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Dire Straits — Romeo And Juliet
Album: Making Movies
Avg rating:
8.3

Your rating:
Total ratings: 5287









Released: 1980
Length: 5:47
Plays (last 30 days): 1
A lovestruck Romeo sings the streets a serenade
Laying everybody low with a love song that he made
Finds a street light, steps out of the shade
Says something like, "You and me babe, how about it?"

Juliet says, "Hey it's Romeo, you nearly gave me a heart attack"
He's underneath the window, she's singing, "Hey la, my boyfriend's back
You shouldn't come around here, singing up at people like that"
Anyway, what you gonna do about it?

Juliet, the dice was loaded from the start,
And I bet, then you exploded in my heart,
And I forget, I forget, the movie song
When you gonna realize, it was just that the time was wrong, Juliet?

Come up on different streets, they both were streets of shame,
Both dirty, both mean, yes and the dream was just the same,
And I dreamed your dream for you, and now your dream is real
How can you look at me as if I was just another one of your deals?

Well you can fall for chains of silver, you can fall for chains of gold
You can fall for pretty strangers and the promises they hold
You promised me everything, you promised me thick and thin yeah
Now you just say, "Oh Romeo, yeah, you know I used to have a scene with him"

Juliet, when we made love you used to cry
You said "I love you like the stars above, I'll love you till I die"
There's a place for us, you know the movie song
When you gonna realize, it was just that the time was wrong, Juliet?

I can't do the talk like the talk on the TV
And I can't do a love song, like the way it's meant to be
I can't do everything, but I'll do anything for you
I can't do anything 'cept be in love with you

And all I do is miss you, and the way we used to be
All I do is keep the beat, the bad company
And all I do is kiss you, through the bars of a rhyme
Julie, I'd do the stars with you, anytime

Ah Juliet, when we made love you used to cry
You said I love you like the stars above, I'll love you till I die
There's a place for us, you know the movie song
When you gonna realize, it was just that the time was wrong, Juliet?

And a lovestruck Romeo he sings the streets a serenade
Laying everybody low, with a love song that he made
Find a convenient streetlight, steps out of the shade
And says something like, "You and me babe, how 'bout it?"

"You and me babe, how about it?"
Comments (390)add comment
Love this love song so.
I wonder what it must feel like for Mark Knopfler and the other members of Dire Straits to know that they are recognized as the creators of some of the finest and most beautiful songs ever recorded.


Still amazing 
After so many years!
40 years later, this song gets to me, every time
My wedding song so many years ago and it still holds up!  Thanks for playing!
Is it just me, or does Mark Knopfler sometimes sound like Tommy Chong...
This cemented Dire Straits as a rock great for me, one of the finest of its decade. 
Such a beautiful and painful story. 
skindy wrote:

Freshman year of college.
Met a Romeo on the streets of Saratoga,
In front of $.56 Hot Dog.
Friendship bloomed.
We went to concerts,
Ate lots of pizza, laughed,
Talked about music, including this song.
He quietly wanted more.
"You and me babe, how about it?"
But I always went for the wrong Romeos then.
He moved to North Carolina, then Connecticut,
Got married, had a daughter.
I went my way too...
When long-term relationships fell apart
We had long phone calls into the night.
Last time I saw him was at least a decade ago
Me, finally married, lived
A stone's throw from his childhood backyard.
Say what you will about that Book of Faces
But it allowed us to keep in touch
And "see" how we each were doing.
Last summer, when I hadn't seen any recent posts
I looked up his page to see what was up.
And found he'd been killed in a car crash.
Nearly four months prior.
So here's to you, Rick.
"You and me babe, how about it?"
It was just that the time was wrong.
- Juliet



Spend an evening searching YouTube for the many live versions of this masterpiece by MK. You'll sleep much better.
Solid 10 from me. 
This is one of my "desert island" songs.
10 for lyrics. 10 for vocals. 10 for guitar. Just 10. MK is a 10. 
How else are you going to title a tragic love song?
Love it.
 Steve wrote:
How in the hell could I have rated this a 9 many years ago. Shame on me!

