25 – David Gilmour, Christina Perri & Moneyball

Posted on July 14, 2025 by observationblogger — 14 Comments

Welcome to Monday’s News on the March – The week that was in my digital world.

David Gilmour – Desert Island Discs
Audio interview at BBC Sounds

This fascinating interview with David Gilmour is a must-listen for fans of Pink Floyd – or heck, for anyone into contemporary music. It’s a rare treat too, as his reflections on both his career and personal life are woven together with tracks from his Desert Island music list, featuring legends like Bob Dylan, Leonard Cohen, Tom Waits, Neil Young, and Joni Mitchell. It was an added bonus for me personally – I got reacquainted with a couple of gems that had slipped off my radar, like Young’s A Man Needs a Maid and Mitchell’s For Free. Plus, I heard Waits’ hauntingly beautiful I’m Still Here for the first time, and I’m genuinely grateful for that.

Christina Perri – Blue
Live music presentation at The Song TV

This was originally going to be about an interview that Perri gave recently about her life and hardships. However, that interview no longer seems to be available, so I opted instead for this recent live performance of one of my favourite Christina Perri songs, Blue, which genuinely floored me. I wrote about the original studio Blue back in February, 2023. In it she sings:

‘Cause the blue of my mother has always been my color
The love that I offer is deep and out of tune

Blue is, without exaggeration, one of the most beautifully written and performed songs I’ve encountered. It carries a depth and emotional nuance that Perri’s chart-topping A Thousand Years lacks. Her rendition here eclipses the original studio version IMHO. As long-time readers of this blog will know, Christina Perri remains my favourite female singer-songwriter. I continue to await a new album with great anticipation – her last release, Lighter Shade of Blue, stands as the most moving and cohesive collection of love ballads I’ve ever had the privilege to hear.

What the ACTUAL 2002 A’s thought of Moneyball?
Video interviews at Brodie Brazil

One of my favourite sporting movies is Moneyball and remains at No 47 on my 100 favourite movies list. It’s about the adaption of innovative saber-metrics at Oakland Athletics (A’s) during the 2002 season which changed how the game of baseball is managed by baseball heads, scouts and insiders.

Today’s featured video presents what some actual 2002 A’s thought about the movie adaption including its accuracy, character portrayals or what it ignored.

I still consider Moneyball a great movie, even if it is loose and fast with the facts. All movies need drama, villains, character development and a story-arc. Despite all this, the movie is still recognised as having some of the best attention to detail (depiction of the era and setting), acting and writing (Michael Lewis) of any sports movie.

That is all. Thank you for reading.

Tagged with: BBC, blue, blue banisters, Christina perri, david gilmour, Moneyball, Oakland A's, Pink Floyd
Posted in Movies and TV, Music, News, Sport and Adventure

The River (1979) – Bruce Springsteen

Posted on July 13, 2025 by observationblogger — 12 Comments

The River is certainly one of Bruce Springsteen’s best known and most impactful songs, and one that many fans still hold especially dear among his vast catalogue. It is a haunting American coming-of-age tale that follows a young couple struggling to find their footing as the weight of adulthood bears down. Faced with an unplanned pregnancy and economic hardship, their youthful dreams begin to fade beneath the grind of blue-collar life. The river itself is a place of romance, and escape but becomes just memory, where the present feels hollow.

The song is so relatable. Its story and characters reflect experiences that many listeners have lived through themselves – or have witnessed in the lives of people close to them. In his 2016 autobiography Springsteen confirmed that he wrote the song as a tribute to his sister and his brother-in-law. More about that below:

The following was condensed from the Wikipedia reference below:
The River is the title track of Springsteen’s 5th studio album. The single wasn’t released in the US, but it did see release in several Western European countries. The single’s B side was either Independence Day or Ramrod, depending on the country of release. The song itself was recorded at The Power Station in New York City.

In the first live performance of the song in 1979, Springsteen cited the inspiration as “my brother-in-law and my sister“. The 2012 biography Bruce by Peter Ames Carlin includes an interview with Springsteen’s sister Ginny, in which she plainly states that the song is a precise description of her early life with her husband Mickey, to whom she is still married.

