This Mark Knopfler composition is an ode to Sir Francis Chichester (1901-72), whose greatest achievement was to sail single-handedly around the world from West to East, becoming the first person to make a true circumnavigation. Setting off from Plymouth on August 27, 1966, he returned to the same port on May 28 the next year. After Chichester's death, his boat, Gipsy Moth IV, was moored at Greenwich next to the Cutty Sark, the world famous clipper ship that was moored there on public display in 1954.
"Single-Handed Sailor," which runs to 4 minutes 42 seconds, refers to the wind wailing round the Cutty Sark; in the early days, the band used to rehearse at a studio in Greenwich, which was probably what first inspired the song.
See your Spotify stats (with number of plays and minutes listened) and discover new music.
Music data, artist images, album covers, and song previews are provided by Spotify. Spotify is a trademark of Spotify AB.