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Mark Knopfler — Coyote
Album: The Ragpicker's Dream
Avg rating:
7.2

Your rating:
Total ratings: 2809









Released: 2002
Length: 5:46
Plays (last 30 days): 2
Look at me coyote
Don't let a little road dust put you off
You can't judge a book
Well, you know that stuff
There's a tear in my upholstery
And a hole in my shoe
But don't you just wish that you could
Make half of the speed I do
Speed I do, speed I do, speed I do

You can't catch me coyote
Though there may be blood on the tracks
There may be some bridges burning
Behind our backs
But I got my laundry on the backseat
And an itinerary too
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

Now I'm a speck on your horizon
Getting smaller fast
An ambush wouldn't be surprising
I hope it's better than your last

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 with 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
Comments (285)add comment
Knopfler makes it seem, um...easy.

J.J Cale
Totally sublime track - awesome.

This guy is a one off.

❤️
 lmic wrote:

Kinda Chris Isaak-y!

Highly beg to differ! Both, very "accomplished" artists but, IMHO, not even remotely close. 

I just love the chorus of 'spee die do, spee die do'. If you were asked to come up with a coherent song with that as a chorus anyone would struggle. Great song
 htimsmk wrote:

I always initially think this is the only Cake song I don't know...




Sounds like Morphine to me...
 nerakdon wrote:

We had a roadrunner in our house one time.  Those things are friggin' fast, man.  My parents got it cornered in the bedroom and made a barricade out of shoes and cardboard boxes, to try to herd it out onto their patio.  It was working pretty well at first, but everything got out of hand once my dad dragged out the piano and the anvil.



:-D Meep-meep! 
I don't usually enjoy listening to MK, but when I do, it's when I listen to this song.
It's probably a 6 or so, for me, until those guitar and band breaks kick in. Then, at least an 8 (again, for me, for whatever that's worth).
Yeah, agree, there's a J. J. Cale vibe to this, which is welcome.
Few bands play at the level these folks do.
I always initially think this is the only Cake song I don't know...
 SmackDaddy wrote:

The Superbird used a roadrunner logo but it was not a Road Runner, that's a different car.
 

it's an upgraded Road Runner, OP should've posted a Volare Road Runner....now that is the worst!
I don’t know how many times I have heard this.. It just never gets old to my ears
Great bass! EADG is the soul of life. 
 treehugger wrote:

With all the references in this thread to the Roadrunner I felt compelled to include a picture (from wikipedia) of a Roadrunner Superbird: 
 
 
The Superbird used a roadrunner logo but it was not a Road Runner, that's a different car.
Up from 7 to 8 for those cool lyrics, bumping bass and sweet horns.
Great groove.
This guy still gets my old bones up dancing....
 Tomasni wrote:
 Bullymac wrote:
Is Mark Knopfler THE most played artist on RP? Seems like he pops up at least once a day!
This is a benefit of  Radio Paradise
 

K  O   T
 coyote620 wrote:
I really don't like this song.
 
I see what you did there coyote620
 oldman wrote:
Because of Warner Bros. we will never see a car with the Coyote moniker.
 
Well, there was this one back in the day. See the car at the end of the Wiki page.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/...
 Tomasni wrote:
 Bullymac wrote:
Is Mark Knopfler THE most played artist on RP? Seems like he pops up at least once a day!
This is a benefit of  Radio Paradise
 
More Mark Knopfler please...
Suuuuch a cool groove!
Too bad for you.



coyote620 wrote:
I really don't like this song.
 

 Bullymac wrote:
Is Mark Knopfler THE most played artist on RP? Seems like he pops up at least once a day!
This is a benefit of  Radio Paradise
Is Mark Knopfler THE most played artist on RP? Seems like he pops up at least once a day!
 physicsgenius wrote:
mfassett wrote:
I think point A was covered perfectly well by Marr. As far as RP goes, so far only about 10% is crap. Maybe there's another 20% that I don't like, then maybe another 20% that I see artistic merit in and yet doesn't move me. That leaves a roughly 50% success rate, far higher than I find on commercial radio.
The crap rate on RP, while admittedly lower than commercial radio, is well over 50% and that's before we even get to questions of taste. Aimee Mann, for instance, cannot sing worth a damn no matter how you slice it. (Neither can Bob Dylan, but at least he can write.)
Music is entirely subjective, and there's nothing more silly than an arrogant music critic.
Unless it's someone who pretends (or even really does) love a song merely because it's popular, depressing and/or praised by their "artistic" friends.
 

wtf?  listen to your cds.
{#Devil_pimp}zesty ! definitely homage to jj cale rip jj
come on listeners! this is a 10
 8 ->   9 - O U T S T A N D I N G  
 skyguy wrote:
speed-da-doo!

