Knopfler, Mark - Song For Sonny Liston Lyrics






So many mouths
To feed on the farm
Sonny was the second
To the last one born
His mamma ran away
And his daddy beat him bad
And he grew up wild
Good love he never had

He had a left
Like henry's hammer
A right like betty bamalam
Rode with the muggers
In the dark and dread
And all them sluggers
Went down like lead

Well he hung with the hoods
He wouldn't stroke the fans
But he had dynamite
In both his hands
Boom bam
Like the slammer door
The bell and the can
And the bodies on the floor

Beware the bear's in town
Somebody's money says
The bear's going down
Yeah, the bear never smiles
Sonny's going down
For miles and miles
Sonny's going down
For miles and miles

The writers didn't like him
The fight game jocks
With his lowlife backers
And his hands like rocks
They didn't want to have
A bogey man
They didn't like him
And he didn't like them

Black cadillac
Alligator boots
Money in the pockets
Of his sharkskin suits
Some say the bear
Took a flop
They couldn't believe it
When they saw him drop

He had a left
Like henry's hammer
A right like betty bamalam
Rode with the muggers
In the dark and dread
And all them sluggers
Went down like lead

Joe Louis was his hero
He tried to be the same
But a criminal child
Wears a ball and chain
So the civil rights people
Didn't want him on the throne
And the hacks and the cops
Wouldn't leave him alone

Beware the bear's in town
Somebody's money says
The bear's going down
Yeah, the bear never smiles
Sonny's going down
For miles and miles
Sonny's going down
For miles and miles

At the foot of his bed
With his feet on the floor
There was dope in his veins
And a pistol on the drawer
There was no investigation
As such
He hated needles
But he knew too much

Criss-crossed
On his back
Scars from his daddy
Like slavery tracks
The second-last child
Was the second-last king
Never again was it the same
In the ring

He had a left
Like henry's hammer
A right like betty bamalam
Rode with the muggers
In the dark and dread
And all them sluggers
Went down like lead

They never could be sure
About the day he was born
A motherless child
Set to working on the farm
And they never could be sure
About the day he died
The bear was the king
They cast aside

Beware the bear's in town
Somebody's money says
The bear's going down
Yeah, the bear never smiles
Sonny's going down
For miles and miles
Sonny's going down
For miles and miles





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Knopfler, Mark Song For Sonny Liston Comments
  1. A.... Y....

    Mark how could you stay so calm playing and hearing such a beautiful tune out of that piece of art. I would jump like a bull on the stage.

  2. j.... f....

    Bob Dylan`s favorite MK song

  3. �.... �....

    Oh my God, what a music

  4. M.... ....

    Mr knopfler Carlos Santana and Eric Clapton I truly The only living legends as far as guitarist s go

  5. p.... c....

    R.I.P the bear sonny liston a great boxer.

  6. P.... d....

    listen dear people this is amazing 🎸🎸he is brilliant 👌🎸

  7. A.... P....

    Meraviglioso!

  8. S.... L....

    Heard this many moons ago. Still think it's amazing.

  9. J.... F....

    I'm more use to Mark with Telecaster or Stratocaster than Gibson Guitar, but the sound is almost the same. Very nice relaxing music played by the Magic "One". 🤟

  10. J.... O....

    groove a mile wide!

  11. P.... A....

    Les Paul would be proud

  12. D.... D....

    That guitarsound

  13. C.... P....

    Romania here..yeaahhh

  14. v.... ....

    You just keep getting better and better. And better. Such a joy to hear you making great stories great music great vocals. There's no ceiling. An infinite musical galaxy.

  15. S.... W....

    My personal favorite is the song of Sonny Liston...

  16. D.... C....

    This is one badass tune about a badass man played and sung by a badass musician!!!

  17. S.... M....

    👏☺️

  18. G.... S....

    I love this man him an Bob Dylan are true artists yours sincerely Gary

  19. D.... M....

    Guitar sound to die for. Brilliant.

  20. S.... G....

    Lyricist sublime..guitarist smokingly so..just too much in one man..