9 10



I just gave this a 9 I have found I needed to pull back on my 10 Ratings.  Great song though.
EXCELLENT!  Thanx RP!   
How in the hell could I have rated this a 9 many years ago. Shame on me!

9 10
Truly one of the greatest albums of all time.
Beautiful  song.
 skindy wrote:

Freshman year of college.
Met a Romeo on the streets of Saratoga,
In front of $.56 Hot Dog.
Friendship bloomed.
We went to concerts,
Ate lots of pizza, laughed,
Talked about music, including this song.
He quietly wanted more.
"You and me babe, how about it?"
But I always went for the wrong Romeos then.
He moved to North Carolina, then Connecticut,
Got married, had a daughter.
I went my way too...
When long-term relationships fell apart
We had long phone calls into the night.
Last time I saw him was at least a decade ago
Me, finally married, lived
A stone's throw from his childhood backyard.
Say what you will about that Book of Faces
But it allowed us to keep in touch
And "see" how we each were doing.
Last summer, when I hadn't seen any recent posts
I looked up his page to see what was up.
And found he'd been killed in a car crash.
Nearly four months prior.
So here's to you, Rick.
"You and me babe, how about it?"
It was just that the time was wrong.
- Juliet



this is so beautiful. i'm so sorry about rick. but, this is just as gorgeous as the song. made me think of my story like this, too. thank you for sharing.
 RazzCat wrote:

Is there a more perfect song to describe that one we still think about or just wistfully remember?.....



right? just beautiful. gets me every time. in a good way.
Is there a more perfect song to describe that one we still think about or just wistfully remember?.....
Yup, gotta dry a few tears, thanks for the readables..
 skindy wrote:

Freshman year of college.
Met a Romeo on the streets of Saratoga,
In front of $.56 Hot Dog.
Friendship bloomed.
We went to concerts,
Ate lots of pizza, laughed,
Talked about music, including this song.
He quietly wanted more.
"You and me babe, how about it?"
But I always went for the wrong Romeos then.
He moved to North Carolina, then Connecticut,
Got married, had a daughter.
I went my way too...
When long-term relationships fell apart
We had long phone calls into the night.
Last time I saw him was at least a decade ago
Me, finally married, lived
A stone's throw from his childhood backyard.
Say what you will about that Book of Faces
But it allowed us to keep in touch
And "see" how we each were doing.
Last summer, when I hadn't seen any recent posts
I looked up his page to see what was up.
And found he'd been killed in a car crash.
Nearly four months prior.
So here's to you, Rick.
"You and me babe, how about it?"
It was just that the time was wrong.
- Juliet


Every time I listen to this song I come back to this page to re-read this post. I humbly nominate this as the  best comment of all time on RP. 
Damn. I get weepy every damn time this tune plays. It’s not even relevant to my journey — I have no “Juliet” in my life to lament … but the chords, vocals, & prose just move me to tears sometimes.

”Melancholy” finally has its own theme music.
Masterful
Evidence of not only MK's genius as a song writer and guitarist, but one of the best lyricist of our time.  10 for days! These lyrics slay me! 
No words needed         ..............           draws a 'heart' emoji
 floydpink wrote:

If I was allowed to give a 10 to only 1 song, this would still be a 10



ditto
test, where is the comment section on my cell App?
An OUTSTANDING song.  From an album of same. 
This devastated me in 1980 and in 2022 is does the same!  Amazing how a piece of music can reach inside and transport you.
 evansdad wrote:

I went to Skidmore from the fall of '82 to the spring of '86, and also have great memories of Saratoga.. I remember the hot dog joint, except it originally was $.49. There were a few nights after enjoying adult beverages at T&L's, Barclay's, Desperate Annie's, et al that my friends and I stopped by for a snack before staggering back to campus. Condolences on losing your friend.


Hey there... just seeing your comment now. Wow, we were at Skidmore at the same time. Me for just one year, fall '83 to spring '84. Barclay's was my fave of all the places you named, with T&L's a close second. And thank you very much for the condolences.
Spring 1981 - I bummed around Europe. THIS album was everywhere.
This was / is one of my top 3 Dire Straits songs   made some high school and college romances easier to deal with  
 FrankRizzo wrote:

You seem to be spiteful in your song ratings just to lower their rankings. Checked out a small selection of your song rating, and you've rated all of the songs below as a 1, and there's plenty more 1 rating you've assigned to songs. Considering the rather high rating the RP community has given these songs, I find it hard to believe these are truly worth a rating of 1 unless you're purposefully trying to spike the ranking.