The River makes use of a haunting harmonica part, and in some ways is a foreshadowing of the style of his next album, Nebraska. The imagery of the chorus and the end of the song were inspired by lines from Hank Williams’ 1950 hit Long Gone Lonesome Blues. In the U.S., it gained considerable airplay and became one of Springsteen’s best-known songs. It became a centrepiece of shows on some Springsteen tours, including the 1984–85 Born in the U.S.A. Tour, where it was often preceded by a long, intense story from Springsteen about his battles with his father growing up.
The song has been performed almost 700 times as of 2023.

In 2018, Rolling Stone ranked the song number 5 on their list of the 100 greatest Bruce Springsteen songs.

[Verse 1]
I come from down in the valley
Where, mister, when you’re young
They bring you up to do
Like your daddy done
Me and Mary, we met in high school
When she was just seventeen
We’d drive out of this valley
Down to where the fields were green

[Chorus]
We’d go down to the river
And into the river we’d dive
Oh, down to the river we’d ride

[Verse 2]
Then I got Mary pregnant
And, man, that was all she wrote
And for my nineteenth birthday
I got a union card and a wedding coat
We went down to the courthouse
And the judge put it all to rest
No wedding day smiles, no walk down the aisle
No flowers, no wedding dress

[Chorus]

[Verse 3]
I got a job working construction
For the Johnstown Company
But lately, there ain’t been much work
On account of the economy
Now all them things that seemed so important
Well, mister, they vanished right into the air
Now I just act like I don’t remember
And Mary acts like she don’t care

[Verse 4]
But I remember us riding in my brother’s car
Her body tanned and wet down at the reservoir
At night on them banks, I’d lie awake
And pull her close just to feel each breath she’d take
Now those memories come back to haunt me
They haunt me like a curse
Is a dream a lie if it don’t come true?
Or is it something worse?

[Chorus]

References:
1. The River (Bruce Springsteen song) – Wikipedia

Tagged with: Bruce Springsteen, the river
Posted in Music

I’m Still Here (2002) – Tom Waits

Posted on July 12, 2025 by observationblogger — 4 Comments

I’m Still Here lasts just under 2 minutes, but it expresses more than most songs can in 5 minutes. It’s such a poignant exploration of enduring love and the passage of time. There are few other songs where I’ve heard Tom’s voice sound so tender and immersed in a song. He has this ability to capture complex emotions with simplicity and depth. When he sings the last line ‘I’m Still Here‘, it sends chills down my spine. The whole song is charming, sad and beautiful at the same time.

When Tom repeats the line – ‘You haven’t looked at me that way in years,’ it shows the emotional distance that has grown between him and his partner. Phrases like ‘Your watch has stopped and the pond is clear’ evokes a sense of stillness and stagnation, symbolizing the halted progression of their relationship. Despite these hardships Tom declares, ‘I’ll love you til all time is gone,’ revealing his steadfast commitment and belief that their love can endure.

Tom Waits is of course one of contemporary music’s most singular, incomparable figures. Very few (if any) artists have a more unique approach to creating and performing. Also, no one sounds like him, and most people who try just end up embarrassing themselves. Waits said that no artist can have just one voice, and that’s what drives him – and his peers – to continue creating….’I think there are other voices in there and I’m still looking for it.”

I’m Still Here is from Tom’s 14th studio album Alice (2002). The songs were written by Waits and his wife Kathleen Brennan for the opera Alice ten years earlier. The opera was a collaboration with Robert Wilson, with whom Waits had previously worked on The Black Rider. Alice was co-released with Blood Money, an album containing songs Waits wrote for Wilson’s musical Woyzeck.
Waits described the songs on Alice as “adult songs for children, or children’s songs for adults“.

Alice was ranked No 2 in Metacritic’s Top 30 albums of 2002. It reached No. 30 in the US and No 20 in the UK.

You haven’t looked at me that way in years
You dreamed me up and left me here
How long was I dreaming for?
What was it you wanted me for?