 
That is all i can hear now... {#Roflol}
 robertomiller wrote:
Is Mark Knopfler grooving to JJ Cale here, or is it just a result of my hearing a lot of Knopfler and Cale on RP? 

 
Yes, thought it was J.J. Cale!
speed-da-doo!
Because of Warner Bros. we will never see a car with the Coyote moniker.
I really don't like this song.
 Proclivities wrote:

Only on Mondays, generally.

 
To take advantage of their remorse?
No regrets...
 Proclivities wrote:

Only on Mondays, generally.

 
Hahaha
When I was a boy, we sang this in the car on road trips. My parents would sing it with friends at their parties. My brothers and I watched through the uprights in the bannister at the top of the stairs.
Is Mark Knopfler grooving to JJ Cale here, or is it just a result of my hearing a lot of Knopfler and Cale on RP? 
 h8rhater wrote:

Do you generally question people about their relationship with porn?

 
Only on Mondays, generally.
 Proclivities wrote:

Do you generally use porn a a point of reference?

 
Do you generally question people about their relationship with porn?
 adamdbenson wrote:
Possibly my most favorite non-porn base line. Just groovin'

 
Do you generally use porn a a point of reference?
I like it. Impossible not to tap your feet to it.
MARK MEETS THE SWAMP MonSTER.{#Dancingbanana}{#Bananasplit}{#Guitarist}{#Bananajam}{#Fire}{#Dance}{#Bounce}
 mindless wrote:

Too much Knopfler for me too.

 
yes, TMK

He is great and all, but it is more than a bit much 
 adamdbenson wrote:
Possibly my most favorite non-porn base line. Just groovin'
 



..which begs the question: what's your fave porn bass line?..Debbie Does Disco?..
I feel like I'm stoned listening to this and the song sounds to be going too slow.  Maybe I am.
There's simply not enough Mark Knopfler in the world today!   Play on, Bill.  I count on RP for my Dire Straights fix.
 allabout wrote:
Totally agree, see my post, come Bill are you reading these comments... lshinkawa wrote:
Why is it that every single time I turn on RP, it's either Mark Knopfler or Dire Straits.  I got interested in RP initially of the variety. Where is it?
 
 
Too much Knopfler for me too.
Possibly my most favorite non-porn base line. Just groovin'
that's good poetry uyup
and it's got guitars too 
Yep...this is cool. Lovin' it....woo hooooooo!!!!   {#Bananasplit}
Damn gorgeous cover photo.....{#Clap}
 tinamarie wrote:

Seen any of the Nottingham Hillbillies lately?

 

Don't you mean ''Notting Hillbillies''?
Awesome song. Excellent choice{#Bananapiano}
Don't mind the critics. There isn't enough Mark Knopfler played!!!


Totally agree, see my post, come Bill are you reading these comments... lshinkawa wrote:
Why is it that every single time I turn on RP, it's either Mark Knopfler or Dire Straits.  I got interested in RP initially of the variety. Where is it?
 


 JsDad wrote:

Local Hero - on a very short list of my favorite movies of all time.  I remember being blown away by the soundtrack when I first saw it and finding out Knopfler wrote it, with my friend and I saying "of course."


 Cynaera wrote:


It's worth the effort. I agree - Sultans of Swing STILL gets played to death here - it's like that's the only song Dire Straits ever did! There are a lot of other, better songs from Dire Straits - I hope you'll give them a chance. Knopfler wrote the soundtrack to a little-known movie called "Local Hero," and apart from being a delightful movie, the music is rather awesome. (And he doesn't sing. LOL!)

 

 


 
I have "Local Hero" queued up on my DVD player for when I have a day off.  BTW - roadrunners have a "solar panel" on their backs, between their wings, and they have to charge their solar panels to make them fast. Otherwise, they're sluggish, clumsy, and easy to catch. (I learnt this from a visit to the Sonora Desert Museum in Arizona.)


J.J. Cale is alive and well.
 fitzworld wrote:
Okay, now I'm funkin' out and puttin' on da groove...
 

I'm feeling it too
 coyote620 wrote:
For me, listening to this song is like listening to nails be pulled across  a blackboard.
 
Original.

Why is it that every single time I turn on RP, it's either Mark Knopfler or Dire Straits.  I got interested in RP initially of the variety. Where is it?

