This is a great tune, along with the Killers version that my wife is into. But as for other heart wrenchers... I have a major soft spot for Save Me by Queen.
I met my wife when she was 17. We dated for about 9 months. She left for college and we lost touch. I would listen to this song for hours, there are so many lines in this song that I applied to my on life. The one that stood out to me was “our time was wrong”. 30 years ago later, and after a divorce, I rolled the dice on more time and found her on fb. We have been married for 10 years now and she keeps exploding in my heart.
@@IfInDoubt.. Trust me..,... I know..... there's a deference between "losing" someone, and "escaping" someone. They both fuck with your head the same way, but your gut knows which is real. Listen to your gut.
Have always loved Dire Straits. Nobody sounds like them. Mark has written so many awesome songs. So much feeling of raw emotion in his music. He makes you feel what he is feeling when he plays.
This is the greatest love song ever. "Juliet When we made love you used to cry, you said I love you like the stars above I love you till I die". The grief is so real. The longing. The betrayal. The innocence. The story he tells just grips you. It blows me away every time. And Knopfler makes it both gentle and powerful.
Saw him play at Royal Albert Hall in 2019. As he played Romeo & Juliet I realised I was crying quietly. I wasn't upset, it was the sheer beauty of it. The Hall was spellbound.
Some of the best lyrics ever written: "When 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."
That's because back then lyrics were good, they told us a story unlike today, they just tell you vulgarly how they're going to have sex or do drugs. I mean, where's the talent, even my 21 year old son said the other day, songs should tell you a story not the crap they make nowadays. Of course, these are great lyrics.
@@ch1ckmom217 Songwriting used to be an art, something the writers took pride in, both musically and lyrically. Songs meant something back then and that's why they still resonate with people today.
Mark is one of the greatest songwriters and guitarists of all time. I mean, who else can write Blues, rock, Scottish music Irish music, jazz and even classical?
Awwww! That’s SUCH a great achievement when you pass on something of everlasting value to your children. Well done, grandpa! It seems that in these ‘modern’ times with their obsession with tech, kids see it as embarrassing to participate in anything their elders do. I did try hard to appreciate the ‘joys’ of Minecraft with my grandkids, but in the end we had to agree to disagree…☹️
And when that happens, that one acts out of desperation and desperation is not generally an attractive quality. And you know it when you're doing it, but the harder you fight, the worse it gets.
My stepmother was a huge Dire Straits fan, and I heard this song a hundred times. She passed away from a Diabetes induced heart attack several years ago. Hearing this song again brings back fond memories
I saw Dire Straits perform this soon after its release to their home audience at Newcastle City Hall. All the stage lights and house lights were off and a single pencil beamed spot light shone on Mark's polished steel resonator guitar. Any slight movement reflected the light around the audience. The home crowd were moved to tears by the beauty of the spectacle this, coupled with the silky smooth tones of the resonator and the exquisite lyrics. This was one of those iconic moments in my life.
An absolute masterpiece. I saw Mark in the Bull-Ring in Valencia, Spain three years ago. His beautiful guitar pierced the warm Spanish night and I knew I was in the presence of genius........
Not only my favorite Dire Straits song, but my favorite ever. I was always touched by the line "And all I do is kiss you through the bars of a rhyme". After listening to your deep insights into this song, I have to wonder if Mark's songs were his love letters that she didn't see. Maybe. A sad story but a truly beautiful song.
The ending just rips through me where he sings, "you and me, babe. how 'bout it." Followed by the guitar echoing the melody. He sounds so defeated. This album and Love over Gold are just awesome. Telegraph Road is a masterpiece.
I gushed over this episode already but I went back and listened to this song for an hour after watching this. The structure of the lyrics is flawless. The references to the play, the movie, and early rock "he la my boyfriend's back" the perfect fusion of the Piana, guitar and drums as they swell during the chorus and then retreat for the verses. The final perfect image of doing the stars with Juliet as the star crossed lovers. But more then anything, Knopfler's voice. So much pain, so much emotion, the sincerity of his heartbreak. I realized I never sing out loud when I listen to this song because I can't. Knopfler rips my heart out of my chest.
