A Mark In Time
Mark Knopfler Discussion => One Deep River / The Boy => Topic started by: jbaent on January 30, 2024, 11:47:28 AM
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Sweeter Than The Rain 4:16
My hunter's heart may not be merciless
But on this day of freezing snow
It's as cold as the heart of the ice princess
Who didn't want to know
I take my orders, ask few questions
It's no real life for a decent man
Few clear-cut lines or regulations
Low on prospects and future plans
If you should hearken to the devil's bidding
Perchance you'll bring me work to do
It may not be my heart's true calling
But I will surely come for you
To you who live by rape and plunder
I'll shoot or hang with scant remorse
My Old Reliable, the avenging thunder
Else my rope and faithful horse
Your late companion in haste repented
I had him take a ride with me
Through this poor country he had so tormented
Until we came to the highest tree
He did reveal in his confession
That you were making for the train
This bitter snow will soon be melting
And nothing sweeter than the rain
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From the lock bridge:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yn2IGMC9Ahs&t=30s
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From the lock bridge:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yn2IGMC9Ahs&t=30s
Nice guitar solo, interesting!
Thank you Vesper! :D
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Definitely some Lanois vibes. Love it.
LE
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Sounds really awesome. Pedal steel and Mark's guitar combi.
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It promises to be great :)
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Wonderful sound. I'm getting more and more excited for this new album.
:clap
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Wonderful sound. I'm getting more and more excited for this new album.
:clap
Me too:)
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Wonderful sound. I'm getting more and more excited for this new album.
:clap
Welcome to Amit!
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My first thought: Nobody's Child. Same vibe.
I can't wait.
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Definitely some Lanois vibes. Love it.
LE
I agree. A bit more polished than Lanois, but it has that dreamy, atmospheric thing going on. Nice stuff.
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Love it! :clap
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Wonderful sound. I'm getting more and more excited for this new album.
:clap
Me too:)
Was thinking the same!
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I totally love these 30 seconds. And I am totally jealous that JF is able already to listen to it completely. :wave
LE
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I totally love these 30 seconds. And I am totally jealous that JF is able already to listen to it completely. :wave
LE
Me too :) I listen to these 30 seconds very often. It will be a beautiful atmospheric song.
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So beautiful. To me there is some kind of a magical vibe about all of the new songs.
Sounds quite different to DTRW.
Sounds quite perfect to me.
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I totally love these 30 seconds. And I am totally jealous that JF is able already to listen to it completely. :wave
LE
;D
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"Sweeter Than The Rain" , an "outlaw-western" creates some goosebumps"
JF can you tell us more about what this song is about?
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"Sweeter Than The Rain" , an "outlaw-western" creates some goosebumps"
JF can you tell us more about what this song is about?
this what I tried to understand phonetically
My apologizes in advance for native-english speakers here ;D :lol
My hauntest heart may not be ... ???
But on stay of freezen snow
It’s the coldest heart of the eye’s princess who didn’t want to know
I take my orders as few questions, it’s no real life for a decent man
Few clear cadelines of regulation law on propect and future plans
If you should argue to the devil’s bedding, potence bring me work to do
It may not be my heart to calling but I will surely comfor you
To you leave by redom plombers, by suddor hand which can’t remorse my old… ??
The avenger thunder, hauss my hope, faith for ours
SOLO
Your late companion…. Repenter ???.... I had him take ride with me
Through this poor country, he had so traumatims
Until we came to the highest tree / trip ?
He didn’t reveal in his confession that you were makin for the train
His bedest snow will soon be melted
And nothing sweeter than the rain
sorry, I don't have much time to transcribe excalty. My english is not good, and I can't understand what Mark sings ;D
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Thank you for taking your time. Next week we will see the texts and it will be easier :)
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Thank you, JF!
It's really terribly difficult to transcribe lyrics, especially with MK.
Could it be the Ice Princess? Maybe he's watched too many Disney films :lol
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Could it be the Ice Princess?
yes indeed :thumbsup
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From the riffmagazine.com/album-reviews/mark-knopfler-one-deep-river/ review:
“Sweeter Than the Rain” hears from a man who may be a hired killer. “I take my orders, ask few questions … It’s no real life for a decent man,” Knopfler sings.
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Nice! Gave me Prairie Wedding vibes.
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Sweeter Than The Rain" , an "outlaw-western" - "Could it be the Ice Princess?
:think
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Sweeter Than The Rain" , an "outlaw-western" - "Could it be the Ice Princess?
:think
yes exactly my thoughts. If you didn't talk about that "western" thing, I would have thought that the song took place during middle-age era with knights and princess legends you know
and ineed, princess doesn't fit with cow boys :lol
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Sweeter Than The Rain" , an "outlaw-western" - "Could it be the Ice Princess?
:think
yes exactly my thoughts. If you didn't talk about that "western" thing, I would have thought that the song took place during middle-age era with knights and princess legends you know
and ineed, princess doesn't fit with cow boys :lol
Exactly! We have to wait until April 12. We need to see the lyrics :)
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I noticed that there are the fewest opinions about Sweeter Than The Rain. I really like these 30 seconds.
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I have to agree with JF that the intro is really strange and very unusual.
LE
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Prairie Wedding, but set in the highlands. Actually reminds me of Drover's Road quite a bit, very characteristic vocal hooks
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A bounty Hunter informing the "Ice Princess" (partner/wife) of his victim of his demise.