White Rabbit - Jefferson Airplane - Your rating = 1 Avg = 8.6
Heroes - David Bowie - Your rating = 1 Avg = 8.5
Papa Was a Rolling Stone - The Temptations - Your rating = 1 Avg = 8.4
No Woman, No Cry - Bob Marle - Your rating = 1 Avg = 8.2
Fortunate Son - Creedence Clearwater Revival - Your rating = 1 Avg = 8.3
Turn Me On - Norah Jones - Your rating = 1 Avg = 7.6



Just curious. How do you check user ratings? I personally find Dire Straits boring, but my appreciation for them has risen after repeated exposure on Radio Paradise. I think Mark Knopfler's solo work is much better. His song writing improved with age and experience. 
I freaking laughed out loud for real with that line 'Hay la, my boyfriend's back!"
 davidwillis wrote:
 The target for Dire Straights seems to be 6 out of 10, and they are consistent at hitting that mark like an expert dart thrower trying to play down.  
I have never heard a transcendent Dire Straights song. 
Just another one.  
Check if whether your love for them comes from when you were in your early teens and you have fond memories, or whether the music is inventive and good.
 
You seem to be spiteful in your song ratings just to lower their rankings. Checked out a small selection of your song rating, and you've rated all of the songs below as a 1, and there's plenty more 1 rating you've assigned to songs. Considering the rather high rating the RP community has given these songs, I find it hard to believe these are truly worth a rating of 1 unless you're purposefully trying to spike the ranking.

White Rabbit - Jefferson Airplane - Your rating = 1 Avg = 8.6
Heroes - David Bowie - Your rating = 1 Avg = 8.5
Papa Was a Rolling Stone - The Temptations - Your rating = 1 Avg = 8.4
No Woman, No Cry - Bob Marle - Your rating = 1 Avg = 8.2
Fortunate Son - Creedence Clearwater Revival - Your rating = 1 Avg = 8.3
Turn Me On - Norah Jones - Your rating = 1 Avg = 7.6

 skindy wrote:

Freshman year of college.
Met a Romeo on the streets of Saratoga,
In front of $.56 Hot Dog.
Friendship bloomed.
We went to concerts,
Ate lots of pizza, laughed,
Talked about music, including this song.
He quietly wanted more.
"You and me babe, how about it?"
But I always went for the wrong Romeos then.
He moved to North Carolina, then Connecticut,
Got married, had a daughter.
I went my way too...
When long-term relationships fell apart
We had long phone calls into the night.
Last time I saw him was at least a decade ago
Me, finally married, lived
A stone's throw from his childhood backyard.
Say what you will about that Book of Faces
But it allowed us to keep in touch
And "see" how we each were doing.
Last summer, when I hadn't seen any recent posts
I looked up his page to see what was up.
And found he'd been killed in a car crash.
Nearly four months prior.
So here's to you, Rick.
"You and me babe, how about it?"
It was just that the time was wrong.
- Juliet


I went to Skidmore from the fall of '82 to the spring of '86, and also have great memories of Saratoga.. I remember the hot dog joint, except it originally was $.49. There were a few nights after enjoying adult beverages at T&L's, Barclay's, Desperate Annie's, et al that my friends and I stopped by for a snack before staggering back to campus. Condolences on losing your friend.





Romey owed while Julie et....
 davidwillis wrote:

The target for Dire Straights seems to be 6 out of 10, and they are consistent at hitting that mark like an expert dart thrower trying to play down.  
I have never heard a transcendent Dire Straights song. 
Just another one.  
Check if whether your love for them comes from when you were in your early teens and you have fond memories, or whether the music is inventive and good. 



You have never heard "So Far From The Clyde"?  I'm not trying to fill someone's notion of  transcendent, but it  moves one so emotionally; the listener becomes the ship, proudly built on the Clyde, ending its trip on a Bangladesh beach.  Hard not to become the ship, once so proud, now a wreck.

