September 1st, 2007

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Music, The Arts
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“The Man’s Too Strong” is Not About Jesus

“If I ever meet him, I ask about that.” I often say that to myself after listening to a song, watching a film or reading a book. If I ever meet the artwork’s creator, I have a question or two for them.

  • If I meet David Mamet, I’ll ask about the veracity of the dialogue in Spartan.
  • If I meet Michael Ondaatje, I’d ask him to tell me what inspired his poem “White Dwarfs”. Who makes their fridge a room for Superman?
  • If I met Gordon Downie, lead singer of the Tragically Hip, we’d have to sit down and have a long talk. I have a lot of questions.

As for Mark Knopfler, lead singer of the Dire Straits, I’ve always wondered whether or not his folksy song off of Brothers in Arms, “The Man’s Too Strong” is, in fact, about Jesus. It’s got plenty of religious imagery, including references to Judas and silver and it includes the line “Father, please help me, for I have done wrong”.

I’ve wondered about that for years. I had that album on cassette tape (you kids can ask your parents about those), and played it a ton. “The Man’s Too Strong” was the song I used to learn how to finger-pick on the guitar.

Anyhow, it turns out that one of our neighbours here in Malta is related to Mr. Knopfler. The connection arose in conversation a few weeks ago, and I said “the next time you see him, ask him this.”

My neighbour was in England last week, and kindly asked Mark on my behalf. His response was emphatic that, no, “The Man’s Too Strong” was definitely not about Jesus. I never did find out what it’s actually about, but I’ll just let the mystery be.

Do you have nagging questions for musicians, writers and filmmakers? What are they?

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Comments: 9 Responses so far

zoom!
September 1st, 2007
5:42 pm

I have a question for Kurt Vonnegut Jr, but I guess it’ll have to wait.

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alexis
September 2nd, 2007
6:59 am

This is the one part of being a journalist/freelancer/writer that I LOVE.
When I interviewed Yann Martel, I asked him a lot of questions about the island in Life of Pi, and the research he did to write “Self.”
I asked Tommy Chong what he thinks about “Harold and Kumar”, and being half Chinese, and that 70s show.
I asked Evelyn Lau how she can get past seeing parts of a city where she was a prostitute.
I asked Randy Bachman what American woman was really about.

Hmmm, that’s all I can think of right now, but I’m pretty sure there are more things that I wondered that I actually asked about :)

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Chris Garrett
September 2nd, 2007
9:56 am

I often think about what I would ask people like that but on the other hand so many people have told me to never meet my heroes (because people rarely live up to the imagined version of them so the actual experience tends to be disappointing). Glad to see Alexis has a better experience of meeting celebs :)

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Pete
December 9th, 2007
5:05 am

I’ve always loved that song. I had a similar thought the first time I heard it, thinking the man must be the same father he was praying to, but I’m pretty sure now that the “him” in the last verse is the man in question:

“Well the sun rose on the courtyard
And they all did hear him say
‘You always were a Judas
But I got you anyway
You may have got your silver
But I swear upon my life
Your sister gave me diamonds
And I gave them to your wife’”

(also especially, in concert video, Mark clearly alternates with “and I lay down with your wife” as the last line in some renditions)

Whether that man was with the law or just a plaintiff/witness/string-puller, he’s clearly not a model of morality. From this I gather the idea is more commentary on harm begets harm/live by sword, die by sword mentality. Our reluctant repentant met a bigger & badder man eventually, as inevitably happens. Just my two cents.

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doclogic
December 27th, 2007
8:42 pm

Sympathy For The Devil

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Steve Smith
November 27th, 2008
9:52 am

Regarding “The Man’s Too Strong” thread-to me the answer has always shouted out loud and clear from the song!-It MUST be about a war crimainal caught after many years and executed:-
“Called the tune to many a torture session…”

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Reluctant repentant Reply:
January 6th, 2009 at 8:58 pm

“Our reluctant repentant met a bigger badder man” was exactly my take on the song….Does anyone have commentary on the line “your sister gave me diamonds and I gave them to your wife”?

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Nick Payne
February 19th, 2009
12:36 pm

Doclogic referenced sympathy for the devil and I think they have it spot on.

In my opinion it is someone making excuses for their evils. They are saying they can’t resist the temptation that provoked them to commit their atrocities. It’s someone talking about the devil inside them.

The idea of a strongman immediately takes my mind to Matthew 12:29, where Jesus talks of demons being like strongmen in a house who need to be bound before you can raid it.

This man is saying “I couldn’t beat my strongman and he took me down his wicked path.”

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Mateusz Loskot
October 26th, 2009
7:32 am

I was listening to this song and I started wondering about meaning of the lyrics, googled and found your blog. Great thanks for sharing what you’ve figured out.
Greetings to you, your friend and Mr Knopfler too.

p.s. It’s really cool to have a neighbour who knows Mr Knopfler!

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