Hi!

Sorry for disturbing, and for wrong english: I'm hungarian.

Please help me a little if possible!

Sometimes I used to translate lyrics to hungarian language.

I want to understand what the singer say about, and I training english language in this way.

Now I got the Dire Strait's "Man's Too Strong" lyric, and I have problem with it.

First: it is full with english expressions. No problem - I think, and I sended it to an english man.

But he said he don't understand some section of this lyric, because it is uses phrases that he cannot identify.
He is explained all of the expressions, but he is don't understand the whole text.

He said that this lyrics is possible containing some sections that are identified by only the song's writer.

Now I try explain, what I don't understand.

If I thinking good, the lyrics is shows a life of a young man who got commands from that high places, and he need to transmit these commands to the solders.
But he is knows about that these commands are means death, and pain; so he got pricks of conscience.

He is only do what commanders say, but he is becoming war criminal.
He is thinking about that if he don't maked his duty, the solders are not died.

But I don't understand the section:

Well the sun rose on the courtyard
And they all did hear him say
'You always were a Judas
But I got you anyway
You may have got your silver
But I swear upon my life
Your sister gave me diamonds
And I gave them to your wife'

It is seems to be a religious reference. Judas, and the 40 silvers?
But who said that?
Why he got him?
Why his sister gave diamonds? And why he gave them to him wife?

So I don't understand, what's happened here, and how explaining this.

And who is "The Man"? The eminence grise who create the highest commands?

Please help me if possible!
Links, explanations, every of the informations you send - I thanks for you for it!

dd

I've been trying to understand this song as well. It seems to me that the last verse is about the execution of this man. The statement that he is a war criminal and the confession (which a man preparing for death might make) imply that he is about to be executed, and a courtyard is a traditional place for an execution. He is presumably facing someone he feels betrayed him - sold him out. He seems to be letting his enemy know that he has not been conquered. His enemy may benefit from the betrayal and his subsequent death (40 pieces of silver). But the implication of the enemy's sister giving the criminal diamonds, and the criminal giving them to the enemy's wife is that he was intimate with both women; that while his enemy may have betrayed him, the enemy's family is loyal to the criminal rather than the enemy.

I hope that helps. The explanation is very complicated when no one has names. Good luck with your english!