Dire Straits came from a time when there was no shortage of incredible bands but what really sets them apart, and makes them one of the greatest bands of all time is that they created a ‘sound’ that was truly unique to them ! No other band sounds anything like DS.
Yep , one , two notes at most you know who it is , his attack is unique . Like Stevie Wonder on a harmonica , how can one man blow a note so recognisable it couldn't be anyone else .
Lot's of bands have a unique sound and fizzle out after a single hit and 1 album... I think there is something in finding a signature sound but also being creative enough to keep things fresh past that first outpouring and novelty value.
Yeah I'm not particularly knowledgeable about the technicalities of music, but for some reason I always know when I hear Mark Knopfler on guitar before I hear him sing. Very few bands with as unique or good a sound as Dire Straits, especially not now when all bands of a genre sort of just sound the same band.
First listened to Romeo And Juliet in January 1983 during my own break up. It struck a huge chord with me - I was Romeo and I never got Juliet back. Once past the lyrics, I fell in love with the music and remain a Dire Straits fan to this day. It's a great track and thank you for breaking it down and taking me back to my college days.
I was fortunate enough to get to see Mark in concert in Edmonton, Alberta 10 years ago when he was touring with Bob Dylan. Absolutely phenomenal show, and his solo album Privateering is second to none. Mark is a genius with a guitar.
My older sister, passed away in 2019, taught American and English Literature and English in high school. I played Romeo and Juliet for her when I first got the album. It blew her away. Until she retired in 2006, she played the song to her students and had them write about it. She said no student ever complained or groaned about having to do that. And I’m positive she helped create a larger Dire Straits and Shakespeare fan base!
The backstory here (thank you!) helps to explain why this song is arguably the best in the Dire Straits repertoire--which is saying a lot. Not knowing that it had an autobiographical component, I considered it an intelligent twist on the R&J/West Side Story theme. But turning the sweetly romantic Juliet into a crass, gum-snapping New Yorker now looks like sweet revenge. And then there's that haunting finger-picking on the National guitar, which manages to sound both upbeat and melancholy. A live version recorded in Lyon, France with a string section tilts it toward melancholy and is well worth a listen.
The problem with covers of "Romeo and Juliet" is that the song, for me, has Mark Knopfler's unique sound baked into it as much as the lyrics themselves. To me, they're inseparable... and unreproducible.
First time I ever heard the song it was done by the Indigo Girls, Amy Ray on the lead. Was a fan of Dire Straits, but I didn't have that album, having skipped from "Communique" to "Brothers in Arms."
This song reduces me to tears every time even after dozens and dozens of listenings. Hundreds maybe. And all it takes is a a bar or two to get the feelings going.
I never gave them a chance because I hated MTV then I bought their first album on vinyl and was blown away how good his writing, guitar playing and singing were. Better late then never
Perfection. I loved this song since the album was first released. The poignant lyrics coupled with Mark’s beautiful fingerpicking on his National Resonator guitar are painfully beautiful. MK is my absolute favorite artist and I have collected all of his music. 🎸 Thank you, so very much for this wonderful video, Professor. ❤️
Most of the 80's hits still sound just as good today, many of them sound even better when compared to the modern, autotuned, formulaic garbage of today.
One of my all time favourite songs. It makes me feel sad. For Mark to sing in the lyrics 'I can't do a love song like the way it's meant to be.' He just did perfectly.
I still listen to Romeo And Juliet, remembering the time when I was turned down by someone I loved very deeply while at high school. The pain and shame I suffered is still fresh in my mind. Actually most of them do fall for chains of silver, chains of gold and for pretty strangers with promises they hold.. 😢
This is one of my favorite songs ever... Every time I hear it I think of my lost love Natalie who every 6 months after our break up would reach out to me. Five years after our break up she died and now I cry every time I hear this perfect song.
