--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The drinking dens are spilling out…" description: "\"“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 d..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9b5/mark-knopfler-15066_city-hall_the-drinking-dens-are-spilling-out-there_2390946.jpg" --- # The drinking dens are spilling out There's staggering in… ![“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 And it's what it is It's what it is now There's frost…” quote by Mark Knopfler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9b5/mark-knopfler-15066_city-hall_the-drinking-dens-are-spilling-out-there_2390946.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9b5/mark-knopfler-15066_city-hall_the-drinking-dens-are-spilling-out-there_2390946.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9b5/mark-knopfler-15066_city-hall_the-drinking-dens-are-spilling-out-there_2390946.jpg) > ““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 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 the city hall The castle and the keep The moon shines down upon it all The legless and asleep And it's cold on the tollgate With the wagons creeping through Cold on the tollgate God knows what I could do with you And it's what it is It's what it is now The garrison sleeps in the citadel With the ghosts and the ancient stones High up on the parapet 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 the tollgate With the Caledonian Blues Cold on the 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 what it is What it is now”” [Mark Knopfler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-knopfler/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A vivid portrait of a war‑torn town where hardship, cold, and lingering spirits coexist with fleeting warmth and resilience. **In simple terms:** Hardship mixes with moments of warmth and memory in a cold town. Key Takeaway Find strength in small lights amid darkness. Themes war resilience memory survival community Mood melancholic reflective hopeful Type lyarrative poetic historical When to use this quote - soldiers on watch - citizens seeking shelter - musicians playing at night - ghost stories in alleys - parades of remembrance Key Concepts post‑war trauma collective memory urban decay Questions to Reflect On - How do you seek warmth when surrounded by cold? - What role do memories play in surviving hardship? A Different Perspective The lyric’s poetic density can obscure concrete meaning for listeners. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Edinburgh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/edinburgh/) [History](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/history/) [Scotland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/scotland/) [Storytelling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/storytelling/) [Writing songs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing-songs/) ## Related quotes > [I've been writing songs since I was a wee child.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/taylor-momsen/i-ve-been-writing-songs-since-i-was-a-wee-child/) [Taylor Momsen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/taylor-momsen/) > [“Tell your story to the universe and Let your actions speak LOVE.' No matter what it is.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/napz-cherub-pellazo/tell-your-story-to-the-universe-and-let-your-actions-speak-love-no/) [Napz Cherub Pellazo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/napz-cherub-pellazo/) > [Disappointment to a noble soul is what cold water is to burning metal; it strengthens, tempers, intensifies, but never destroys it](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eliza-tabor/disappointment-to-a-noble-soul-is-what-cold-water-is-to-burning-metal/) Eliza Tabor > [“Her soul was as cold as the air that bit through London in winter, her grief a shadow to the vengeance…”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michelle-zink/her-soul-was-as-cold-as-the-air-that-bit-through-london-in-winter-her/) [Michelle Zink](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michelle-zink/) ## More by Mark Knopfler > [Juliet, when we made love, you used to cry. You said, "I love you like the stars above, I'll love you 'til I die".…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-knopfler/juliet-when-we-made-love-you-used-to-cry-you-said-i-love-you-like-the/) [Mark Knopfler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-knopfler/) > [I love Gibsons, and Nationals, too. There's something magical about them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-knopfler/i-love-gibsons-and-nationals-too-there-s-something-magical-about-them/) [Mark Knopfler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-knopfler/) > [While listening, to things like western swing, for instance, I'd work something out in my head, then play it on my National; not the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-knopfler/while-listening-to-things-like-western-swing-for-instance-i-d-work/) [Mark Knopfler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-knopfler/) > [“ Telegraph Road A long time ago came a man on a track Walking thirty miles with a pack on his back And he…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-knopfler/telegraph-road-a-long-time-ago-came-a-man-on-a-track-walking-thirty/) [Mark Knopfler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-knopfler/) > [We used to play in a theater club in London called The King's Head. When the theater let nut, around 10:00 P.M., we'd be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-knopfler/we-used-to-play-in-a-theater-club-in-london-called-the-king-s-head/) [Mark Knopfler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-knopfler/) > [There's so many different worlds, so many different suns. And we have just one world, but we live in different ones.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-knopfler/there-s-so-many-different-worlds-so-many-different-suns-and-we-have/) [Mark Knopfler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-knopfler/) > [“I don't like definitions, but if there is a definition of freedom, it would be when you have control over your reality to transform…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-knopfler/i-don-t-like-definitions-but-if-there-is-a-definition-of-freedom-it/) [Mark Knopfler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-knopfler/) > [My idea of heaven is a place where the Tyne meets the Delta, where folk music meets the blues.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-knopfler/my-idea-of-heaven-is-a-place-where-the-tyne-meets-the-delta-where/) [Mark Knopfler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-knopfler/) > [I left for the same reasons everyone leaves jobs that are no longer fulfilling their hopes and aspirations. I didn't see myself spending the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-knopfler/i-left-for-the-same-reasons-everyone-leaves-jobs-that-are-no-longer/) [Mark Knopfler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-knopfler/) > [...the music you make is shaped by what you play it on ... if you feel that you're not getting enough out of a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-knopfler/the-music-you-make-is-shaped-by-what-you-play-it-on-if-you-feel-that/) [Mark Knopfler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-knopfler/) > [Last time I was sober, man I felt bad, Worst hangover that I ever had. It took six hamburgers, Scotch all night, Nicotine for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-knopfler/last-time-i-was-sober-man-i-felt-bad-worst-hangover-that-i-ever-had/) [Mark Knopfler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-knopfler/) > [Sometimes you gotta be an s.o.b., you wanna make a dream reality](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-knopfler/sometimes-you-gotta-be-an-s-o-b-you-wanna-make-a-dream-reality/) [Mark Knopfler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-knopfler/) > [What I always try to do is to respond to the song; I've always rebelled against theory.