Local Hero - on a very short list of my favorite movies of all time.  I remember being blown away by the soundtrack when I first saw it and finding out Knopfler wrote it, with my friend and I saying "of course."


 Cynaera wrote:


It's worth the effort. I agree - Sultans of Swing STILL gets played to death here - it's like that's the only song Dire Straits ever did! There are a lot of other, better songs from Dire Straits - I hope you'll give them a chance. Knopfler wrote the soundtrack to a little-known movie called "Local Hero," and apart from being a delightful movie, the music is rather awesome. (And he doesn't sing. LOL!)

 


Okay, now I'm funkin' out and puttin' on da groove...
 nerakdon wrote:
We had a roadrunner in our house one time.  Those things are friggin' fast, man.  My parents got it cornered in the bedroom and made a barricade out of shoes and cardboard boxes, to try to herd it out onto their patio.  It was working pretty well at first, but everything got out of hand once my dad dragged out the piano and the anvil.
 
{#Roflol}{#Clap}
Good tune...nice feel. I can also hear a gravely voiced Chris Isaac singing with this music. Imagine it. Glad it's Knopfler though...fits the piece.
 tinamarie wrote:

Seen any of the Nottingham Hillbillies lately?

 
'Kin right! I used to live amongst them in Bilborough.

hear a lot of steely dan on that one
 fredriley wrote:

It's not often that someone writes a song about a cartoon, and I was a big fan of RR & C back in the day (much too violent for TV these days, sadly). This one is cool and way smoooooth, typically Knopfler. 7 and a "beep-beep!" from the Nottingham jury.

 
Seen any of the Nottingham Hillbillies lately?

 jtarp wrote:
Gotta love the bass line.

 
Oh yeah, get's me moving every time.

Love this guy!
 nerakdon wrote:
We had a roadrunner in our house one time.  Those things are friggin' fast, man.  My parents got it cornered in the bedroom and made a barricade out of shoes and cardboard boxes, to try to herd it out onto their patio.  It was working pretty well at first, but everything got out of hand once my dad dragged out the piano and the anvil.
 
Let me guess, your dad somehow ended up in the piano as it careened off a cliff with the anvil in hot pursuit.  Meanwhile the roadrunner sped off into the sunset.


For me, listening to this song is like listening to nails be pulled across  a blackboard.
 treehugger wrote:

With all the references in this thread to the Roadrunner I felt compelled to include a picture (from wikipedia) of a Roadrunner Superbird: 
 
 
I'll see your picture with one of the cartoon:


 bindi wrote:

Roadrunner - like that winged Landbarge they were selling in the 70's (that for some reason in worth a fortune now?)  Or was it a race car with the same name?  Yeah, I remember Jim Hall and Bruce Mclaren back in the golden days - what I wouldn't give to see them tearin' up Laguna Seca back in the day.  I still think the song is about the cartoon!  :-)
 
With all the references in this thread to the Roadrunner I felt compelled to include a picture (from wikipedia) of a Roadrunner Superbird: 
 
 nerakdon wrote:
We had a roadrunner in our house one time.  Those things are friggin' fast, man.  My parents got it cornered in the bedroom and made a barricade out of shoes and cardboard boxes, to try to herd it out onto their patio.  It was working pretty well at first, but everything got out of hand once my dad dragged out the piano and the anvil.
 

PETA don't know, do they? :)
We had a roadrunner in our house one time.  Those things are friggin' fast, man.  My parents got it cornered in the bedroom and made a barricade out of shoes and cardboard boxes, to try to herd it out onto their patio.  It was working pretty well at first, but everything got out of hand once my dad dragged out the piano and the anvil.
 jagdriver wrote:

Oh, gosh.... there was a Roadrunner many years ago, back in the days of USRRC competition (when Jim Hall—of Chaparral fame—Roger Penske and Carroll Shelby raced against one another). But in this case I think he just made it up, as there was no Roadrunner chassis in the CART series.
 
Roadrunner - like that winged Landbarge they were selling in the 70's (that for some reason in worth a fortune now?)  Or was it a race car with the same name?  Yeah, I remember Jim Hall and Bruce Mclaren back in the golden days - what I wouldn't give to see them tearin' up Laguna Seca back in the day.  I still think the song is about the cartoon!  :-)

 jessfine wrote:
I realize that Knopfler rates highly with RP listeners, but I still can't enjoy his voice.  Maybe I'm still experiencing nauseous flashbacks to the late 1970s, when "Sultans of Swing" over-saturated the airwaves.  I guess I'll just try harder.
 
