Mark Knopfler - "Boom, Like That"

[Radical347]

The frontman of Dire Straits is possibly the only one who can write a song about McDonalds taking over the world and get away with it:

s9.yousendit.com/d.aspx?id=3F1223DEA760939C0772CECC5EB6F480

[singingsparrow]

Have you ever seen "Super Size Me"?

I saw that the other day and that has got to be far more disturbing than any horror flick I've seen in the past decade.

By God, I applaud Knopfler for coming out here.

Sincerely,
Noah Eaton

[Radical347]

SingingSparrow said:

Have you ever seen "Super Size Me"?

I saw that the other day and that has got to be far more disturbing than any horror flick I've seen in the past decade.

By God, I applaud Knopfler for coming out here.

Sincerely,
Noah Eaton

Lol, I don't think he's actually taking an anti-McDonald's position or anything. He said after he read Ray Kroc's biography he became so impressed that he had to write a song about him & his restaurant chain.

[singingsparrow]

Corporate said:

Lol, I don't think he's actually taking an anti-McDonald's position or anything.  He said after he read Ray Kroc's biography he became so impressed that he had to write a song about him & his restaurant chain.

The lyrics strike me as having somewhat of an anti-McDonalds sentiment.

I think this song is about something more wider in general, and I could be wrong I suppose. Globalization, the gift and the curse of globalization.

Consider this second bridge and the chorus:

"I got the main I need town, sell em' in the end and it all shuts down
Sometimes you gotta be an S.O.B. you wanna make a dream reality
Competition sent em south, they're gonna drown or we're hosing em' out
Do not pass go go straight to hell
I smell a lotta meat .....da smell

Or my name is not Kroc that's Kroc with a K
A crocodile is not spelt that way now
Ohh it's Dog eat Dog, Rat eat Rat
Dog eat Dog, Rat eat Rat now
Ohh it's Dog eat Dog, Rat eat Rat
Kroc style - Boom like that"

My first observation is that Mark seems to directly call Kroc that S.O.B. Maybe I'm a little melodramatic here as he might be meaning to say, "Well, look, in business, we all have to make tough decisions sometimes, this was Kroc's nature!" but I feel some kind of anguish here personally.

Then I think that Monopoly pun "Do not pass go go straight to hell" is an obvious swipe again, and then the following line where he says he smells a lot of meat, he's referring to his reckless policies in harming small businesses and competition.

Finally, why would he use crocodile in the chorus? Crocodiles are among the most loathed creatures on Earth, unless you watch Steve Irwin.

I think this is an anti-globalization track, lashing out at corporate giants like McDonalds, Wal-Mart, etc.

Sincerely,
Noah Eaton

[Libra]

I see this line

Competition sent em south, they're gonna drown or we're hosing em' out

and I instantly think Wal-Mart.

That lyrical sample you posted makes me agree with you that it's anti-globalization, except for Kroc's name standing out.

[singingsparrow]

MikeK102 said:

I see this line



and I instantly think Wal-Mart.

That lyrical sample you posted makes me agree with you that it's anti-globalization, except for Kroc's name standing out.

His name does stand out a lot.

After all, Kroc wouldn't be the original business empire madman. Arthur Carnegie is like THE original mastermind of American business. Back in the golden age of steel manufacturing, he smoked all the competition, and I'm sure many felt intimidated by him then like many do under Wal-Mart now.

Sincerely,
Noah Eaton