When I first heard this song on his album, I figured it was a goofy country song. You know, wife left me and took the dog kind of thing.
Turns out it wasn’t.
On the live CD, Emmylou Harris tells how she loves Mark Knopfler’s songs. There’s always a story. When they were prepping to tour, he played this song for her. She said it was beautiful, what was it about?
Then they cut to him and he told of hearing the calls from the World Trade Center on 9/11. Then he felt he had something to say about it. What would be the last call you would make?
They cut back to Emmylou Harris and she said “I wept”
Until I heard what it was about I thought nothing of it. Now, I can’t hear it without thinking of that day.
And that, my friends, is what a master songsmith does.
Let’s say a prayer for the souls of all the innocents and first responders killed that day, and even now as our feckless leaders blunder into more disasters.
Inspected By Pat 