What It Is - Mark Knopfler: Song Lyrics, Music Videos & Concerts

What It Is

564,972

Singer/Songwriter

What It Is was released on September 25, 2000 by Warner Records as a part of the album Sailing to Philadelphia

Popular Segments

Song Details

Most Popular

Past 7 Days

00:30 - 00:35

What It Is was discovered most frequently at around 30 seconds into the song during the past week

00:00

00:15

00:30

00:35

00:45

01:20

01:30

01:45

01:50

01:55

02:05

02:15

02:25

02:30

02:35

02:45

02:55

03:10

03:15

03:25

03:35

03:40

03:55

04:10

04:20

04:25

04:45

00:00

04:58

OVERVIEW

LYRICS

Credits

PERFORMING ARTISTS

Mark Knopfler

Guitar

Richard Bennett

Richard Bennett

Guitar

Jim Cox

Piano

Guy Fletcher

Keyboards

Glenn Worf

Bass

Chad Cromwell

Drums

Aubrey Haynie

Violin

COMPOSITION & LYRICS

Mark Knopfler

Songwriter

PRODUCTION & ENGINEERING

Mark Knopfler

Producer

Chuck Ainlay

Mixing Engineer

Mark Ralston

Assistant Mixing Engineer

Jon Bailey

Assistant Recording Engineer

Graham Lewis

Assistant Mixing Engineer

Aaron Swihart

Assistant Recording Engineer

Eric Conn

Editing Engineer

Bob Ludwig

Mastering Engineer

Lyrics

[Verse 1]

The drinking dens are spilling out

There's staggering in the square

There's lads and lasses falling about

And a crackling in the air

Down around the dungeon doors

The shelters and the queues

Everybody's looking for

Somebody's arms to fall into

[Verse 2]

It's what it is

It's what it is now

[Verse 3]

There's frost on the graves and the monuments

But the taverns are warm in town

People curse the government

And shovel hot food down

Lights are out in the city hall

The castle and the keep

The moon shines down upon it all

The legless and sleepless

[Verse 4]

Cold on the tollgate

With the wagons creeping through

Cold on the tollgate

God knows what I could do with you

[Verse 5]

It's what it is

It's what it is now

[Verse 6]

The garison sleeps in the citadel

With the ghost and the ancient stones

High on the parapet

A Scottish piper stands alone

High on the wind

The highland drums begin to roll

And something from the past

Just comes and stares into my soul

[Verse 7]

Cold on the tollgate

With a Caledonian Blues

Cold on the tollgate

God knows what I could do with you

[Verse 8]

It's what it is

It's what it is now

What it is

It's what it is now

[Verse 9]

There's a chink of light, there's a burning wick

There's a lantern in the tower

Wee Willie Winkie with a candlestick

Still writing songs in the wee wee hours

On Charlotte street

I take a walking stick from my hotel

The ghost of Dirty Dick

Is still in search of little Nell

[Verse 10]

It's what it is

It's what it is now

It's what it is

What it is now, now, now

Written by: Mark Freuder Knopfler

Shazam Footer

Select language:

Company

Legal

Chrome Web Store

Galaxy Store

Follow Us

© Copyright 2026 Apple Inc. and its affiliates | Supplier Responsibility

Loading...