Donkey Town
Mark Knopfler · Other Songs - Mark Knopfler
Too long baby too long
Checking out of Donkey Town
So long, so long, so long
Her pretty eyes are pretty still
But Jim's got a kind of a squint Yeah
I dug up my last check from out of the mine
Now I feel like I've done my stint
Jim got an army pension
When he walked from the military court
No body ever mentioned
The medical report
She does little things for me
She likes to get the both of us high. Yeah
She says I'm a tender-hearted man
Prince charming,yeah, sure, I'm the guy
He likes the wrecker's dogs on chains
And the smoke from the company fires
Diesel oil in the trucks and cranes
And the smell of burning tires
But I've been around in Donkey Town
Too long, baby ,too long
Checking out of Donkey Town
So long, so long, so long
There's a purple heart in a silver tin
And a grey .45 in a drawer
Most of the time you can drink with him
But some other time he's just sore
On days when she says she can't think straight
Or she feels like she's getting the jumps
She'll go shoot off her .38
At cans on a Donkey Town dump
It was Friday late and she crossed those legs
She told me flat out she would. Yeah
If I could pull up my trailer pegs
We could get away together for good
I sure wish her the best of luck
She's going to need it thinking of Jim
I don't like to leave her stuck
But she's near as bad as him
But I've been around in Donkey Town
Too long baby too long
Checking out of Donkey Town
So long, so long, so long
Checking out of Donkey Town
So long, so long, so long
Donkey Town
Mark Knopfler's "Donkey Town" stands as a vivid example of his signature storytelling approach, blending narrative depth with his distinctive fingerstyle guitar work. The track captures the essence of Knopfler's ability to paint atmospheric scenes through music, often drawing from personal observations or fictional vignettes. While the song appears in his broader catalogue of solo recordings, it reflects the same meticulous craftsmanship found in his work with Dire Straits and his subsequent solo albums. The composition showcases his knack for creating intimate soundscapes that resonate with listeners, balancing melodic sophistication with lyrical clarity. As part of his extensive discography, "Donkey Town" reinforces Knopfler's reputation as a master of understated rock and folk-inflected songwriting, offering a moment of reflection within his diverse body of work.