Mark Knopfler - what it is

What it is 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 in the queues Everybody’s looking for Somebody’s arms to fall into And it’s what it is It’s what it is now 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 The lights are out in city hall The castle and the keep The moon shines down upon it all The legless and asleep And it’s cold on a tollgate With the wagons creeping through Cold on a tollgate God knows what I could do with you And it’s what it is It’s what it is now The garrison sleeps and the citadel With the ghosts and the ancient stones High on a parapet (just take the “up“ out of this Line and substitute “a“ for “the“ , should be as shown) A scottish piper stands alone And high on the wind The highland drums begin to roll And something from the past just comes And stares into my soul And it’s cold on a tollgate Where the caledonian blues Cold on a tollgate God knows what I could do with you And it’s what it is It’s what it is now What it is It’s what it is now 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 And it’s what it is It’s what it is now Oh it’s what it is What it is now