity for these two men. Yes, they are drunks, but I like to think that did nothing really wrong, except to be different. They rode a train into town, leaving troubles and the cold behind, only to find that they were just as unwelcome in the new place as they were in the old place. In essence, their fate had followed them.

And though my interpretation may be a bit more bleak than the way the above posters like to see it, I still think the song is one of the most beautifully written pieces of poetry and music I've ever heard.

Cheers.

This song is beautiful, mostly for the lyrics. Mark Knopfler is beloved for his keen interest in using music lyrics to give the listener colorful insights into a wide variety of timeless cultural references. Here, Knofler is not only commenting on the sadness of poverty -- of which alcohol abuse is only a symptom -- but a reference to the hardships of the album's theme, the Great Depression.

A couple things I could perhaps add to the commentary below. First, I thought a "brass monkey date" was a spite of cold weather, which the two hobo friends considered liquor was the best way to survive. The whisky I don't believe is imaginary at all, but in fact essential to the painful story Knofler is about to weave.

I didn't assume they were actually inside a lovely tavern, with warm service, good food and drink, but that they were actually leaning back imagining that they were -- part of the "ragpicker's dream" -- which imagines that the two also have considerable money to throw around, acting like the big shots they obviously are not. This didn't have to be a memory at all, simply a "dream" of a life only wished for by the two rail-bound men.

I agree with haxorchick. Its a beautiful and soothing song that I always listen to when I'm doing. The lyrics and the tune tell me, "Hey, everything will be okay."

The song deals is exactly what the title says it is - A Ragpicker's Dream. A poor and downtrodden guy dreams of living a quiet and comfortable life around christmas. The allusions to comfort, alcohol, a bar, and most importantly an 'associate' - a friend to take away his loneliness are all very touching. The visual imagery of food, drink and christmas make the song merry and make me happy when I listen to it.

At the same time, there is always a tinge of sadness throughout the song. The very fact that the song is a 'dream' for the ragpicker, and it is something which he aspires to have, but can never really hope to have it leads to this sadness.

Hi all. as ageneral (and first) comments, just guys think how the language barrier may mean for a non natural english spoken. We always assume we're not grasping it all so we let the imagination fly. Particularly with great Mark's songs where things don't necessarily mean something clear. In this case (get ready guys) I simply imagined the scare crow is a woman. Why? Why not!! I agree most of considerations on contrast with Xmas feelings and misery for the two people and how the nice Xmas feelings (and the bottle) make them scape the misery. So I thought that a love story within this context got stronger and made the situation deeper (in terms of communicating feelings) too. I ams urprised no one has considered this possibility, and alsoa sk you if there's some line that simply discards it. You know we latin speakers have genre more clear so the ambiguity in english makes us guess. I think the the story of the two poor homeless man and lady would be sooo nice in this context, yet sad and all in a very Dickensian way, right? I guess that hints such as the beautiful hair, the dancing, the tear made me think they love each other. I didn't know, but I imagined the rest. What you think? regards

I don't think the "brass monkey date" phrase refers to alcholics. Here in England there is an old vernacular expression that "it is cold enough to freeze the balls off a brass monkey". In conversation this is generally shortened to something like "it's brass monkeys outside" to indicate that it is very cold.

So what Mark is saying in his own sweet way in the opening lines is that the weather turned bitterly cold so our heroes jumped on a freight train heading South looking for warmer weather.

Although there is no indication of the sex of the Scarecrow it would be nice to think that she is a woman and they have each other and a bottle of booze to celebrate Christmas together. Rather mirroring my other favourite Christmas song - a Fairytale of New York - of two old bums finding some peace and comfort with each other at Christmas.

Cheers Ron

Two hobos jump a train to head south (rail riders always had nicknames, and were always dodging railroad police)...they get drunk and fantasize, pretending they're in a fine restaurant for Christmas instead of a freezing cold, rattling boxcar. They joke about flirting with an imaginary waitress, like a couple of aristocrats. The train stops, the railroad police (legendary for their brutality in the old days) beat them to death. In their dying thoughts, they have fantasies of all the comforts of family, friends and warmth of Christmas. Not a really tough one to understand here. Knopfler is a great history teacher. I suggest we learn from him by studying the historical circumstances that inspire his songs. This one should lead us to study police brutality and the social unacceptability of real unconventional freedom.

