I challenge you to read the lyrics of Telegraph Road as a standalone document and not be impressed by the vision and world-building in Mark Knopfler’s writing of this epic rock song. The music is amazing as well. Knopfler is in absolute control of mood and feel with nuanced chord progressions, textural changes and tempo changes, and amazing jams and solos. Telegraph Road first appeared as the opening track on Dire Straits‘ 1982 album Love over Gold and is the sixth song to appear here so far from the mega British rock group after their previous entry – Sultans of Swing.
Because today’s featured song is over 14 minutes long, most radio stations would have been reticent to play it despite it becoming one of the group’s most revered songs. The song was later cut down to 5:05 for a single release in 1983, with Twisting By The Pool as the B-side. While perhaps the big hits from the group’s catalogue like Walk of Life and Money For Nothing get less play from me over the years, Telegraph Road has definitely grown in my estimation where I much prefer to play it.
The following is from the Wikipedia reference below:
The Telegraph Road is a major north-south 70 mile thoroughfare in Michigan. Mark Knopfler was inspired to write this song while riding in the front of the tour bus, which made the journey down Telegraph Road. At the time, Knopfler was reading the novel The Growth Of the Soil by the Nobel Prize winning Norwegian author Knut Hamsun and he was inspired to put the 2 together and write a song about the beginning of the development along Telegraph Road and the changes over the ensuing decades. This was a metaphor for the development of America and the ruining of one man’s dreams in the wake of its decline, in particular focusing on unemployment.
Interestingly, the song was first played live at the opening concert of the band’s “Making Movies” Australian tour (Perth Entertainment Centre, 22 March 1981) as the final encore. It would later become a staple of Dire Straits and Mark Knopfler solo tours.
[Verse 1]
A long time ago came a man on a track
Walking thirty miles with a sack on his back
And he put down his load where he thought it was the best
He made a home in the wilderness
He built a cabin and a winter store
And he ploughed up the ground by the cold lake shore
And the other travellers came walking down the track
And they never went further, no, they never went back
[Chorus]
Then came the churches, then came the schools
Then came the lawyers, and then came the rules
Then came the trains and the trucks with their loads
And the dirty old track was the telegraph road
[Verse 2]
Then came the mines, then came the ore
Then there was the hard times, then there was a war
Telegraph sang a song about the world outside
Telegraph road got so deep and so wide
Like a rolling river
[Bridge]
And my radio says tonight it’s gonna freeze
People driving home from the factories
There’s six lanes of traffic
Three lanes moving slow
[Instrumental Break]
[Verse 3]
I used to like to go to work
But they shut it down
I’ve got a right to go to work
But there’s no work here to be found
Yes, and they say we’re gonna have
To pay what’s owed
We’re gonna have to reap
From some seed that’s been sowed
[Chorus]
And the birds up on the wires and the telegraph poles
They can always fly away from this rain and this cold
You can hear them singing out their telegraph code
All the way down the telegraph road
[Verse 4]
You know, I’d sooner forget
But I remember those nights
When life was just a bet on a race
Between the lights
You had your head on my shoulder
You had your hand in my hair
Now you act a little colder
Like you don’t seem to care
[Chorus]
But just believe in me, baby, and I’ll take you away
From out of this darkness and into the day
From these rivers of headlights, these rivers of rain
From the anger that lives on the streets with these names
Cause I’ve run every red light on memory lane
I’ve seen desperation explode into flames
And I don’t want to see it again
From all of these signs saying, “Sorry, but we’re closed”
All the way down the telegraph road
References:
1. Fang Bian on “Telegraph Road” by Dire Straits – Wikipedia
2. Telegraph Road (song) – Wikipedia
“The more I live, the more I learn. The more I learn, the more I realize, the less I know.”- Michel Legrand
Observation Blogger 
Love Over Gold is a fabulous album.
To be honest I couldn’t tell you. I came to their music sporadically – bits here and there. I think I procured one of their best-of’s and I went to town on it and it led me down a rabbit hole. I’m also a big fan of Knopfler’s solo stuff including his monumental soundtrack albums.
I remember getting that album out from the library & taping it. It was in LP form & I put it onto cassette. I wore that tape out.
I do like Knopfler’s solo work. “Sailing to Philadelphia” is one of my favorites.
‘It was in LP form & I put it onto cassette. I wore that tape out.’
That is so crude, but cool. That’s whats called being fully invested in music. Haha I used to do stuff like that too inc. audio taping music from TV episodes etc including Donavan’s song ‘Catch the Wind’ from a Wonder Years Episode.
His solo work has featured here 6 times.
Thanks for introducing me to ‘Sailing To Philadelphia’. I like the soothing instrumentals in the back half. Nice.
“Telegraph Road” not only is compelling musically, but also an excellent story song – very cinematic!
This is so epic and cinematic as you put it, and it just boggles my mind how he accomplished this. I suppose that’s why he’s revered as one of the greats at least as far as Guitar playing goes. But that doesn’t do him the least bit justice when you consider his lyrical mastery and what he did in his solo career (and contributing to Dylan’s 80s output) and by Golly those soundtrack records are superb. A wondrous painter of the finest contemporary music.
An absolute masterpiece, from an album that is full of great songs.
I agree ‘Masterpiece’. That term is sometimes used lightly, but not in this case.