You haven’t looked at me that way in years
Your watch has stopped and the pond is clear
Someone turn the lights back on
I’ll love you till all time is gone

You haven’t looked at me that way in years
But I’m still here

References:
1. Tom Waits on finding his voice: ‘I don’t really think there is anything genuinely new under the sun’ – ABC Double J
2. Alice (Tom Waits Album) – Wikipedia

Tagged with: alice, I'm Still Here, Tom waits
Posted in Music

For Free (1971) – Joni Mitchell

Posted on July 11, 2025 by observationblogger — 13 Comments

Yesterday on BBC Sounds, I was checking out David Gilmour’s Desert Island tracks when I spotted Joni Mitchell’s song For Free. Instantly, I assumed I’d already written about it and had it tucked away somewhere in my music project. But after checking – and re-checking – I can confirm a solid ‘Negative’ on both counts, which still boggles my mind. Needless to say, I realised I had to make amends, and quicksmart – so here we are today.

Wondering what makes Joni Mitchell such a revered songwriter? For Free might be a subtle but telling example. On the surface, the song seems simple – just a stroll through a town block, but her wordplay and melodic choices are as intricate as they are unforced. For instance, where “hotel” is made to rhyme with “jewels” through phrasing – well it’s not technically a rhyme, but it feels like one. Also, choruses in music are usually built around repetition – lyrically and musically – but here, each evolves and offers new imagery and emotional nuance. The phrase “For Free” closes each with stark simplicity, but resonates powerfully each time. It becomes a tribute to the overlooked street musician. Someone who the world ordinarily brushes past. But Joni doesn’t – she listens. Then paints such a vivid pictures and captures her ambivalence about her new fame as well.

The following was mostly extracted and abridged from the Wikipedia reference below:
For Free was released on Joni’s third studio album Ladies of the Canyon (1971). It peaked at No. 27 on the Billboard. The title refers to Laurel Canyon, a center of popular music culture in Los Angeles during the 1960s, where Mitchell lived while she was writing the album. This album is the most related to her long-standing friendships and relationships with Crosby, Stills, Nash, & Young. Mitchell was living with Graham Nash at the time much of the album was written.

Ladies of the Canyon is seen as a transition from her folky early work to the more sophisticated and poignant albums that followed. In particular, For Free foreshadows the lyrical leitmotif of the isolation triggered by success that would be elaborated upon in For the Roses and Court and Spark. From the same record – Big Yellow Taxi became a standard over the years becoming one of Joni’s most recognisable tunes.

Singer-songwriter Lana Del Rey included a cover of For Free on her 2021 album Chemtrails over the Country Club. Other songs, but original compositions will feature here from that Lana record.

[Verse 1]
I slept last night in a good hotel
I went shopping today for jewels
The wind rushed around in the dirty town
And the children let out from the schools

[Chorus 1]
I was standing on a noisy corner
Waiting for the walking green
Across the street he stood
And he played real good
On his clarinet for free

[Verse 2]
Now me I play for fortunes
And those velvet curtain calls
I got a black limousine and two gentlemen
Escorting me to the halls

[Chorus 2]
And I’ll play if you have the money
Or if you’re a friend to me
But the one man band
By the quick lunch stand
He was playing real good for free

[Verse 3]
Nobody stopped to hear him
Though he played so sweet and high
They knew he had never been on their TV
So they passed his music by

[Chorus 3]
I meant to go over and ask for a song
Maybe put on a harmony
I heard his refrain
As the signal changed
He was playing real good for free

References:
1. Ladies of the Canyon (album) – Wikipedia

Tagged with: for free, Joni mitchell, Ladies of the Canyon
Posted in Uncategorized

Angel In Blue (1981) – The J. Geils Band

Posted on July 10, 2025 by observationblogger — 11 Comments

I found today’s featured track – Angel in Blue while researching Centerfold, The J. Geils Band’s most famous hit – and I’m glad I did. Musically, the two tracks are worlds apart: Centerfold bursts with playful energy, a cheeky, upbeat romp, while Angel in Blue is a taut rock’n roll ballad which teeters on the emotional precipice by leaning into narrative depth. Centerfold tells of a high school crush who reappears – shockingly – as a magazine pin-up, while in Angel in Blue, the singer becomes enamoured with a troubled table-top dancer he meets at a bar. The girl in Centerfold is idealised from afar, forever out of reach. The woman in Angel in Blue, on the other hand, is heartbreakingly real, as her dreams fade and her spirit frays.