 


 
 davidwillis wrote:

The target for Dire Straights seems to be 6 out of 10, and they are consistent at hitting that mark like an expert dart thrower trying to play down.  
I have never heard a transcendent Dire Straights song. 
Just another one.  
Check if whether your love for them comes from when you were in your early teens and you have fond memories, or whether the music is inventive and good. 




Does this song not move you? Have you never loved and lost? For me, music doesn't have to be inventive to be enjoyable - it just needs to make me feel something and this does in spades!
The target for Dire Straights seems to be 6 out of 10, and they are consistent at hitting that mark like an expert dart thrower trying to play down.  
I have never heard a transcendent Dire Straights song. 
Just another one.  
Check if whether your love for them comes from when you were in your early teens and you have fond memories, or whether the music is inventive and good. 
So in LOVE when I first heard this and saw MTV video.  Takes me back
You and me babe; how about it?
 Alastair wrote:
This song often gets overshadowed by Sultans and a few others but this is right up there with their best. 
 
Great song. I always loved the live version on Alchemy.
 fatcatjb wrote:

I think the Indigo Gurlz version smokes this

they do an "angry" version of this, when it should  be a sad but romantic song as it was done by Dire Straits...

This song often gets overshadowed by Sultans and a few others but this is right up there with their best.  
Tune x
 itsme_bygolly wrote:

How can it be that only 3 out 10 people think this song is a masterpiece. 9!


I dunno ... let me think ... because opinions vary?
Damn you Knopfler...I wanna hate you, but you just keep dragging me back in...
How can it be that only 3 out 10 people think this song is a masterpiece? 9!
 skindy wrote:

Freshman year of college.
Met a Romeo on the streets of Saratoga,
In front of $.56 Hot Dog.
Friendship bloomed.
We went to concerts,
Ate lots of pizza, laughed,
Talked about music, including this song.
He quietly wanted more.
"You and me babe, how about it?"
But I always went for the wrong Romeos then.
He moved to North Carolina, then Connecticut,
Got married, had a daughter.
I went my way too...
When long-term relationships fell apart
We had long phone calls into the night.
Last time I saw him was at least a decade ago
Me, finally married, lived
A stone's throw from his childhood backyard.
Say what you will about that Book of Faces
But it allowed us to keep in touch
And "see" how we each were doing.
Last summer, when I hadn't seen any recent posts
I looked up his page to see what was up.
And found he'd been killed in a car crash.
Nearly four months prior.
So here's to you, Rick.
"You and me babe, how about it?"
It was just that the time was wrong.
- Juliet



I like your tale more than  I like the song now....
All I do is kiss you through the bars of a rhyme...
Watch out Shakespeare!

Superb
 skindy wrote:

Freshman year of college.
Met a Romeo on the streets of Saratoga,
In front of $.56 Hot Dog.
Friendship bloomed.
We went to concerts,
Ate lots of pizza, laughed,
Talked about music, including this song.
He quietly wanted more.
"You and me babe, how about it?"
But I always went for the wrong Romeos then.
He moved to North Carolina, then Connecticut,
Got married, had a daughter.
I went my way too...
When long-term relationships fell apart
We had long phone calls into the night.
Last time I saw him was at least a decade ago
Me, finally married, lived
A stone's throw from his childhood backyard.
Say what you will about that Book of Faces
But it allowed us to keep in touch
And "see" how we each were doing.
Last summer, when I hadn't seen any recent posts
I looked up his page to see what was up.
And found he'd been killed in a car crash.
Nearly four months prior.
So here's to you, Rick.
"You and me babe, how about it?"
It was just that the time was wrong.
- Juliet



What a beautiful and sad vignette. So much of what you said mirrors my own experience, decades later and half the world away. And her name is very close to Juliet, it so happens. Gentle innocent memories in youth and the choices we made then. Wish I could be as poetic as you. Sorry about Rick. Thanks for sharing.
 skindy wrote:

Freshman year of college.
Met a Romeo on the streets of Saratoga,
In front of $.56 Hot Dog.
Friendship bloomed.
We went to concerts,
Ate lots of pizza, laughed,
Talked about music, including this song.
He quietly wanted more.
"You and me babe, how about it?"
But I always went for the wrong Romeos then.
He moved to North Carolina, then Connecticut,
Got married, had a daughter.
I went my way too...
When long-term relationships fell apart
We had long phone calls into the night.
Last time I saw him was at least a decade ago
Me, finally married, lived
A stone's throw from his childhood backyard.
Say what you will about that Book of Faces
But it allowed us to keep in touch
And "see" how we each were doing.
Last summer, when I hadn't seen any recent posts
I looked up his page to see what was up.
And found he'd been killed in a car crash.
Nearly four months prior.
So here's to you, Rick.
"You and me babe, how about it?"
It was just that the time was wrong.
- Juliet



Wow, Skindy-Juliet. This deserves a lot more than a single thumbs-up. Thank you for sharing. You're a skilled writer....
Dammit! I'm trying to read something important for work. And listen to RP at the same time. This song is making it impossible. First there's the singing along, then there's the misty eyes.
Nothing short of 10   
Freshman year of college.
Met a Romeo on the streets of Saratoga,
In front of $.56 Hot Dog.
Friendship bloomed.
We went to concerts,
Ate lots of pizza, laughed,
Talked about music, including this song.
He quietly wanted more.
"You and me babe, how about it?"
But I always went for the wrong Romeos then.
He moved to North Carolina, then Connecticut,
Got married, had a daughter.
I went my way too...
When long-term relationships fell apart
We had long phone calls into the night.
Last time I saw him was at least a decade ago
Me, finally married, lived
A stone's throw from his childhood backyard.
Say what you will about that Book of Faces
But it allowed us to keep in touch
And "see" how we each were doing.
Last summer, when I hadn't seen any recent posts
I looked up his page to see what was up.
And found he'd been killed in a car crash.
Nearly four months prior.
So here's to you, Rick.
"You and me babe, how about it?"
It was just that the time was wrong.
- Juliet
 johnnycache wrote:
Bumping to a 9 for sentimental reasons
 
Same here, but it's a 10 - and she was actually called Juliette too!
The PERFECT rock song!  Stands the test of time.  10+
 HectorPascal wrote:

Smack on SmackDaddy you eloquent ole' thing you.
 

Thanks. Now I had a new thought. This so could be Steve Forbet song. 
 johnnycache wrote:
Bumping to a 9 for sentimental reasons
 

Just a 9?

<3 <3 <3
 suesblues wrote:
nooooooooooooo, this foray into the early 80s is going just a little too far!  The Police's Message in a Bottle had some gumption, this is just plain bland, sorry.  It doesn't give any sense of passion, really, just too wet and sentimental. 
 
What a total "swing and miss".
funny - I just saw heard this on a show I was watching. If you haven't seen Goliath (on Prime), great series to binge! Great song, BTW.
Played at first concert I went to with my girlfriend in Edinburgh, 1980. Great memory!
 curious.engineer327 wrote:
Sorry, I cannot get Olivia Hussey's breasts out of my mind (we went  see this as a Sophomore HS field trip).
 
Freshman English class and yeah...i paid attention those two days for sure!!
I think the Indigo Gurlz version smokes this
 SmackDaddy wrote:
A thought while listening. This isn't a particularly extraordinary song. Nothing groundbreaking or exceptional regarding the craft of it or even the subject matter. However, like songs from the first Tom Petty album, Suzanne Vega's first hit, Tori Amos' first one, and even that Edie Brickill annoyance of a song, they were just different enough in tone and style at the time to make the stand out. Just a slight twist, turn of phrase, teak of tone, to make people stop and listen and grow to love and then over time given the label of "classic" (which I despise). Don't @ me, that slight tweak to make a song stand out is what the magic is all about.
 
Smack on SmackDaddy you eloquent ole' thing you.
Bumping to a 9 for sentimental reasons
Truly exceptional piece of work. Pulls at so many heartstrings. Tis better to have loved and lost rather than the alternative? This makes one wonder. In either case Tennyson was onto something.