I personally think there's more than two protagonists (The Rail-king, a male hobo, the Scarecrow, a female hobo, the Truckdriver (1st person observer). Here's how I read the song:

When Jack Frost came for Christmas With a brass monkey date The rail-king and the scarecrow Hopped a Florida freight And they blew on their paper cups And stared through the steam Then they drank half a bottle Of Ragpicker's dream where

Somewhere north (New England?) two hobos get on a train (illegaly, a freight car) for sunny Florida, because the winter is particular cold (Jack Frost and a Brass Monkey date, signifying a particularly cold spell)

They manage to warm som sort of drink - coffee?, and they blow on them to cool them down. Then they share an unknown licquor dubbed "Ragpickers Dream", probably just a mix of whatever is available.

The whiskey keeps following Cold pitchers of beer Me and my associate Like the clientele here get The onions and the 'taters Rib-eyes on the grill Toothpicks and luckies And a coffee refill as

The second verse changes to someone observing a scene, maybe looking out at the train station where the train is stopping. Could also be a memory from the Rail King, but I think it's a third person, maybe a truck-driver. Either way, this person is enjoying a meal of rib-eyes with onions, potatoes, along with beer. Once the meal is over, he asks for cigarettes and coffee while looking at the scene.

The rail-king lay rocking He was leaving the ground Then he was flying like Santa Claus Over the town where He came to the window Of a house by a stream It was a family christmas In the Ragpicker's dream there

In the third verse, the on-looker sees the rail-king and the scene changes to the Rail King's dream - seemingly a childhood memory or a fantasy of how a nostalgic christmas is supposed to be.

Were kids at the table All aglow in the light Music in the wintertime Sure carries at night there Was turkey and gravy Pie and ice-cream And gifts for each and everyone In the Ragpicker's dream where

4th verse is just an extention of the dream-scene. However, I get the feeling that the on-looker (truck driver) also longs for this christmas scene, even if he's in a warm place eating nice food.

The red-eye keeps tumbling In our glasses of beer Me and my associate Like the service in here there's A ten for your trouble You have beautiful hair Make the last one two doubles It's a cold one out there where

5th verse is back with the truck-driver, who is getting ready to leave for work, decides to procrastinate, drinking whiskey (red eye), because it's cold (instead of 1 whiskey he essentially gets 4, suggesting he's delaying).

The scarecrow and the rail-king Have started to dance But a nightstick and a billy-club Won't give peace a chance here I think they went that-aways Your song and dance team Heading home for the holidays With the Ragpicker's dream

6th verse is back with the hobos who have "started to dance". I think this may mean that they are squabbling or fighting or maybe having sex, causing commotion. The Truck-driver notices that rail personelle is on the scene and either breaks up the fight/activity, threatening violence (nightstick and billyclub). However, the two hobos escape and the truck driver says (or thinks) that the "song and dance team went that-a-way", maybe trying to get back on the train.

On his knees like a fighter The rail-riding king Like a sack of potatoes Like a bull in the ring where The scarecrow falls over With a tear in the seam Home for the rover In the Ragpicker's dream where

7th verse suggest that the hobos have taken a beating, the Railking almost unconcious and the Scarecrow (a woman) with an open cut or wound (tear in the seam). "Home for the rover" is an oxymoron of sorts, because a rover (a nomad) doesn't have a home. This could suggest that they are back on the train - or not - or it is a self-reflection of the truck-driver, that he too is a nomad, that he won't be home for christmas either.

The red-eye keeps tumbling Like tears in our beer Me and my associate Like the ambiance here where They cornered two castaways In a white flashlight beam Merry christmas and happy days In the Ragpicker's dream

The 8th verse definitely suggest that the hobos are caught - cornered by a flashlight beam, and the truck-driver is getting sentimental, crying or equivalating the whiskey (red eye) with tears, longing for something that he doesn't have either.

The final two lines serve as a reminder to you as a listener, that there are people unfortunate out there, whether they are hobos or have a job, that they are not home for christmas - have a merry christmas, but mind these people too.

I find the song very sentimental and very good. At first I didn't realize that it's actually a christmas song, even though MK writed this into the lyrics. I simply found it to be just another story. But the more I listen, the more I realize that it's meant as an actual christmas song - although quite sad.

I can't believe no one has commented on this song yet! In my opinion it is one of his most beautiful, soothing songs. I always listen to it at Christmas just because of the many obvious references - it always brings back a feeling of peace and family.

Forgot to add!! Also the euphemistic way to refer to her as associate, together with tha fact of him being the Railroad king, that yes keeps a lot of dignity and pride, something usual in these kind of characters in these stories. Also that for me is really good Christmas song. It makes a knot in my throat, but then so many other songs also do!! :) Yes it's in my not-at-all-short-list of songs to listen in Christmas... :)