SWEETER THAN THE RAIN (Mark Knopfler)
My hunters' heart may not be merciless
But on this day of freezing snow
It’s as cold as the heart of the Ice princess
who didn’t want to know
I take my orders
ask few questions,
it’s no real life for a decent man
Few clear cut lines or regulations
low on prospects and future plans
If you should harken to the devil’s bidding,
per chance you'll bring me work to do
It may not be my hearts' true calling
but I will surely come for you
To you who live by rape and plunder
I'll shoot or hang
With scant remorse
My old reliable the avenging thunder
else my rope and faithful horse
GUITAR 🎸 solo
Your late companion
In haste repented
I had him take
a ride with me
through this poor country
he had so tormented
Until we came
to the highest tree
He did reveal in his confession
that you were Makin' for the train
This bitter snow
will soon be melted
And nothins' sweeter than the rain
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... still trying to work out what on earth happened in this song.
'Somebody killed something: that's clear, at any rate' (Lewis Carroll). :lol
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... still trying to work out what on earth happened in this song.
'Somebody killed something: that's clear, at any rate' (Lewis Carroll). :lol
I have the same :hmm
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Right, I'll give it a try...
Person 1 (the storyteller) is a killer who will take on almost any job, even the very dirty ones ("devil's bidding"). Still, he doesn't actually like his job and despises himself for it ("no life for a decent man", "not my heart's true calling").
Person 2 ("you who live by rape and plunder") is a guy he works for, but he really hates him. Some mafia boss who forced him to kill, maybe? The line "this poor country he had so tormented" points to an organisation rather than an individual.
Person 3 (the "late companion") is a partner in crime of person 2. The storyteller killed him (maybe because person 2 told him to), in what sounds like an execution ("highest tree"), but before that he forced him to give information about person 2, who is about to make his escape ("you were making for the train").
At the beginning, he says he's not a merciless killer, but today his heart is "as cold as the heart of the ice princess", i.e. he's angry and ready to kill person 1. Maybe person 1 let him down, didn't pay up or whatever, so he's getting his revenge on person 1.
In the last lines he's about to murder person 2. After that, "this bitter snow will soon be melting", he will no longer have to kill for a living or because someone forced him to, and he will leave that criminal world behind him (and maybe get a decent job).
The rain could also stand for some way of washing off his sins.
Does that make any sense at all? :hmm
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Right, I'll give it a try...
Person 1 (the storyteller) is a killer who will take on almost any job, even the very dirty ones ("devil's bidding"). Still, he doesn't actually like his job and despises himself for it ("no life for a decent man", "not my heart's true calling").
Person 2 ("you who live by rape and plunder") is a guy he works for, but he really hates him. Some mafia boss who forced him to kill, maybe? The line "this poor country he had so tormented" points to an organisation rather than an individual.
Person 3 (the "late companion") is a partner in crime of person 2. The storyteller killed him (maybe because person 2 told him to), in what sounds like an execution ("highest tree"), but before that he forced him to give information about person 2, who is about to make his escape ("you were making for the train").
At the beginning, he says he's not a merciless killer, but today his heart is "as cold as the heart of the ice princess", i.e. he's angry and ready to kill person 1. Maybe person 1 let him down, didn't pay up or whatever, so he's getting his revenge on person 1.
In the last lines he's about to murder person 2. After that, "this bitter snow will soon be melting", he will no longer have to kill for a living or because someone forced him to, and he will leave that criminal world behind him (and maybe get a decent job).
The rain could also stand for some way of washing off his sins.
Does that make any sense at all? :hmm
Very good. Rain in MK's songs often washes away dirt and worries.
I really like this dark MK.
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To me this is either a contracted Bounty Hunter or Sheriff who hunts down and disposes of criminals.
He's telling the widow (Late Companion) "Ice Princess who doesn't want to know about his death, by hanging from the the highest tree. She's trying to hide the fact that she knows her partner is an outlaw! He also informs her that despite the coldness of her demeanour that her husband/partner bettrays the fact that she was on the run with him (makin' for the train)
Mark and Greg again excel with the IMHO too short 🎸 guitar 🎸 solo!
The short outro symbolises the rain cleansing or washing away the tawdry scene!
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I'm getting 'Fare thee well Northumberland' vibes with this tune...
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To me this is either a contracted Bounty Hunter or Sheriff who hunts down and disposes of criminals.
I also give this interpretation. I like these lyrics and also the atmosphere of the song.
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MK's playing is tone perfect here & Guys production on the ODR sessions are 2nd to no one! :clap
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I'm getting 'Fare thee well Northumberland' vibes with this tune...
Well, the melody is almost identical. :lol
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I'm getting 'Fare thee well Northumberland' vibes with this tune...
Well, the melody is almost identical. :lol
Correct sir!
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I'm getting 'Fare thee well Northumberland' vibes with this tune...
Well, the melody is almost identical. :lol
Correct sir!
Blasphemy! :) No, they're different but both very good songs though FTWN is at least a notch (?) better, maybe becoz we know it better/longer but probably becoz of the long guitar work at the end
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I'm getting 'Fare thee well Northumberland' vibes with this tune...
Well, the melody is almost identical. :lol
Correct sir!
Blasphemy! :) No, they're different but both very good songs though FTWN is at least a notch (?) better, maybe becoz we know it better/longer but probably becoz of the long guitar work at the end
Blasphemy? Im not being disrespectful to God! In fact im not being disrespectful to our 'guitar god' either, all we are saying is that tune wise they are very similar sir!
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It really is very similar.
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My hunter's heart, come drive me down, to the central station...
Both songs even start a cappella. But the new one has no proper final section, and so seems a weaker version. Odd. Not bad, just...underwhelming.