Since Dire Straits disbanded in 1995, Knopfler has recorded and produced nine solo albums and, as with his previous band, produced many hit songs. He has composed and produced film scores for nine films, including Local Hero (1983), Cal (1984), The Princess Bride (1987), Wag the Dog (1997) and Altamira (2016).
In addition to his work with Dire Straits, Knopfler has, as a solo artist, recorded and performed with many prominent musicians, including B.B. King, Chet Atkins, Chris Botti, John Anderson, the Chieftains, Eric Clapton, Bob Dylan, Elton John, Bryan Ferry, George Jones, Phil Lynott, Donal Lunny, Van Morrison, Steely Dan, Sting, Emmylou Harris , James Taylor and Sonny Landreth , sometimes working as a session musician. He has produced albums for Tina Turner, Bob Dylan, and Randy Newman.
Knopfler is a fingerstyle guitarist and was ranked 27th on Rolling Stone's list of 100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time. Knopfler and Dire Straits have sold in excess of 120 million records to date. A four-time Grammy Award winner, Knopfler is the recipient of the Edison Award, the Steiger Award and the Ivor Novello Award, as well as holding three honorary doctorate degrees in music from universities in the United Kingdom. Knopfler was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a member of Dire Straits in 2018.
Restless Farewell
Mark Knopfler Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Be it mine right or wrongfully,
I let it slip gladly past the hands of my friends
To tie up the time most forcefully.
But the bottles are done,
We've killed each one
And the table's full and overflowed.
And the corner sign
So I'll bid farewell and be down the road.
Oh ev'ry girl that ever I've touched,
I did not do it harmfully.
And ev'ry girl that ever I've hurt,
I did not do it knowin'ly.
But to remain as friends and make amends
You need the time and stay behind.
And since my feet are now fast
And point away from the past,
I'll bid farewell and be down the line.
Oh ev'ry foe that ever I faced,
The cause was there before we came.
And ev'ry cause that ever I fought,
I fought it full without regret or shame.
But the dark does die
As the curtain is drawn and somebody's eyes
Must meet the dawn.
And if I see the day
I'd only have to stay,
So I'll bid farewell in the night and be gone.
Oh, ev'ry thought that's strung a knot in my mind,
I might go insane if it couldn't be sprung.
But it's not to stand naked under unknowin' eyes,
It's for myself and my friends my stories are sung.
But the time ain't tall,
Yet on time you depend and no word is possessed
By no special friend.
And though the line is cut,
It ain't quite the end,
I'll just bid farewell till we meet again.
Oh a false clock tries to tick out my time
To disgrace, distract, and bother me.
And the dirt of gossip blows into my face,
And the dust of rumors covers me.
But if the arrow is straight
And the point is slick,
It can pierce through dust no matter how thick.
So I'll make my stand
And remain as I am
And bid farewell and not give a damn.
In Mark Knopfler's song Restless Farewell, the singer reflects on his life and experiences. The first stanza speaks about all the money the singer spent throughout his life, some of which was rightfully his, while some was spent wrongfully. The singer doesn't regret letting the money slip through his hands, as it helped him make the best use of his time. He has spent many evenings with his friends, drinking bottles and chatting away, and now that they are all empty, it is time to call it a night and say goodbye. The singer does not seem sad or regretful as he bids farewell and moves on to the next chapter of his life.
In the second stanza, the singer reflects on his relationships with women. He has touched many girls in his life, but never with the intention of harming them. He has hurt some girls in the past, but never knowingly, and would like to make amends with them. However, he knows that time is needed to heal wounds and sometimes it's better to just move on. The singer has a restless spirit, always moving towards the future, and his feet are pointed away from the past. It's time for him to bid farewell.
In the third stanza, the singer speaks about the foes he's faced and causes he's fought. Every cause he fought, he did it with full effort, without any regret or shame. However, now it's time to accept the inevitability of change. The darkness always dies when the dawn arrives, and if he's lucky enough to see the next day, he'll have to stay and face it. As much as he'd like to just run away, he knows that he'll have to say his goodbyes and be gone.
In the final stanza, the singer speaks about his thoughts that have troubled him in the past. He knows that these thoughts have the potential to make him go insane if he doesn't resolve them. However, these thoughts are not meant to be shared with just anyone. The time is fleeting and can't be possessed by anyone, even a friend. The singer acknowledges that even if the line between him and someone else is cut, it's not quite the end. He'll bid farewell for now, until they meet again.
Line by Line Meaning
Oh all the money that in my whole life I did spend,
Be it mine right or wrongfully,
I let it slip gladly past the hands of my friends
To tie up the time most forcefully.
I spent a lot of money in my life, some of it may have been mine, some not. I spent it all quickly to make the most of my time. I did not mind giving it away to friends.