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-knopfler/what-i-always-try-to-do-is-to-respond-to-the-song-i-ve-always/) [Mark Knopfler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-knopfler/) > [“Juliet, the dice were loaded from the start. / When you gonna realize it was just that the time was wrong, Juliet?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-knopfler/juliet-the-dice-were-loaded-from-the-start-when-you-gonna-realize-it/) [Mark Knopfler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-knopfler/) > [While I was into many different types of music, and played with many different local groups, I really didn't have a band to call…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-knopfler/while-i-was-into-many-different-types-of-music-and-played-with-many/) [Mark Knopfler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-knopfler/) [Explore all 44 Mark Knopfler quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-knopfler/) ## More City hall quotes > [What was unique about me being in City Hall during the Giuliani Administration, I was the only one who wasn't an attorney. I may…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-lhota/what-was-unique-about-me-being-in-city-hall-during-the-giuliani/) [Joe Lhota](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-lhota/) > [“I saw the best minds of my generation destroyed by madness, starving, hysterical, naked... who passed through universities with radiant cool eyes hallucinating Arkansas…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/allen-ginsberg/i-saw-the-best-minds-of-my-generation-destroyed-by-madness-starving/) [Allen Ginsberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/allen-ginsberg/) > [Others like City Hall the old way, when they could make deals behind closed doors with your tax money.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laura-miller/others-like-city-hall-the-old-way-when-they-could-make-deals-behind/) [Laura Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laura-miller/) > [Never take an elevator in city hall.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harvey-milk/never-take-an-elevator-in-city-hall/) [Harvey Milk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harvey-milk/) > [The subject of criminal rehabilitation was debated recently in City Hall. It's an appropriate place for this kind of discussion because the city has…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-royko/the-subject-of-criminal-rehabilitation-was-debated-recently-in-city/) [Mike Royko](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-royko/) > [“It had been easy to decide in favor of love on Bethune Street, in favor of walking proud and naked on the grass rug…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-yates/it-had-been-easy-to-decide-in-favor-of-love-on-bethune-street-in/) [Richard Yates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-yates/) > [“Marissa Rogers, I will marry you tomorrow if that's what it takes to show you that I'm committed. you say the word and we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/camille-noe-pagan/marissa-rogers-i-will-marry-you-tomorrow-if-that-s-what-it-takes-to/) Camille Noe Pagan > [Literature was not promulgated by a pale and emasculated critical priesthood singing their litanies in empty churches - nor is it a game for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-steinbeck/literature-was-not-promulgated-by-a-pale-and-emasculated-critical/) [John Steinbeck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-steinbeck/) > [A million years ago, when doing research about the world of municipal government, one thing that struck me is how often people's job titles…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-schur/a-million-years-ago-when-doing-research-about-the-world-of-municipal/) [Michael Schur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-schur/) > [“Falling seemed to take forever as the water slowly rose to meet me. The dome of city hall continued to gleam in the distance,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/p-r-mason/falling-seemed-to-take-forever-as-the-water-slowly-rose-to-meet-me/) P.R. Mason > [“Forget the politicians. The politicians are put there to give you the idea you have freedom of choice. You don't. You have no choice.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-carlin/forget-the-politicians-the-politicians-are-put-there-to-give-you-the/) [George Carlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-carlin/) > [Isn't it amazing that the Germans call their city halls 'rat houses'? That's what we should call our city halls!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/drew-carey/isn-t-it-amazing-that-the-germans-call-their-city-halls-rat-houses/) [Drew Carey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/drew-carey/) > [“But there’s a reason. There’s a reason. There’s a reason for this, there’s a reason education sucks, and it’s the same reason that it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-carlin/but-there-s-a-reason-there-s-a-reason-there-s-a-reason-for-this-there/) [George Carlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-carlin/) > [“In this city, the victors had delusions of grandeur. It was visual. Across the street from the hotel stood City Hall, sporting an oversized…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-maass/in-this-city-the-victors-had-delusions-of-grandeur-it-was-visual/) Peter Maass > [I am an elected official, a politician who has been very successful in Washington, in city halls and state houses for my entire career.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-capuano/i-am-an-elected-official-a-politician-who-has-been-very-successful-in/) [Michael Capuano](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-capuano/) Browse all 88 City hall quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“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 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 the city hall The castle and the keep The moon shines down upon it all The legless and asleep And it's cold on the tollgate With the wagons creeping through Cold on the tollgate God knows what I could do with you And it's what it is It's what it is now The garrison sleeps in the citadel With the ghosts and the ancient stones High up on the parapet 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 the tollgate With the Caledonian Blues Cold on the 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 what it is What it is now”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Mark Knopfler" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-knopfler/the-drinking-dens-are-spilling-out-there-s-staggering-in-the-square/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "City hall" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-knopfler/the-drinking-dens-are-spilling-out-there-s-staggering-in-the-square/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9b5/mark-knopfler-15066_city-hall_the-drinking-dens-are-spilling-out-there_2390946.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9b5/mark-knopfler-15066_city-hall_the-drinking-dens-are-spilling-out-there_2390946.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9b5/mark-knopfler-15066_city-hall_the-drinking-dens-are-spilling-out-there_2390946.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“The drinking dens are spilling out There's staggering in the square There's lads and lasses falling about…” — Mark Knopfler", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Mark Knopfler", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-knopfler/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“The drinking dens are spilling out...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-knopfler/the-drinking-dens-are-spilling-out-there-s-staggering-in-the-square/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-knopfler/the-drinking-dens-are-spilling-out-there-s-staggering-in-the-square/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```