The sax solo in Sultans Of Swing at Live Aid is sublime. It's as if time stands still when it slows the song down for a few minutes. Amazing performance. They played two sell out shows that beautiful summer's day on July 13th 1985; in the evening they played Wembley Arena. Brian Johnson interviews Mark Knopfler in a Sky documentary which is interesting. Your Latest Trick from Brothers In Arms is a great track.
Your latest trick is a masterpiece. Legendary sax. I love the live (Alchemy) improvisations of Sultans and Tunnel of love. For your latest trick i always prefered the studio (Brothers in Arms) version.
The greatest love song/story of all time. So sad, so tragic. Who doesn't connect with love. Thanks Mark Knopfler ... and thanks Professor of Rock/Love Ballads ... beautifully summarised. djh esq.
I caught the idea for this song back in the MTV days, and was instantly hooked. The musicality, the soulful guitar, the heart-wrenching pathos, the literary references… it’s all perfect
This is one of the most beautiful songs ever written, the intro guitar is amazing too. I always wonder if Mark thinks about Holly when he plays it live.
One of my absolute favorite records is Mark Knopfler’s brilliant soundtrack to Local Hero. His romanticism strikes the perfect balance betwen the magic and the misery of our relationships. That, coupled with his incredible melodic sense, soulful voice and his singular guitar chops make him one the greatest artists to emerge from the late 1970s.
the entire LP is amazing. Been listening to it for the last 40 plus years and it never gets old. Romeo & Juliet is of course a stand out on such a perfect record
“Mark Knopfler has an extraordinary ability to make a Schecter Custom Stratocaster hoot and sing like angels on a Saturday night, exhausted from being good all week and needing a stiff drink.” ― Douglas Adams, So Long, and Thanks for All the Fish
I live 7000 miles from my brother, and every time I come home it's the first song we play...he used to play it for me on his guitar when I was a kid. He would make me sit in his room while he educated me on music, on vinyl and tape. He's my most important person, and this is the song that will forever be that echo of that happy time. The absolute best song ever. ❤️
I had never heard of Holly Beth Vincent while Mark Knopfler’s music is known and enjoyed the world over. The best revenge is living well and being successful.
I grew up with a dad that loved Dire straights and Mark Knopfler. I would say that both Romeo & Juliet and Tunnel of live is masterpieces and I really like the versions on the live Alchemy album. It is a classic.
Beautifully composed essay on this intriguing and heartbreaking song. Adam's monologue really captures the essence of the emotion running through it, and Mark Knopfler's personal torment and how the pain Mark was going through inspired him to write the song for his somewhat heartless former beau. Well done, Adam!
Love this song, Dire Straits one of the best band of the 80's my brother had all their albums, i think of missed opportunities with the girl i though was the one and how we kept meeting and the feelings was just as deep with little return. Mark Knopfler did a good thing writing my heart in this song, I feel ya
The depth and substance of these classic rock era tracks speaks to the quality and inspiration that is so utterly lacking in mainstream contemporary music.
I never got to see Dire Straights live, but I did get to see Mark Knopfler at Massey Hall In Toronto, a venue that seats about 5000. It's almost like seeing him in your local pub. Amazing show. He played Telegraph Road as his encore. Just fantastic.
This song came out about a week after the most painful breakup of my life. I obviously didn't know Mark's motivation at the time, but it sure hit me, as the lyrics were nearly a perfect fit for my personal situation. To this day my admiration for the genius of the song, Includes a hefty dose of melancholy listening to it.
I never knew this, any wonder it's such an emotive song. It's also 40 years old now and still sounds as fresh as it did in 1982, a good sign that it's a really well written song.
One of the most amazing opening bars ever. And the sound especially on the Alchemy is beyond divine. What a song. This will be heard till humanity dies, whether Juliet loves Romeo till she dies or not.