It's worth the effort. I agree - Sultans of Swing STILL gets played to death here - it's like that's the only song Dire Straits ever did! There are a lot of other, better songs from Dire Straits - I hope you'll give them a chance. Knopfler wrote the soundtrack to a little-known movie called "Local Hero," and apart from being a delightful movie, the music is rather awesome. (And he doesn't sing. LOL!)

 bindi wrote:

Thanks for the insight - so, in CART, which car is Mark referring to as the roadrunner
Does this Roadrunner beat the Coyotes a lot?  The only Roadrunner cars I ever knew about were not racecars, but kind of looked like a late 60's version of what "Supercar" would look like - like in the late 60's - kind of a tank. . .
It still reminds me of the cartoon.

 
Oh, gosh.... there was a Roadrunner many years ago, back in the days of USRRC competition (when Jim Hall—of Chaparral fame—Roger Penske and Carroll Shelby raced against one another). But in this case I think he just made it up, as there was no Roadrunner chassis in the CART series.


Gotta love the bass line.

 jagdriver wrote:

The song is actually about the former CART (Championship Auto Racing Teams) series. Coyotes were the name given to those cars built and fielded by the legendary A.J. Foyt.
 
Thanks for the insight - so, in CART, which car is Mark referring to as the roadrunner
Does this Roadrunner beat the Coyotes a lot?  The only Roadrunner cars I ever knew about were not racecars, but kind of looked like a late 60's version of what "Supercar" would look like - like in the late 60's - kind of a tank. . .
It still reminds me of the cartoon.

 cosmiclint wrote:
 Otomi wrote:

That may be true, but the Warner Brothers cartoon was obviously in the Knopfler's mind when he wrote the lyrics

I'm with you. CART may have licensed the song, and it may have even been commissioned by them FAIK. But the lyrics are most definitely from the POV of the Road Runner, taunting the Coyote
 
It's not often that someone writes a song about a cartoon, and I was a big fan of RR & C back in the day (much too violent for TV these days, sadly). This one is cool and way smoooooth, typically Knopfler. 7 and a "beep-beep!" from the Nottingham jury.

 Otomi wrote:

That may be true, but the Warner Brothers cartoon was obviously in the Knopfler's mind when he wrote the lyrics

I'm with you. CART may have licensed the song, and it may have even been commissioned by them FAIK. But the lyrics are most definitely from the POV of the Road Runner, taunting the Coyote


 jagdriver wrote:
The song is actually about the former CART (Championship Auto Racing Teams) series. Coyotes were the name given to those cars built and fielded by the legendary A.J. Foyt.
 
That may be true, but the Warner Brothers cartoon was obviously in the Knopfler's mind when he wrote the lyrics:

     Once again the roadrunner
     Leaves the coyote in the dust
     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.

I realize that Knopfler rates highly with RP listeners, but I still can't enjoy his voice.  Maybe I'm still experiencing nauseous flashbacks to the late 1970s, when "Sultans of Swing" over-saturated the airwaves.  I guess I'll just try harder.
 calypsus_1 wrote: 

Again today! Nice transition, it's as if i heard a previously unreleased version of Coyote :).
 jagdriver wrote:

The song is actually about the former CART (Championship Auto Racing Teams) series. Coyotes were the name given to those cars built and fielded by the legendary A.J. Foyt.
 

Really!?.....thanks for the little tid-bit, makes it that much more enjoyable to listen to.
There are a few artist that can do no wrong in my book - Mark tops the list.  {#Sunny}
 DDB61 wrote:
It has the feel and tempo of a J.J.Cale piece.
 

Not only that, I'd say Mark Knopfler was consciously trying to imitate J. J. Cale's guitar style.
It has the feel and tempo of a J.J.Cale piece.
 wrangler wrote:
calypsus_1 wrote:

Mark Knopfler - Coyote     ==>    Widespread Panic - Little Lilly
 

yeah, no kidding.  {#Cowboy}
 
Third that.

sweet crusin music. coool now we have a tune this morning thanx rp.{#Drummer}{#Cowboy}{#Motor}{#Bananajam}{#Music}{#Whipit}
Extra cool, laid back Knopfler.
Look at that yo-yo...{#Wink}{#Bananasplit}
 jagdriver wrote:

The song is actually about the former CART (Championship Auto Racing Teams) series. Coyotes were the name given to those cars built and fielded by the legendary A.J. Foyt.
 
I had no idea about that but I have always liked this song and bought the cd after hearing it here.

 bindi wrote:
Writing a song about a Warner Brothers Looney Tunes cartoon is just plain goofy, {#Biggrin}

. . . .but Mark can pull it off.  I swear, I could listen to this guy sing the telephone book - as long as he's playing along. 
 
