Lyrics Mark Knopfler

Mark Knopfler

Trapper Man

The trapper man's in from the hinterlands

Filth and grease on his clothes and hands

From the outermost, the farthermost

Comes riding in to the trading post

Got a pack horse loaded up with hides

Steps in to see the man inside

I got furs, skins, a little meat too

Here, I got a good piece just for you

You take this home to give the wife

The trapper draws his skinning knife

Now the fat man's desk is a butcher's block

The trapper cuts the meat and talks

You're gonna lose your shirt on a nowhere man

Lose your shirt in nowhere land

Back out there is my country

And you best let this trapper be the trapper

You need the trapper man

The trapper man

If you don't want to be where lightning strikes

Better let me work the way I like

You don't want to know how I fill my sacks

You go out there you don't come back

You got nature red in tooth and claw

And you ain't got no rule of law

And if you don't know nature's way

All that's gonna stop you being the prey is the trapper

You need the trapper man

The trapper man

You wanna wear them gems and rings

You wanna show off them shiny things

Shake your money maker, bro

Where the movers and the shakers go

You wanna go do what you do

Let the gold and silver come to you

I need you but you need me

So you best let this trapper be the trapper

You need the trapper man

The trapper man

When he's done his thing and gone his way

The fat men light cigars and say

"Holy smokes did you see that?

We all made money on the trapper cat"

Sit back in their big ass chairs

Say, "Boys, that is the man right there"

I'm the lifeline for your big soft ass

It's the trapper puts it in first class, the trapper

You need the trapper man

The trapper man