You and me babe, how about it?
This ones hard for me.  My redhead highschool sweetheart...sigh.  
One of my all time faves from DS!!! Could listen to it 10,000 more times!!!
This song has great sentimental value to me.  Reminds me of my first romantic heartbreak.
Sorry, I cannot get Olivia Hussey's breasts out of my mind (we went  see this as a Sophomore HS field trip).
 SmackDaddy wrote:
A thought while listening. This isn't a particularly extraordinary song. Nothing groundbreaking or exceptional regarding the craft of it or even the subject matter. However, like songs from the first Tom Petty album, Suzanne Vega's first hit, Tori Amos' first one, and even that Edie Brickill annoyance of a song, they were just different enough in tone and style at the time to make the stand out. Just a slight twist, turn of phrase, teak of tone, to make people stop and listen and grow to love and then over time given the label of "classic" (which I despise). Don't @ me, that slight tweak to make a song stand out is what the magic is all about.
 
I'll @ you while agreeing, which is why I like this at the 9 level and maybe not the 10; Long Live RP and all the great DS/MK tracks here!!
Long Live                                                                                                                               Radio Paradise
To me this is                                                                                                                         9 -OUTSTANDING
If I was allowed to give a 10 to only 1 song, this would still be a 10
The music video for this song is just outrageously stupid... But the music! A rare 10 from me.
A thought while listening. This isn't a particularly extraordinary song. Nothing groundbreaking or exceptional regarding the craft of it or even the subject matter. However, like songs from the first Tom Petty album, Suzanne Vega's first hit, Tori Amos' first one, and even that Edie Brickill annoyance of a song, they were just different enough in tone and style at the time to make the stand out. Just a slight twist, turn of phrase, teak of tone, to make people stop and listen and grow to love and then over time given the label of "classic" (which I despise). Don't @ me, that slight tweak to make a song stand out is what the magic is all about.
8 to 9, Knopfler is just brilliant
Every TIME. My heart twists inside out.
Stunning - gets better with age (not sure whether I mean the songs age or mine!)
The first record that I brought.
A perfect masterpiece.
 DocStrangelove wrote:
Pulls every string in my heart.
{#Heartkiss}
 

Same to me!
I'm currently working late in Newcastle, UK, about 200 yards from an open-air Ed Sheeran concert at St. James' Park football stadium.

Thank you RP and Mr. Knopfler, for giving me some decent music with which I can drown him out.
 kimschoice wrote:
Bill, please play the live version.  Really adds another element to this song that has made it one of my "10"s.

 
Please?  This is such a great song.  It's got it all
Pulls every string in my heart.
{#Heartkiss}
I go right back to high school on this one. Her name was Kelly.
 freddyfender wrote:
My rule of thumb is if I get goose bumps when hearing a tune it gets a 9 or 10 (depending on goose bump height).  So I need an 11 for this song since it gives me goose bumps as well as misty eyes every time I hear it.  Thank you Mr. Knopfler!

 
I use the "goosebump index" as well, and share the "misty eyes" score with you on this one! Where's the goosebump emoji when you need it?

 

Thank you  Dire Straits
Romeo And Juliet
  is  9 - OUTSTANDING to me


Great album. I like the addition of Roy Bittan on piano.
This is stopping me in my tracks today. What a wonderful example of creative songwriting. I have heard this 500 times I bet, but today I am floored.
My rule of thumb is if I get goose bumps when hearing a tune it gets a 9 or 10 (depending on goose bump height).  So I need an 11 for this song since it gives me goose bumps as well as misty eyes every time I hear it.  Thank you Mr. Knopfler!
 stegokitty wrote:
As much as I still enjoy some of MK's solo stuff, I truly miss the Dire Straits sound.
The sad thing about so much of his modern stuff is that ... well ... it kind of all sounds the same — sort of like Irishy country folky thing.
Dire Straits band could create a new sound for each song, and I miss that.
This is just another fabulous composition from that wonderful band, and Mr Knopfler's lyrical and musical genius.

 
I think Pick Withers is what you are missing.  Or the combination of him and MK.  Withers is like Jim Keltner , subtle precision , devoid of flash.

His work on this song is killer.  Minimal snare.  perfect timing,  Almost all the rolls are a bit different just right on the money and totally driving the tempo while staying in context.

According to the Wiki, Withers quit the band stating "I fear of just becoming a rock drummer".
 