For me, Romeo and Juliet may just be the greatest pop song ever. The lyrics are mind-blowing. Absolutely brilliant. I knew nothing of the real-world backstory. The lyrics also play wonderfully in a more universal sense. Romeo's reality is eternal. He's from all time; he lives among the stars. Juliet is very contemporary and 'local.' Knofler says "You almost give me a 'art attack" in a way that makes Juliet a product of a very narrow geographic and chronological space. That first line: "Walked the streets of serenade." Why that framing and not "Walked the streets with a serenade?" Because his phrasing speaks to forever. It speaks of the archetypal. "Streets of Serenade." "Do the stars." This is the genius of his work. He takes a personal heartbreak and turns into an eternal drama that on the one hand is like the original R&J, which is also an eternal drama, but also different and in a way even more impressive because it puts the conflict on a much higher level, not puppy and the female-equivalent love but a timeless saga of the lover hooked into forever and the object of his love hooked into the mundane realm of Now. "Through the bars of a rhyme." Talk about a person imprisoned and looking for escape beyond time with his Beloved! For years, I thought the line was "through the bars of Orion," which would have made it even more stoner-cosmic. Yeah, I like this song. A lot.
The sound of that resonator guitar also lends to the heartbreaking sound of this song. This is one of my fave Dire Straits songs. So great. The song make so much sense after hearing the background.
Dire Straits! One of my all time favorites! Love every song! I never knew the story behind Romeo and Juliet of theirs, I love hearing the stories behind the music! Thanks for sharing them Professor, and for keeping the music alive!
@@ProfessorofRock Me and my teacher friend are certainly keeping the music alive! She also mentioned the Go-Go’s today and their song “Vacation”. It would be cool if you could get in an interview with them!
I was in my last year of high school and I would study while this album and 2 others were constantly on repeat. I miss my vinyl, the sound was warmer and hit harder through my old headphones.... so many nights up late...
Probably one of the greatest lines in any modern song "I can't do everything but I'd do anything for you. Can't do anything except be in love with you". This alone brings tears to my eyes - it's a line I have used for my wife many times to show how deeply I love her.
Knophler's Romeo and Juliet is such a masterful ballad that anyone who has ever lost out in a relationship after putting everything into it can identify with. The melody, lyrics and his vocal delivery all blend together complementing the whole and without ever being overpowering to amplify its mood into its strongest expression. One has to imagine after putting so much effort into a such a love lost, one may be expected to become utterly destroyed, yet because of his ability to still create a such potent work of art after the fact, it shows he gotten beyond the the tragedy, has kept himself together, and capable of further mending. I can't see anyone ever doing a better version than his.
Was cruising around listening to this one earlier this week. Great album. Great song. Hadn't heard the backstory before. Then again, that's why we have this channel. Thanks again for another great breakdown of a classic.
One of the greatest (sad) love songs ever--'tiI this day, I still tear up when singing along with it! The entire album is a wonderful work of songwriting and musicianship. Thanks so much for featuring this tune. See ya! 🎶🎸
The first time I played this song to my grunge-loving high school friends, their jaws dropped from Knopfler's masterful guitar and from then on, we listened to my dad's Dire Straits collection together.
Just love this song and the band! Although their songs seem simplistic and accessible, they're really not. There is real mystery, intrigue and stories in the narratives of every song, especially the great ones. There is a reason Bob Dylan loved Dire Straits.
How did Bob Dylan die w/out me hearing about it? Did you mean he stopped liking " D.S. "? I'm getting older myself and the older I get the more I hate it when people are writing us off before we're done. Now, I'm not sure whether you and Mr Dylan are personal friends or not but in my case I am not, but I would not, you know, just assume that well he's, he's done and he's done all the loving of " Dire Straits " in the earth he'll ever have done. And hey you know while we're at it here, these people you know like Bob Dylan was great he's okay you know he's good, he's good but he wasn't God this is a dude that also you'll remember told Joan Baez that her poetry was lousy okay? We're all really just people and you know what like if I'd have been a person that had a woman love me like that well man I'd have thought it was really something. So I actually think in some cases Bob Dylan was a real freaking top-flight jackass okay. And you know I've also become a lot more forgiving of John Lennon. That man didn't get to live to maybe atone for some of the things that everybody castigates him for all the time. I think from maybe some of the things that I've read, through maybe his love 4 his brother, Julian has come to forgive some of his fathers shortcomings, and I think maybe the older he gets the more he may realize that we're all just men. The young Mr. Lennon obviously benefited greatly from having a really strong, good mother. He was lucky because there are people in the world that don't have that either. He might have just gleaned some benefits from having John as a father that he may look around and even in the mansion that he sits in now and think, " Well, Gee, I guess I was pretty lucky." Or maybe not, who I am I to say? I after all don't know I'm just speculating you know and maybe hoping a little bit. I'd like to think there's hope for all of us because the alternative would suck... L.L.
