martinjlloyd (October 4, 2008 at 10:49 am)

It's a straight forward account of a night out. He's at the Spanish City fair ground in Whitley Bay, picks up a girl but decides not to pursue it, perhaps because both want to keep it as 'perfect strangers'. The 'money for muscle' line is just about what you needed to find work then. Factories, shipyards, the fairground, the docks - all wanted lads with muscle. I suppose rockaway could be a reference to the Ramones' Rockaway Beach in New York which I think has a fairground too, but I doubt it.

torbaap81 (September 16, 2008 at 6:42 pm)

This is one of my favorite songs of all time. Never gets old, no matter how much I listen to it. And the lyrics are amazing, even by Knopfler's standards. Paints such a vivid picture, it's amazing. I don't think the song is about anything too deep though. Not about the meaning of life or love or anything like that. Just about some girl he met at a fairground/carnival when he was growing up. But the lyrics are so good you can read more into it if you want.

swinde (September 14, 2008 at 3:24 am)

Are they in East Germany escaping the Soviets?

stuglue (September 8, 2008 at 5:04 pm)

8 minutes of excellent music that moves and develops. Fantastic

MacieCox2212 (August 24, 2008 at 8:54 pm)

Hg3MpGPRvznRp2uTf1SqC any body want to hit it and quit it? No strings bone inside! WCBX1kVGuSoZjSiIa3loeJY85H

soapabuser (August 15, 2008 at 2:54 pm)

I have never seen this video! I have seen the other one. This video was nice! :)

jamiebrown1977 (August 12, 2008 at 1:08 pm)

yeah i agree - in many shooting galleries where promises are made - what a lyric/ portrayal of place in time that we have all experienced, for some of us it may have been in the back of the movies or at the beach. I think a true love may have been referenced in this lyric....

wazzupdoc11 (August 12, 2008 at 6:40 am)

Due to MK's background as a journalist and his degree in English I think he goes deeper than just portraying the Whitley bay area and the Spanish city. Could be about the ride that we wish it will never end ... Unfortunately, it always does, but if we are lucky, in the end, we get that keepsake and/or a kiss. (I agree with ngfxoxo, on this one:)). With or without deeper symbols and metaphors the song is amazing. Thanks guys for your insights/comments.

jamiebrown1977 (August 11, 2008 at 7:56 pm)

Let me give you an insight into Marks reasons for writing this song. He is refering to a fairground infact mark knophler grew up in whitley bay and in the tunnel of love he referes to the Spanish City which is infact a fairground park that settled in whitly bay. The song i suppose is really about his youth and where he grew up and the memories he has of the spanish city fairground.

wazzupdoc11 (August 11, 2008 at 7:55 am)

the fairground could be a metaphor for life. I'm not sure about this: "Well it's been money for muscle another whirligig Money for muscle and another girl i dig Another hustle just to make it big And rockaway, rockaway". Any ideas? :)