Yes, this is about the miners strike. Apparently, Knopfler had turned the TV on one evening and caught a report about the clash between the police and the miners, and the report had said that the Queen had been shocked by the violence. He thought, 'I'm not surprised, it shocks me, too!' and the song was written from that. I love the typical Knopfler bit at the end - all the way through, it seems as if he's condemning Margaret Thatcher and the police action, and yet at the end he says, 'We haven't changed since ancient times' which puts the onus for everything squarely on all of us, and it's true! Deep down, almost everyone is capable of just about anything. Mark Knopfler's writing is exceptional, I don't think I've ever seen a song of his where he's put in a word or phrase just so that it rhymes, his lyrics are always so well thought out. I think he and Paul Simon are the most outstanding musicians/song writers of our time. And by the way, has anyone read a book called 'The Sound Of one Hand Clapping' by Fay Doxford? Because it seems to me that the lead character, a famous musician, has a lot in common with Mark Knopfler!
Yes, this is about the miners strike. Apparently, Knopfler had turned the TV on one evening and caught a report about the clash between the police and the miners, and the report had said that the Queen had been shocked by the violence. He thought, 'I'm not surprised, it shocks me, too!' and the song was written from that. I love the typical Knopfler bit at the end - all the way through, it seems as if he's condemning Margaret Thatcher and the police action, and yet at the end he says, 'We haven't changed since ancient times' which puts the onus for everything squarely on all of us, and it's true! Deep down, almost everyone is capable of just about anything. Mark Knopfler's writing is exceptional, I don't think I've ever seen a song of his where he's put in a word or phrase just so that it rhymes, his lyrics are always so well thought out. I think he and Paul Simon are the most outstanding musicians/song writers of our time. And by the way, has anyone read a book called 'The Sound Of one Hand Clapping' by Fay Doxford? Because it seems to me that the lead character, a famous musician, has a lot in common with Mark Knopfler!
@gutti Thanks for your insight. Was there cavalry involved in those events? Isn\'t this a song of the red and white roses?
@gutti Thanks for your insight. Was there cavalry involved in those events? Isn\'t this a song of the red and white roses?
No, you seem to be right. It\'s about the Battle of Orgreave. Cheers
No, you seem to be right. It\'s about the Battle of Orgreave. Cheers