Mark Knopfler - Coyote

From Ragpicker's Dream (1990)

This weeks song is a deep track. Not only is it not one of Knopflers hits, it’s also from a random solo album rather than from when he was in Dire Straits, and it is from the second half of the album, with among the fewest listens on it.

I am not claiming it’s an undiscovered masterpiece, but I always like it when I put it on. It starts with a cool bassline that repeats through the song. Then a low-key soundscape with guitar, keyboards and trumpets, and a nice laid-back vibe that is appropriate for a arid, sunny day in Southwest US.

I like when you a work draws on pop culture from our common cultural heritage to put light on some other topic. In this case, the song draws on the classic Roadrunner cartoon to muse about the situation we have where some people are just insurmountably better at some skills than other people. Even if handicapped and not putting much of an effort, other people can’t even make half the speed. One of the many ways in which the world is blatantly unfair, although in this case it was arguably for the best.

Once again the roadrunner
Leaves the coyote in the dirt
You've got another plan of action
But we all know it ain't never gonna work
It must be hard having dog dreams
That never come true
And don't you just wish that you could
Make half of the speed I do
Speed I do, speed I do, speed I do
Speed I do, speed I do, speed I do

Searching for the lyrics, I found an amusing theory on Songmeanings.com: That the song is about Bob Dylan, after a falling out they had. The argument presented is based on these lines:

You can't catch me coyote
Though there may be blood on the tracks
There may be some bridges burning
Behind our backs

Bridges burning is a piece of lyrics from a song on the Infidels album over which they had a falling out, and Blood on the Tracks is of course a famous Dylan album. So he is saying that even though Dylan had this good work in the past, he still can’t catch him. I will admit that the references fit, but it strains credulity that anyone would brag about being way faster than Bob Dylan.