I can see why Critic Joe Viglione praised Angel in Blue as “arguably the smartest lyric in the J. Geils Band catalogue“. It’s just such a well written song. She never had dreams / so they never came true. You could read the lyrics as a stand alone-short story and find them poignant and tender. Classic Rock History critic Brian Kachejian noted influences from Bruce Springsteen and Tom Petty in Angel in Blue. The song was written by the band’s keyboardist and songwriter – Seth Justman who wrote or co wrote most of the group’s songs and also sung lead after Peter Wolf’s departure from the band in 1983.

The band wanted Angel in Blue to be the album’s first single from their 1981 record Freeze Frame, but they were dissuaded by their record company and Centerfold was chosen. That reached No. 1 on the U.S. Billboard while Angel in Blue was released as the third single and peaked at No. 40. The album itself peaked at No 1.

We met in a bar
Out on Chesapeake Bay
With her white patent boots
And her blouse red lame
A table top dancer
She would smile on cue
Those lips of an angel
Angel in blue

She’s been dancing for ages
Through cities of bars
She was kickin’ the habit
Of scoring in cars
She’d been drained of her spirit
All caged up in this zoo
A wildcat angel
Angel in blue

And as she stared out into nowhere
I thought, yes, I thought she might break down and cry
When I whispered I thought I could love her
She just said “Baby, don’t even bother to try”

And I watched as she spoke
Her words chilled my bones
All her friends did her favors
That were really just loans
And she never had dreams
So they never came true
The palest of angels
Angel in blue

And the bees they had stung her
The birds they had flown
There were guys she could number
But none had she known
And she never had dreams
So they never came true
My fade away angel
Angel in blue

References:
1. Angel in Blue – Wikipedia

Tagged with: angel in blue, freeze frame, The J. Geils Band
Posted in Music

Slip Away (1968) – Clarence Carter

Posted on July 9, 2025 by observationblogger — 2 Comments

Today’s featured song is the 1968 soul classic Slip Away. It’s a bit of a cheeky one too because it’s focused on infidelity. The singer asks a girl to cheat with him. Tough to resist those pleas for the one Clarence Carter is singing it to. The backstory below is curious as well:

Bassist Marcus Daniel, Carter’s sideman recalled when in 1967 he had been feeling uneasy about his musical career: “I got down on my knees and asked God to allow me to do better” – as a songwriter and musician – “and stay with the band, and within twenty minutes I sat up in bed with both the melody and the lyrics of ‘Slip Away’ in my mind.”
Asked how a divinely inspired song could be centred on infidelity, Daniel stated – “I wrote about what I knew”:”back then…I was a bad womanizer, which…shames to this day‘. In 1988 Daniel would leave his musical career behind, serving as pastor in Alabama.
In 2009 Clarence Carter had a contrasting recollection of the origen of the song: “My bass player had written some lyrics…and he and I sat down and really put ‘Slip Away’ together.“
The co-writing credits in the end were given to musicians Marcus Daniel, William Armstrong and Wilbur Terrell. It’s said that the latter two didn’t contribute, but they were in bad financial shape and Carter wanted to help.

Slip Away appeared on the 1968 album This Is Clarence Carter. It would eventually serve as the B-side of the April 1968 single release Funky Fever was according to Carter his own suggestion, made in the hopes that Slip Away would prove to be a “flip hit“. But Funky Fever had a bad chart run just pipping just inside the 100 at No 89 on the US Charts. But Slip Away would break out as a flip hit peaking in October at No. 6 on the Billboard and the 44th biggest pop hit of 1968.

Gregg Allman released a version of the song as a single in 1988 which reached No. 17 on the U.S. rock chart.

What would I give just to have you near
Tell me you will try to slip away somehow
Oh, I need you darling, I want to see you right now

Can you slip away, slip away, slip away, yeah
Oh, I need you so

Love, oh love, how sweet it is
When you’re still in, darling, let me tell you something now
How sweet it is

Now I know it’s wrong, the things I ask you to do
But please believe me darling, I don’t mean to hurt you
But could you just slip away without him knowing you’re gone
Then we could meet somewhere, somewhere where we’re both unknown

Can you just, can you slip away, slip away, slip away, yeah
I need you so

Oh, can you slip away, baby
I’d like to see you right now, darling
Can you slip away now, baby
‘Cause I got to, I got to see you
I feel a deep burning inside

References:
1. Slip Away (Clarence Carter song) – Wikipedia

Tagged with: clarence carter, slip away, this is clarence carter
Posted in Music

Blow Away (1979) – George Harrison

Posted on July 8, 2025 by observationblogger — 10 Comments

I grew up on the music of John Lennon, and since his life was tragically cut short, my musical appreciation gradually leaned more towards George Harrison in recent years. My parents didn’t own any of George’s solo records, and it wasn’t until the Traveling Wilburys burst onto the scene that I really heard Harrison outside of the Beatles. Even then, for years I remained largely unfamiliar with his solo work – until I started this blog. It was thanks to other people’s music articles that I finally discovered just how wonderful George’s solo output truly is. It’s crazy to think how talented the Beatles were when this guy is considered their third best songwriter.

