Mark Knopfler is best known as the lead guitarist, vocalist and songwriter for the British rock band Dire Straits, which he co-founded in 1977 with his brother David. After Dire Straits disbanded in 1995, Knopfler continued to record and produce albums as a solo artist under his own name. Occasionally, Knopfler has played in other groups, such as the The Notting Hillbillies; as well, he has guested on works by other artists, including The Dandy Warhols, Bob Dylan, Bryan Ferry, Eric Clapton, Jeff Healey, John Fogerty, Jools Holland, Steely Dan, Emmylou Harris, Sonny Landreth, Phil Lynott, Joan Armatrading and Chet Atkins. He has produced albums for artists such as Tina Turner, Willy DeVille, Randy Newman, Bob Dylan and even "Weird Al" Yankovic. In addition, he has scored the music to several films, including Metroland, Local Hero, Cal, Last Exit to Brooklyn, Wag the Dog, and Rob Reiner’s classic, The Princess Bride.
He is one of the most respected fingerstyle guitarists of the modern rock era. Knopfler was ranked #27 on Rolling Stone magazine’s list of "100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time."
Mark Knopfler and Dire Straits have sold in excess of 120 million albums to date
Like many other schoolboys of the 1960s, he served an early apprenticeship by forming and joining anonymous schoolboy bands and listening to singers like Elvis Presley and guitarists Chet Atkins, Scotty Moore, Jimi Hendrix, Django Reinhardt and James Burton. The rest, as they say, is history and if you wish to know more about Mark, check out his full bio here: Mark Knopfler
I have never heard “Back to Tupelo” before today although I’ve been a fan of Mark’s for a long time all the way back to when Dire Straits was the hottest thing on the radio. He is one of the great all time guitar players in my opinion and I know my guitar players. This song was released on Mark’s solo album titled The Trawlerman’s Song in 2005. As I listened to the YouTube video below I also read the lyrics as Mark is not all that easy to understand sometimes and I got chills down my spine. I also became very sad. For Elvis. Again. Note the reference to the “lying dutchman”.
Enjoy this, it’s very good especially if you enjoy world class guitar playing as I do. Thank you Mark for writing such a poignant and moving tribute to the King.
around the time of ‘clambake’
movie number twenty-five
you and the lying dutchman
are still in overdrive
you’re as strong as when you started
mississippi in your soul
you can still be marlon brando
and the king of rock and roll
it isn’t just the records
no, you must have hollywood
the songs alone are not enough
that much is understood
you’ll soon be back in memphis
maybe then you’ll know what to do
the storylines they’re giving you
are just not ringing true
oh, it’s a ways to go
back to tupelo
when you’re young and beautiful
your dreams are all ideals
later on it’s not the same
lord, everything is real
sixteen hundred miles of highway
roll back to the truth
and a song to give your mother
in your first recording booth
around the time of ‘clambake’
that old dream’s still rolling on
sometimes there’ll be the feeling
things are going wrong
the morning star is fading
lord, the mississippi’s cold
you can still be marlon brando
and the king of rock and roll
but it’s a ways to go
back to tupelo