The song is actually about the former CART (Championship Auto Racing Teams) series. Coyotes were the name given to those cars built and fielded by the legendary A.J. Foyt.
 calypsus_1 wrote: 

yeah, no kidding.  {#Cowboy}
This song comes from the same Lovely Knopfler Universe as Don't Know You're Born;
similar structure, arrangement, bluesy languid beauty.
I had to move it up to an 8.  1 extra point for smoothness factor
Inspired by waaaaaaaaaaay to many mornings in hotel rooms, waiting for the next show, watching the cartoon network! {#Lol}

Mark channeling Morphine...good tho
Writing a song about a Warner Brothers Looney Tunes cartoon is just plain goofy, {#Biggrin}

. . . .but Mark can pull it off.  I swear, I could listen to this guy sing the telephone book - as long as he's playing along. 
 AVee wrote:

"But don't you just wish that you could make half the speed I do"{#Notworthy}


 
One wish I had as a child was to see Wile E. Coyote nab that obnoxious bird. 

"But don't you just wish that you could make half the speed I do"{#Notworthy}


The fractured chord you hear at the beginning (and at some point in the middle of this) and what sounds like a lot of the rest of the song has been lifted wholesale from a rather obscure French track, J'aime regarder les filles by Patrick Coutin. A pity this hasn't got the guts, the verve (and the perverted lyrics) of the source...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cw_UGOy87ss

peter_james_bond wrote:

Superfido, I don't understand you, most of your ratings are 1, 2, or 3. If you hate the songs so much why do you listen to the station??

Well said, pjb old chap!  

There are quite a few people on this station to whom that can be addressed!  (Queer, ain't it?  They must like some of the songs.)



Mark Knopfler - Coyote     ==>    Widespread Panic - Little Lilly


 superfido wrote:

Maybe like a fungus or something, but not in a positive way. Bleh....boring. two songs off the same alblum within a few hours of one another. double bleh.

so utterly boring

 
Superfido, I don't understand you, most of your ratings are 1, 2, or 3. If you hate the songs so much why do you listen to the station?? Bill has had decades of experience in the music industry, he knows what's good, he wouldn't play anything that didn't have merit. That's what bugs me about you guys who give out 1s and 2s. Anything that gets played on Radio Paradise is quality music, who are you or who am I to say it is garbage?
Kinda Chris Isaak-y!
 Zep wrote:

That Knopfler dude grows on you, I'm telling ya.
 
Maybe like a fungus or something, but not in a positive way. Bleh....boring. two songs off the same alblum within a few hours of one another. double bleh.

so utterly boring

 radiojunkie wrote:
Even as a Knopfler fan, I had rated this a 6 before, but now raising it to a 7, because I'm finding it... quite likable.
 
That Knopfler dude grows on you, I'm telling ya.


Even as a Knopfler fan, I had rated this a 6 before, but now raising it to a 7, because I'm finding it... quite likable.
Today's theme seems to be guys with not the greatest voices who really know how to sing. Mark Knopfler, Pete Townsend, John Hiatt, the chap from Rusted Root. I got thinking about this because someone earlier said David Byrne didn't have a good voice, although I opined he did. Also had some Chris Isaak, although he's got great pipes. And really knows how to sing.
Very Cool.  
 Tomulas wrote:
Whuh? I was listening to RP here at work and this song came on and I think it induced narcolepsy. I've got dents on my forehead that look like my keyboard.
 
What up dent boy.
 choiceimage wrote:
Fun tune.

Saw Mark @ Red Rocks this summer. The guy can pick!
  Nice venue you guys have out there.Saw Plant and Krauss there a couple of weeks ago.Made a weekend out of it...(Kansas to Denver).Look for me...I'm coming back.


 leathepea wrote:

Sorry to hear that. I would stay away from most Dire Straits and Mark Knopfler if I were you, for he tends to be a bit on the mellow side. As for myself, I love the mellow little jam.

{#Devil_pimp} 

 

Gaaghh! NOT AGAIN!
 Tomulas wrote:

Whuh? I was listening to RP here at work and this song came on and I think it induced narcolepsy. I've got dents on my forehead that look like my keyboard.


 
Sorry to hear that. I would stay away from most Dire Straits and Mark Knopfler if I were you, for he tends to be a bit on the mellow side. As for myself, I love the mellow little jam.

{#Devil_pimp} 

Fun tune.

Saw Mark @ Red Rocks this summer. The guy can pick!