But the bottles are done,
We've killed each one
And the table's full and overflowed.
And the corner sign
Says it's closing time,
So I'll bid farewell and be down the road.
The party is over, the drinks are all gone, and it's time to leave. The night is ending and I must say goodbye and leave for home.
Oh ev'ry girl that ever I've touched,
I did not do it harmfully.
And ev'ry girl that ever I've hurt,
I did not do it knowin'ly.
But to remain as friends and make amends
You need the time and stay behind.
And since my feet are now fast
And point away from the past,
I'll bid farewell and be down the line.
I've had many relationships, some that ended badly, but I never meant to hurt anyone. It takes time to heal and make peace, but I'm moving on with my life and saying goodbye.
Oh ev'ry foe that ever I faced,
The cause was there before we came.
And ev'ry cause that ever I fought,
I fought it full without regret or shame.
But the dark does die
As the curtain is drawn and somebody's eyes
Must meet the dawn.
And if I see the day
I'd only have to stay,
So I'll bid farewell in the night and be gone.
I've had my fair share of fights and disagreements, but I stood up for what I believed in. Even in the darkest of times, the dawn will come, and I'm ready to move on.
Oh, ev'ry thought that's strung a knot in my mind,
I might go insane if it couldn't be sprung.
But it's not to stand naked under unknowin' eyes,
It's for myself and my friends my stories are sung.
But the time ain't tall,
Yet on time you depend and no word is possessed
By no special friend.
And though the line is cut,
It ain't quite the end,
I'll just bid farewell till we meet again.
I have many thoughts that consume me, but I need to let them go. I don't want to be judged or exposed, but I have stories to share with those closest to me. Time is fleeting, but I will always remember the people who have impacted my life.
Oh a false clock tries to tick out my time
To disgrace, distract, and bother me.
And the dirt of gossip blows into my face,
And the dust of rumors covers me.
But if the arrow is straight
And the point is slick,
It can pierce through dust no matter how thick.
So I'll make my stand
And remain as I am
And bid farewell and not give a damn.
People are always trying to bring me down with false accusations and rumors. But if I know what's right and true, I can cut through the negativity and remain true to myself. I will leave knowing that my integrity is intact.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Bob Dylan
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@martinhasson4942
DYLANS POETRY
UPGRADES
THE LYRIC
OF " PARTING GLASS"
probably not the old Irish
Sentiment.🇮🇪
Now KNOPFLER IS
translating DYLANS GENIUS
( the dust of rumour covers me )
It's GENES. TO GENIUS!
@mrinvader
PARTING GLASS... The song Restless Farewell written by Bob Dylan and featured on The Times They Are a-Changin' from 1964 is heavily based on The Parting Glass.
if you follow the walking dead, Emily Kinney and Lauren Cohan did a version that leaves me in tears every time bc of what was to happen...
Oh all the money that e'er I spent
I've spent it in good company
And all the harm that e'er I've done
Alas it was to none but me
And all I've done for want of wit
To memory now I can't recall
So fill to me the parting glass
Good night and joy be with you all
...
Oh all the comrades that e'er I've had
are sorry for my going away
And all the sweethearts that e'er I've had
would wish me one more day to stay
But since it falls unto my lot
That I should rise and you should not
I'll gently rise and I'll softly call
Good night and joy be with you all
Good night and joy be with you all
@mimispeike793
Mark's world-weary been-through-shit tone here couldn't be better. You buy every word of it. As in everything he does, he doesn't sing the lyrics, he lives them. Genius, the man is a genius.
@mimispeike793
Mimi Speike Dylan's voice has deteriorated painfully. Mark's gets better and better. But his strength was never his way with melody, it was always his integrity and power of delivery and interpretation. I do confess that I am partial to the smooth grittiness (how's that for an encapsulation?) of the On The Night years. He's lost some of that, but since I fear that it was the result of his smoking, which he's given up, I can live with the loss.
@spambrando
Wish I could give your comment 100 thumbs up. However, I'll take him any way I can. (Preferably, minus the wife - so jealous)!
@happykatau
There is also his unusual (at least for composers from a largely self-taught and non-classical background) ability for writing harmony and instrumentation!
@lordbyron6293
@Mimi Speike It's 5 years later and Dylan's voice sounds fine on Rough and Rowdy Ways.
@gregcash3838
My son passed 9/26/20. We would listen to Mark through the years. He always called him melancholy Mark.
@charlie01546
Melancholy that's a good description. Sorry for your loss.
@Seazer009
This man's music will live forever ...Thanks Mark . You will never fully know just how much your songs are appreciated by many of us...Cheers.. Wayne..
@dougmisantoni4384
Long Live MK....
@edfisher2752
Knopfler is the best at Celtic soul..........Add the guitar, heaven!