@@kyzor-sosay6087 me neither That Big Brass Bed song is the only thing I've heard from Dylan that doesn't totally suck to my ears. I saw Dylan live once, in 1997, maybe it was, and I still want my money back. He was SO bad. His band was great, but man, Dylan sucks!
Thanks for this! Dire Straits was my 2nd concert, in the 10th grade in late 1982. Yeah, I was a weird young cerebral music fan. To this day it is still the standard I jidge other ones by. What a magnificent band they were. Mark is by far my vote for best guitarist, but even that pales compared to his songwriting. He is one of the premier musical poets of our time! The body of quality songs he wrote in Dire Straits and in his lengthy solo career since is moving and masterful. Thank you for putting the spotlight on what I have always felt is Mark’s strongest musical contribution: his songwriting!
Just about everyone has a love that was lost that they couldn't get back. I know I have a few. This song, forty years old, still brings a tear to my eye as I reminisce.
My wife and I both love this song, so when it was time for our mature age marriage, in '95 we chose this as our wedding waltz. Given the actual context of the song it was a strange choice, but everyone loved it. Interestingly enough, her stroll down the aisle was to Led Zeppelins Thank You, which hard core Zep fans, generally think is a sell out, but Robert thinks it's one of his best, again because of the context. Saw Dire Straits in Darwin, Australia in 1986, and this song was (one of many) highlights for me. Brilliant band.
Oh, this is one of my favorite all time songs!! I struggled to learn those chord changes on the guitar, so I could sing it, myself. Weirdly enough, I have the exact same 'bad habit' that I have seen Mark Knopler do... I rest my pinky on the pick-guard, to hold my hand steady when I finger-pick... and a friend of mine once showed me photos of Mark Knopler doing the same thing with his own hand. Purely a coincidence. Thanks for the great story!!!
Thankyou for that. This is my favourite song. I think every Romeo, and Juliet, have given their heart to someone who never appreciated it at that time. A time later and it's too late.
I first heard the Indigo Girls version and thought it was a standout from that album. Then when I bought the Dire Straits Greatest Hits album (what I previously knew from them was their radio and video hits mostly after Money for Nothing) and heard the original for the first time, I realized that Knopfler was one of the greatest musicians I had ever heard. I still like the Indigo Girls version, but it doesn't stand out as much anymore, while the Dire Straits version is consistently in my mixes and playlists.
I remember when a Seattle station played the IG's version there was a long commercial break and the DJ came on and said we won't play that again the station was threatened.
@@jimmybucher9094 If true, sad. When threatened with violence, they obey and say so on the air. If not true, sad- pretend to be threatened and fake obey on the air. Only correct choice is report to the police and say nothing. Smell test failed.
Relying to this ten months later, my husband chose a Dire Straits cd, I want to say Brothers in Arms, up to then I also mostly was just aware of Money for Nothing, which I can take or leave. Brothers in Arms just swept me away. This was around the war in Nicaragua, and I could feel the realness of what it might have been to be one of those warriors in the jungle fields and valleys just seeking safety in growing enough food to feed their family. I know it was more complex, but from the farmer’s standpoint it was not. Anyway
I'm rather late to this one, My first encounter with Dire Straits was with Brothers in arms. My brother had bought the vinyl of it and made me a copy for my Walkman. Many many people have had music epiphanys, this was mine. I played that tape constantly, I fell in love with MK. This was way before the internet, so to be able to consume any of the music from him meant either buying or borrowing tapes. At every opportunity I bought the CDS from the back catalogue. Just under 40 years later I can still listen to MK and it still gives me goose bumps. Very much looking forward to the new MK album in 2024.