Blow Away is such a lucid and sunny song although funnily enough its starts out being about rain and clouds, however in the latter verses the day turns brighter with rainbows even appearing.

George Harrison said in an interview with Rolling Stone 1979:
‘Blow Away’ I like because it’s so catchy; in fact, I was a bit embarrassed about it at first, but it turned our good and people seem to like it. That was the first new tune I wrote. I was in the garden and it was pouring down with rain, and I suddenly became aware that I was feeling depressed, being affected by the weather. And it’s important to remember that while everything else around you changes, the soul within remains the same; you have to constantly remember that and fight for the right to be happy.

Blow Away is one of George’s most popular recordings from his solo career whilst also being one of his simplest compositions. The track if often cited as one his “10 Best Songs” amongst his fans.
Blow Away was the lead single from his 1979 album titled George Harrison. It reached number 51 in the UK and peaked at number 16 and number 34, respectively, in the United States and Australia.

[Verse 1]
Day turned black, sky ripped apart
Rained for a year ’til it dampened my heart
Cracks and the leaks, the floorboards caught rot
About to go down, I had almost forgot

[Chorus]
All I got to do is to
To love you
All I got to be is
Be happy
All it’s got to take is some warmth to make it
Blow away, blow away, blow away
All I got to do is to
To love you
All I got to be is
Be happy
All it’s got to take is some warmth to make it
Blow away, blow away, blow away

[Verse 2]
Sky cleared up, day turned to bright
Closing both eyes, now the head’s filled with light
Hard to remember what a state I was in
Instant amnesia, yang to the yin

[Chorus]

[Verse 3]
Wind blew in, cloud was dispersed
Rainbows appearing, the pressures were burst
Breezes a-singing, now feeling good
A moment had passed, like I knew that it should

[Chorus]

References:
1. Blew Away – Wikipedia

Tagged with: blow away, george harrison
Posted in Music

The Rising (2002) – Bruce Springsteen

Posted on July 7, 2025 by observationblogger — 8 Comments

Bruce Springsteen’s music slipped off the radar for many after his much-maligned 1992 double album. Yet, in my humble opinion, if the strongest tracks from both had been combined into a single cohesive record, it could have stood as one of his greatest. Thereafter he went on a solo phase in the 1990’s and made some great tracks which featured here including Philadelphia (1994), Secret Garden (1995) The Ghost of Tom Joad (1995), Dead Man Walkin’ (1996), Happy (1998), and Loose Change (1998). So it goes without saying, Bruce was always in my field of vision.
Then Boom! The 2002 The Rising record came out with the one and only E Street Band. Saying ‘comeback to form‘ as far as the group are concerned makes big sense.

Three other songs have already featured here from the record which was dedicated to the victims of 9/1, namely: Countin’ on a Miracle, Lonesome Day and Nothing Man. Now to the title track…The Rising. It was symbolically named to praise the heroism of the firefighters and emergency teams heading up the stairwells of the Towers before they collapsed. Springsteen said he got the inspiration for the album a few days after the 9/11 attacks, when a stranger in a car stopped next to him, rolled down his window and said: “We need you now”. Songs from his Rising record projects my mind back to the impact of the events of that fateful day. And the version of the song I presented below is his live Barcelona concert for The Rising which remains one of my favourite music concerts.

To not put to finer point on it; to me this track is about as good as anything he’s done and accordingly I have it located in his top tier. Obviously that shelf is loaded, but because this is a latter career track, I think The Rising doesn’t get its just deserts regarding his career output.
Also, the ‘bridge’ in this – is spectacular, as is the one in Countin’ on a Miracle. Normally these fillers seem to labour songs, but Bruce is the ‘Master’ of turning these into magnificent beasts as he does here at 1:50. Also his guitar solo proceeding it is nothing short of penetrating, then the bridge with Steven Van Zandt’s voice zapping in with Faces gone black, eyes burning bright, is legendary stuff.

