Back in the early weeks of the Song of the Day series, I did a theme week on duets. I wrapped up with Mark Knopfler and James Taylor singing the title song of Knopfler’s Sailing to Philadelphia.
Nearly a thousand songs later, I’m doing another week of duets, and I’m kicking it off with a track from the same album.
This time it’s Van Morrison joining Knopfler on ‘The Last Laugh,’ another stellar song from one of the most underrated albums of the 2000s.
Van Morrison would probably sound good singing with anybody, but something about the interplay of his voice with Knopfler’s works especially well. I’m not sure why Knopfler didn’t make my list of favorite male vocalists — must have just slipped my mind — because I could listen to him for hours.
He has one of the most soothing and comforting voices I’ve heard, a perfect complement to his signature guitar sound. I just spent about ten minutes racking my brain for words to describe Knopfler’s guitar sound, but it’s pointless. Writing about music is like dancing about architecture, as they say… just listen.
Of the last laugh my friend
Don’t you love the sound
Of the last laugh at the end
Down in the gutter with the mad old soldiers
Down in the scuppers with the drunken sailors
Down in the gutter with the mad old soldiers
But the last laugh, baby is yours
And don’t you love the sound
Of the last laugh going down
Games you thought you’d learned
You neither lost nor won
Dreams have crashed and burned
You still keep on keeping on
Out on the highway with the road gang working
Up on the mountain with the cold wind blowing
Out on the highway with the road band working
But the last laugh, baby is yours
And don’t you love the sound
Of the last laugh going down
They had you crying but you came up smiling
They had you crawling and you came up flying
They had you crying and you came up smiling
And the last laugh, baby is yours
And don’t you love the sound
Of the last laugh going down
Yeh don’t you love the sound
Of the last laugh going down
Meet Me In Montauk 
Once again I’m listening to a really wonderful song and being introduced to someone I hadn’t heard of–Mark Knopfler. Thanks for the treat!
Peg, You probably know Mark Knopfler from his stint as the lead vocalist and guitarist for Dire Straits, whose most popular songs included “Money for Nothing (I Want My MTV)” (with Sting on background vocals) and “Walk of Life” –all from their most popular album Brothers in Arms.
As for Knopfler’s guitar sound, the words that first come to mind are smooth and clean. And I agree that this is a great album. Thanks for coming full circle to feature another wonderful tune from this record.
“The Last Laugh” by Mark Knopfler and Van is one of my favorite songs of all time! It is so incredibly beautiful and heartfelt that I can barely stand it. All I feel is love when I listen to it. And Van is my favorite living singer, with Mark Knopfler and Colin Hay (from Men at Work) being second and third.
I was introduced to this album when Mark sang “What It is” on Letterman many years ago. I thought it was one of the sexiest performances I ever saw – and he certainly isn’t what you’d call a handsome guy. “What It is” is so threaded with so many variances that it blows me away. Extremely creative. Can’t say enough about it. A thrilling song that I need to play full blast.