Track 7Portobello Belle

7:30 pm. If “angel of mercy” was sitting at a seaside restaurant for the evening, then “Portobello Belle” is getting back up and taking one last walk before sunset.

The sun is getting seriously low now, to the point where its reflecting golden light off of windows, and the water is calmly sparkling. Normal looking buildings look special in this lighting, which is fitting after such a good day.

You can fully feel the energy shift from the previous song in this one. Some nice piano provides a background melody, and we actually don’t hear the characteristic bright guitar that Knopfler rose to fame off of.

I think the clear best part of the song is its storytelling. He talks about a “long gone irish girl”, which through context clues seems to be named Belle. Listening to the song, you can perfectly visualize everything he sings about. A blind singer with a tin can, a parakeet squawking, and Belle walking through a garden. The lyrics in this song aren’t even that special, I think its more Knopfler’s iconic conversational singing style.

In our chronological day, “portobello belle” is definitely where you can feel the sun beginning to set, and the day winding down. This song definitely takes its time to enjoy every part of the world around it, from the calm sparkling water, to the small beachside shops, to the evening breeze.

Outside of the storytelling, honestly nothing really sticks out about this song but its fine. It’s the perfect evening song and a staple of my laid-back playlist.