[Verse 1]
Can’t see nothing in front of me
Can’t see nothing coming up behind
Make my way through this darkness
I can’t feel nothing but this chain that binds me
Lost track of how far I’ve gone
How far I’ve gone, how high I’ve climbed
On my back’s a sixty pound stone
On my shoulder, a half-mile line

[Chorus]
Come on up for the rising
Come on up, lay your hands in mine
Come on up for the rising
Come on up for the rising tonight

[Verse 2]
Left the house this morning
Bells were ringing and filled the air
I was wearing the cross of my calling
On wheels of fire, I come rolling down here

[Chorus]

[Bridge]
There’s spirits above and behind me
Faces gone black, eyes burning bright
May their precious blood bind me
Lord, as I stand before your fiery light

[Verse 3]
I see you Mary in the garden
In the garden of a thousand sighs
There’s holy pictures of our children
Dancing in a sky filled with light
May I feel your arms around me
May I feel your blood mix with mine
A dream of life comes to me
Like a catfish dancing on the end of the line

[Bridge]
Sky of blackness and sorrow (A dream of life)
Sky of love, sky of tears (A dream of life)
Sky of glory and sadness (A dream of life)
Sky of mercy, sky of fear (A dream of life)
Sky of memory and shadow (A dream of life)
Your burning wind fills my arms tonight
Sky of longing and emptiness (A dream of life)
Sky of fullness, sky of blessed life (A dream of life)

[Chorus]

References:
1. The Rising (Bruce Springsteen song) – Wikipedia

Tagged with: Bruce Springsteen, The Rising
Posted in Music

I’m Not Supposed to Care (1976) – Gordon Lightfoot

Posted on July 6, 2025 by observationblogger — 21 Comments

I came to this song hearing Bob Dylan’s live version (1998), which I thoroughly enjoyed although the recording quality isn’t top notch. When I heard Gordon Lightfoot’s original version I thought it was wonderful as well and here we are today. Gordon’s music has featured here once with If You Could Read My Mind, but the focus of that article was on Don William’s version. Apart from the aforementioned song, he had big hits with Sundown and The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald. You can see my blogger friend Max’s articles on those two. It would appear by accounts that Gordon Lightfoot was somewhat of a songwriter’s songwriter. He inspired peers such as Bob Dylan, Elvis Presley and Neil Young.

I’m Not Supposed to Care is from what some regard as Gordon Lightfoot’s strongest album, 1976’s Summertime Dream. This is one of his more reflective songs about lost love, told from the perspective of someone struggling to move on from a relationship that’s run its course. In lesser hands, it might have come off as overly sentimental, but Lightfoot’s nuanced delivery and emotional storytelling bring a tender, aching honesty that makes it resonate deeply.

Gordon Lightfoot was a Canadian singer-songwriter known for his poetic lyrics and distinctive voice, becoming one of folk and country music’s most respected figures as alluded to above. Born in Ontario in 1938, he rose to fame in the 1960s and 70s with the aforementioned songs. His music often reflected themes of love, loss, nature, and Canadian identity. Lightfoot earned international success, while remaining deeply tied to his Canadian roots. He continued performing and recording well into his later years, and by the time of his death in 2023, he was widely regarded as a national treasure and a master storyteller in song.

[Verse 1]
I think you had somebody waiting outside in the rain to take you away
You got places to go, you got people to see, still I’m gonna miss you
But anyway
I wish you good spaces in the far away places you go
If it rains or it snows may you be safe and warm and never grow old
And if you need somebody some time
You know I will always be there
I’ll do it although I’m not supposed to care

[Verse 2]
I’ll give you the keys to my flying machine if you’d like
I will show you the light and when you call
I’m gonna come to you
And when you find someone who loves you
I’ll know you would treat me the same
Just lie there, you’re not supposed to care

[Verse 3]
I think you had somebody waiting outside in the rain to take you away
That’s some kind of a game, still I’m glad it came down to the final round
But anyway
If you think you need someone who needs you
You know I will always be there
I’ll do it although I’m not supposed to care
I’ll do it although I’m not supposed to care