  21. a.... 8....

    Nothing left to say about your music but thank you.

  22. J.... P....

    I feel that 'Song for Sonny Liston' is greatly underrated by the general public. Mark's songwriting and storytelling are on point and the groove is just otherwordly. I Like it very, very much.

  23. D.... H....

    Knopfler's best song.

  24. F.... K....

    What a great homage to a heavyweight champ who was reviled by so many. Bravo Mark! RIP Sonny!

  25. c.... t....

    You are the best and your music is cool, we are from madagascar

  26. S.... ....

    No likes ? .... wtf

  27. A.... D....

    J'adore ce titre ! Tellement bien fait avec ce riff de guitare entétant et hypnotique. Mark et sa guitare ne font qu'un 😎

  28. A.... �....

    Ulan çok iyi gitarist be...

  29. H.... v....

    so laid back yet so funky. And a great tribute. And I love the top ride bell the drummer does once in a while. So much to love about Mark.

  30. M.... j....

    Oh my G!!! Sir mark knopfler.. you always fill up my day with your songs! The way you play your guitar it feels how you tickle my soul.. thank you for sharing your talent...😘😘😘

  31. r.... ....

    Mark <3

  32. T.... G....

    Laddove si dimostra che la classe non è acqua.

  33. A.... j....

    now you now wy and how...hahahahhahahahahahahahahaha,dunbasssssssssssssss

  34. M.... A....

    It’s not about the musician who is great. Damm it , it’s about Sonny Liston. Listen to the damm words

  35. P.... C....

    How come I am just now listening to Mark Knopfler? This is blowing my mind.

  36. M.... P....

    Just by listening and enjoying the sounds of his guitar I feel like a true man, the real deal!

  37. M.... D....

    Amo amo muito todas as músicas

  38. L.... ....

    Love Shangri-La. One of my go to’s for road trips!

  39. v.... ....

    You know that is just utterly sublime.

  40. H.... C....

    Sonny was a 7-1 favorite against Clay......
    Dude was evil.....ya....i know he had a tough upbringing......
    1 of 25th of a family......if you can call it a family....
    A man whom thru fights.......to save his life........??
    Pink Cadillac.......was his trademark
    R.I.P. you crazy dead bastard..
    Cool song....interesting
    ..........
    Bob Dylan's song about Hurricane Carter......Carter was a killer whom was.....idolized.....by the liberals in academia......Hollywood..etc
    He did a movie when released from prison....was not truthful with movie production.....in the real world he lost to a fighter.......in the movie he wins the fight......
    He gets sued.....has to pay up.....
    .....movie sucked....
    Dylan's song sucked...70's it was
    ........

  41. L.... C....

    😍😍😍

  42. V.... B....

    There is NO limit to Mark's talent ! !

  43. R.... M....

    How to calm and love a woman, the secret is in this tune

  44. K.... J....

    hello Mark this is reall pleasure to heear About uniform

  45. M.... L....

    O Maior guitarrista de todos os tempos.

    M.... L....

    Ele e humano ou aprendeu com algum et. Incomparavel parabens.

  46. R.... J....

    Sweet strat sounds no one comes close

  47. p.... c....

    Love sonny liston great boxer would have loved to have met the bear.

  48. J.... E....

    Admiral man of guitar! Learning his stuff takes so much patience phew!

  49. n.... b....

    From the very first note you know it is Mark Knopfer. In my opinion, the best guitarist ever.

    n.... b....

    YOU HAVE REASON

  50. B.... M....

    Thé king

  51. k.... ....

    That man is badass

  52. H.... O....

    Esta melodia puedo escucharlo every day y no me canso again again ..again

  53. D.... S....

    And he grew up good with love he didn't have

  54. p.... c....

    Brilliant song about my favourite boxer charles sonny liston.

  55. G.... ....

    That solo is fucking dope

  56. I.... C....

    Quando suona Mark Knopfler, fa felice il cielo intero

  57. H.... G....

    great mark

  58. s.... G....

    THE BEST!!!!!!!!!!!!!

