As we celebrate the 25th anniversary of the release of Sailing to Philadelphia, let's look back on some of the stand out tracks from this classic Mark Knopfler album.
What It Is
This is one of my favorite songs out of the entire Dire Straits and Mark Knopfler catalog. One of the things that makes Mark Knopfler's music so impactful is its reflection on the human condition, and in this case how some things never change despite the passing of centuries. These lyrics, while likely referencing classical England, could just as easily apply to countless points throughout history:
1The drinking dens are spilling out
2There's staggering in the square
3There's lads and lasses falling about
4And a crackling in the air
5
6Down around the dungeon doors
7The shelters and the queues
8Everybody’s looking for
9Somebody’s arms to fall into
10
11That's what it is
12That's what it is now
13
14There's frost on the graves and the monuments
15But the taverns are warm in town
16People curse the government
17And shovel hot food down
18
19The lights are out in city hall
20The castle and the keep
21The moon shines down upon it all
22The legless and sleepless
Through vivid, poetic imagery, Mark blends universal themes like the search for connection with a timeless backdrop as the moon "shines down upon it all" as the cycle repeats itself time and time again. As he put it in a later song, "the times they may change but some people stay the same".
Throughout the ages, it simply is what it is.
Sailing To Philadelphia
I actually am not that big of a fan of this song, but I appreciate it for how Mark includes his personal geography in his music; in this case, he was reading a book about Charles Mason and Jeremiah Dixon at the time and so wrote a song about their adventures in the New World.
Baloney Again
This song is one of Mark's character studies, a poignant story about racism in the American South as a black gospel group faces discrimination. Mark has an incredible gift for bringing the scene he's describing to life in vivid detail, whether it's a tired soldier in Napoleon's army, a Holocaust survivor who runs a pawn shop, or in this case singers trying to make their way through the Deep South amidst the constant threat of racism and violence.
Do America
I enjoy the energy of this simple rock song as Mark recalls traveling to the US and experiencing NYC, LA, etc. This song harkens back to the Dire Straits days of higher energy rock songs.
El Macho
Truly a unique sound, this song is interesting to listen to just because of how distinct it is in Mark Knopfler's catalog. Similar to the song Early Bird from a subsequent album, this is about a star on TV who's full of himself/herself.
Speedway at Nazareth
As a nod to Mark Knopfler's love of classic cars and racing, this song tells the story of racing at various tracks around North America and in particular the track at Nazareth Speedway in Pennsylvania. As noted in this interview:
The song is about perseverance, aspiration, and determination with a Camp Car (CART) racing theme.
It's quite fitting that Mark would write about a speedway in the same state as the title track of this album.
Silvertown Blues
A slow-starting rock song, Silvertown Blues reflects on the changes in in the Silvertown district in London and the construction of the Millennium Dome. Once again, Mark incorporates his personal geography living in London.
Conclusion
Many of the songs in Sailing To Philadelphia act as a bridge between Dire Straits and Mark's solo work. 25 years later, this album is still as relevant and enjoyable today as when it was released.