References:
1. Gordon Lightfooot – Wikipedia

Tagged with: Bob Dylan, Gordon Lightfoot, I'm Not Supposed to Care, summertime dream
Posted in Music

Portobello Belle (1979) – Dire Straits

Posted on July 5, 2025 by observationblogger — 11 Comments

I first heard the live version of today’s featured track on the above ‘Money For Nothing‘ greatest hits record (1988) which I purchased in my teens. It was a previously unreleased outtake from Alchemy: Dire Straits Live, 1984. Only 2 days ago did I hear for the first time the original acoustic version from the album Communiqué which I also enjoyed. Both versions are presented below. Portobello Belle always struck me as such an underrated and beautiful song in the Dire Straits collection. It’s sad, amusing, infectious, mysterious, accurate (according to accounts below), and uplifting at the same time. All in all, it’s just great songwriting and makes me smile whatever mood I’m in.

According to Song Meanings, Mark Knopfler wrote this song at Portobello Road London, in a pub called The Duke of Wellington. He was there often as a guest and wrote it for a pretty young lady who was the sister of the manager. The pub was often visited by the Dubliners, Donovan and Jimi Hendrix who celebrated his last night there. Also it’s said Adele signed her first contract at The Duke and it was also her hang out place before she became famous.

Described as an Irish reggae number it sees Mark exploring the streets of his adopted home Portobello Road. It’s also said the Irish and Jamaicans very much the low-status immigrants from the area in those days.

One contributor in Song Meanings said he worked as a street performer in the 80s in Portobello road. Here is what he wrote:
I recognise some of the people in the song. The “man on his back there escaping from a sack there” was a hard-drinking escapologist up at the top end near the Earl of Lonsdale who had one trick getting free of a chain he asked someone from the crowd to tighten, collect the money and down to the pub. He was miserable old bastard who had been there since the 50s I was told by some stallholders. He actually threatened me once cos I took his pitch and he was desperate for a drink. “The blind man singing Irish” was a blind busker on the corner further down the road. He collected his money in a kind of brass collection dish that organ grinders usually had. The song (he sang “about the long gone Irish girl” was “Molly Malone”, (She wheels her barrow through streets broad and narrow etc) , with which MK also hinted at the long-goneness of the Belle.

The following was extracted from the Wikipedia reference below:
Portobello Belle was released on Dire Straits‘ second album Communiqué in 1979. The album featured the single Lady Writer, which reached number 45 on the Billboard chart and number 51 in the UK. The album reached number one on album charts in Germany, Spain, New Zealand, and Sweden, number 11 in the United States and number 5 in the United Kingdom.

It is the last album to feature David Knopfler, who departed from the band during the making of their following album, and the last with the original lineup. He left over creative differences with his brother during the recording of their third album in August 1980.

[Verse 1]
Bella donna’s on the high street
Her breasts upon the off beat
And the stalls are just the side shows
Victoriana’s old clothes
And yes, her jeans are tight now
She got to travel light now
She got to turn up all her roots now
She got to turn up for the boots now

[Chorus]
She thinks she’s tough
She ain’t no English rose
Ah, but the blind singer
He’s seen enough and he knows
Yes, and he do a song about a long-gone Irish girl
Ah, but I got one for you, Portobello Belle

[Verse 2]
She sees a man upon his back there
Escaping from a sack there
And bella donna lingers
Her gloves ain’t got no fingers
Yeah, the blind man sing in Irish
He get his money in a tin dish
Just a corner serenader
Upon a time he could have made her, made her

[Chorus]

[Verse 3]
Yes, and the barrow boys are hawking
And the parakeet’s squawking
Upon a truck there is a rhino
She get the crying of a wino
And then she hear the reggae rumble
Bella donna’s in the jungle
But she is no garden flower
There is no distress in the tower

[Outro]
Bella donna walks
Bella donna taking a stroll
She don’t care about your window box or your buttonhole
Yes, and she sing a song about a long-gone Irish girl
Ah, but I got one for you, Portobello Belle

References:
1. Song Meanings – Portobello Belle
2. Communiqué (Dire Straits album) – Wikipedia

Tagged with: Communiqué, Dire Straits, Portobello Belle
Posted in Music

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