10 for the whole album
Timeless !!
 

DeemerDave wrote:
{#Guitarist}{#Good-vibes} Just beautiful

 


Mrs. Angry Old Man's Favorite. Thanks!
... steps out of the shadow of the street light, and says somethin' like, "you and me babe, how about it?"

 
One of the absolute greatest songs ever, I think. The guitar, the sentiments, the arrangement, wow. The Indigo Girls nailed it well, too~ 
PSD'd into this. Wonderful!
{#Guitarist}{#Good-vibes} Just beautiful
 kingart wrote:

Speaking of which, there is plenty of Knopfler here, and still not enough, imho. Industrial Disease, off Love Over Gold, is one of the stars of RP's lineup. Helluva of a brilliant, black comedy song with lyrics so sharp they just about cut my monitor screen. But fyi the album is not Telegraph Road but Love Over Gold. 

 
Oops.  Meant to say Telegraph Road was the song, and you're right, the album was Love Over Gold.  Whole album is fantastic.  But Industrial Disease is my least favorite song on the album.  It was the "pop" song they put on their to get radio play in the US, something they did on several albums.
As much as I still enjoy some of MK's solo stuff, I truly miss the Dire Straits sound.
The sad thing about so much of his modern stuff is that ... well ... it kind of all sounds the same — sort of like Irishy country folky thing.
Dire Straits band could create a new sound for each song, and I miss that.
This is just another fabulous composition from that wonderful band, and Mr Knopfler's lyrical and musical genius.
 On_The_Beach wrote:
Excellent song.
Apparently some dude (Shake Spear I think his name is) ripped off Knopfler's idea and wrote some cheesy romance novel of the same name.

 
Actually,  Kevin Bacon really wrote it!
 Imkirok wrote:

Telegraph Road was the album that changed how I listened to music.  It was the first time I could "see" what a song was about - MK's  storytelling is just that good.

 
Speaking of which, there is plenty of Knopfler here, and still not enough, imho. Industrial Disease, off Love Over Gold, is one of the stars of RP's lineup. Helluva of a brilliant, black comedy song with lyrics so sharp they just about cut my monitor screen. But fyi the album is not Telegraph Road but Love Over Gold. 
Just delightful.
I agree this song is very close to perfect. 10 anyway.
 Erie-T30 wrote:
Need to play the live version off of the Alchemy album it is so much better

 
Agreed.  Live version is in my top 10 —  it is THAT good
Excellent song.
Apparently some dude (Shake Spear I think his name is) ripped off Knopfler's idea and wrote some cheesy romance novel of the same name.
So, so, so much love for this song! 
Final parting riffs on the guitar. understated. perfect. MK making it look easy.
 S-curvy wrote:

Both are superb albums.  I have a super cherished Japanese pressing of "Brothers In Arms," but "Making Movies" took a mighty grip on my heart in 1980....

 
Telegraph Road was the album that changed how I listened to music.  It was the first time I could "see" what a song was about - MK's  storytelling is just that good.


Everybody in my alien space craft loves this song...

we also love this emotive cover...
 Shimmer wrote:

Only if you're reading this in 2020.

 
I once read it in 2020, meet me last Friday if you need to find out how.
How many year have I been listening to this song, and I only just got the reference to West Side Story in the lyrics? "There's a place for us..." Way too meta for me.
 nance wrote:

 
pixelpeda wrote:
This ist not only one of the best songs ever. This is also from one of the best vinyl albums ever. Starting from the great cover design going through deeply touching and genious lyrics and finally never ending in whatever this music does or has done with it's listener.

Thank you Mark Knopfler for beeing and thank you Bill for not forgetting! 

 
agree completely except my favorite album cover is brothers in arms.....

 
Both are superb albums.  I have a super cherished Japanese pressing of "Brothers In Arms," but "Making Movies" took a mighty grip on my heart in 1980....
Okay, okay.  I admit it.  I'm a romantic slob, and I continue to wish that I could sing and play this song for that special someone.  "Ma hars are still standin' on end!"
 scrubbrush wrote:
 

I know I've loved this song "fovever" but has it been 40 years already?

 
Only if you're reading this in 2020.