  59. j.... b....

    im 30. peope get their rocks off on pop and rap. THis is mine. And i wonttrade it any fucking taylor, adele. Gaga.. DONT CARE. Not gonna happend :-) that first strum after the intro still gets me.

  60. J.... C....

    monstro sagrado

  61. Z.... M....

    Ovako lomi 49' fajter less paul puca pod tim prstima..

  62. Z.... M....

    Za prave petrovace fajtere
    .a ne nove jajare...

  63. R.... W....

    YouTube has screwed up Mark's Videos. What gives: More money or stupidity.

  64. T.... S....

    Holy fucouski, How’d I miss this jam!? I be digging it! 👍

  65. A.... C....

    godbless

  66. e.... b....

    the tone of that LP .... only Mark Knopfler

  67. H.... D....

    I'm just here to say... Damn FUCK. He rocks me...

  68. G.... D....

    THIS IS MUSIC

  69. J.... C....

    Coolest.

  70. S.... S....

    I want to play with Mark & record some songs

  71. �.... �....

    Марк огонь!

    �.... �....

    Согласен.

  72. C.... V....

    Fucking god level

  73. J.... H....

    The best

  74. T.... V....

    I listen to that song AT LEAST once every two days... Mark you're THE BEST!

  75. M.... A....

    Every work is TRUE

  76. M.... A....

    The great Sonny Liston

  77. M.... S....

    .....tone.....

  78. Y.... G....

    This song and your fingerstyte are amazing, you are the best for me ;)
    Guitar Forever, Rock in Our Heart !

  79. m.... h....

    Mark, incredible as always, that groove man, there's non other,

    m.... h....

    yeah that groove is awesome

  80. M.... C....

    Muito talento ele demais gosto muito

  81. M.... B....

    Absolutely the coolest song of the moment. Dig it.

  82. B.... H....

    On this and money for nothing it’s a feat to to get the feel Down and I have done it, but somehow the most difficult thing for me is keeping the rhythm on time. He has not only that signature plucky out of phase tone, but the fingerpicking rhythm to back it up.

  83. C.... G....

    Okay all of you smarty-pants guitar players. Tell me what key you think he is playing in. (I know)

    C.... G....

    Clinton Gallagher c# Lel

    C.... G....

    Well, considering my band has played this for years, I can tell you what key....but a better question would be this: What scale AND mode is he playing the solo in?

    Try THAT one, Mr Smarty-Pants...



    (FTR: He's capo'd the neck at C#.)

  84. P.... Y....

    Danny Cummins on drums is sublime IMO

  85. M.... B....

    This one, what it is and boom like that Will allways be my favorits from mark after dire straits days were over😕

  86. D.... R....

    Holy freakin' guitar tone !

  87. K.... G....

    RIP Sonny

  88. M.... B....

    Brilliant! Amazing performance of MK!

  89. A.... N....

    So good !   Love your music Mr Knopfler !

  90. p.... c....

    Great song for a great man charles sonny liston.

    p.... c....

    He was a genuine badass.

  91. C.... ....

    i love this sung very

  92. T.... ....

    Incredible lyrics too!

    T.... ....

    Great lyrics that's the point

  93. t.... ....

    that tone he gets from his guitar, sounds fucking brilliant

  94. M.... S....

    Talentoso e UNICO Mark knopfler com sua equipe musical também talentosa. Divino..... ✌💖

  95. B.... R....

    Nadie como tú 👏👏👏👏😃

  96. A.... L....

    Such a shame this live version is so much better than the album one. If you’d heard this on any official release or on iTunes you’d have thought “meh!”. Here’s the same song shining and sounding like the grooviest thing you’ve ever heard! Whoever produced the album version of this song should be shot. Or meet the ghost of Sonny Liston.

    A.... L....

    So true

    A.... L....

    What's wrong with the album version? It grooves hard as fuck!

  97. h.... ....

    Listening to the lyrics as well I wonder if Mark knows Nick Toches' bio "The Devil and Sonny Liston" ...

  98. S.... P....

    I like you play in Cazorla Blues Festival in Andalucía Spain