Mark Knopfler himself suggest it's about the hard work being a farmer in a time of foot-and-mouth disease which was plagueing UK at the time and many farmers commited suicide because of the economic ruin the disease brought along with it.
I agree that it sounds like a man being unfaithful to his wife - and who may have been cuckold'ed himself.
But it could also just be a cynic farmer who is doing practical things in the face of hardship.
"I'm goint into Tow Law - to fuel my fire" suggest that he's escalating something. He's fuelling his fire, not extinguishing it. Could be he's just in the pub feeling down with his compatriot farmers.
Also, it seems to be the Lord who's making a fool of him. Not his wife. This could be a reference to the disease making it into his stock - a force of nature or circumstance, over which he had little control (divine intervention), but makes him look foolish.
Besides - a chain for the rip saw? A rip-saw is a regular saw. He mean chain saw?
Mark Knopfler himself suggest it's about the hard work being a farmer in a time of foot-and-mouth disease which was plagueing UK at the time and many farmers commited suicide because of the economic ruin the disease brought along with it.
I agree that it sounds like a man being unfaithful to his wife - and who may have been cuckold'ed himself.
But it could also just be a cynic farmer who is doing practical things in the face of hardship.
"I'm goint into Tow Law - to fuel my fire" suggest that he's escalating something. He's fuelling his fire, not extinguishing it. Could be he's just in the pub feeling down with his compatriot farmers.
Also, it seems to be the Lord who's making a fool of him. Not his wife. This could be a reference to the disease making it into his stock - a force of nature or circumstance, over which he had little control (divine intervention), but makes him look foolish.
Besides - a chain for the rip saw? A rip-saw is a regular saw. He mean chain saw?