The live "Telegraph Road" is one of the finest performances of any band ever. Matchless musicianship and feel. Also, ten years before, Creedence Clearwater Revival had gone through the same thing--a brother rhythm guitarist who walked out of the band. Creedence fell apart, but Dire Straits turned the vacancy into opportunity and made real success from a bad moment. Too bad Creedence didn't.
The one you are thinking of is the recording of the "aLCHEMY" tour. And yes, that is definitely one of my "desert island discs". It is amazing to think one of the most Americana (in theme) songs was written by a Brit. It's the kind of song you would have expected Springteen to have written. It just reveals Knopfler's genius.
@@LividImp I think another song that reveals his genius is "So Far From the Clyde". The song is proof that Knopfler can conjure deep emotion from even seemingly mundane objects.
Always loved Dire Straits, saw them 3 times in Sydney in the 80's. Great shows, great music, even my parents liked them and they were 30's - 40's big band lover's. Let's never for get the band that took all of us away from disco to great music again. Long live Dire Straits.
My older brother loves Dire Straights , I'm so blessed to have an older brother who has introduced me to such great music ! PINK , FLOYD , LED ZEPPLIN , THE BEATLES many others , we are brother's in Arms ,he's 10 yrs older . I love all kinds of music.
"Solid Rock" was the song which described the break-up of Mark and David. "When you point your finger because your plans fell through, you've got 3 more fingers pointing back at you"........a brutal put down of Mark's brother. If you ever saw Dire Straits live, when the roadie handed Mark that steel-bodied guitar that Romeo & Juliet was played on, the place would go nuts.
Hey Professor, you are actually doing a service to us. It is fantastic the research you do and the stories you tell. I teach English in Asia and your video are a great stepping stone into music which was instrumental to our lives and both England and America!
Thanks for a great explanation. Have always loved this song for the incredible music and arrangement as well as the amazing way Knopfler recreates the experience of having his heart broken in the lyrics. I have been singing it myself for years and it never fails to bring silence to the room.
Knopfler’s performance of Romeo and Juliet at the end of his Real Live Roadrunning tour was the absolute best performance. The overtones for reconciliation were incredible in his last words “you and me babe, how about it?”
My man this song has always been a super awesome lyrical explanation of deep boyfriend-girlfriend experience and the angst that wrenches the lovers heart.
@@ProfessorofRock I m 57 so I was young but I was religious about reading my 9 year older brother's Rolling Stone magazine. The interviews and the awesome journalists who most went on to be extremely successful had nothing on you Adam (Professor of Rock) Reader! My good man you in my opinion are the modern day Pop,Rock,R.&B.,Soul, expert and critic who deserves a lot more appreciation and applause than you receive!!! Now don't rest on your laurels and keep up the good work!!! And get that darn video or videos about Jonett Napolitano, founder of Concrete Blonde with Harry Rushakoff and their excellent guitarist who's name slips my old man memory! Lol
Knopfler has some great current releases too including So Far from the Clyde, a sad song about a decommisioning of a ship. That takes songwriting genius!
Fantastic song. Don't know too many songwriters who can write such an emotional song about a the romance in an inanimate object. Radio City Serenade, too.
Dire Straits is why I love music. I listened to some stuff casually in the early 90s, mostly NWA and Dr. Dre. Stuff my friends listened to. My mom would make us listen to this radio show every morning during breakfast so she could play Name That Tune. One morning, a song came on that blew my mind. I asked her what that song was, and she told me that it was called 'Sultans of Swing' by a band named Dire Straits. Been a fan ever since.
Love Romeo and Juliet. I discovered this one on my own, my parents had the album with Sultans of Swing and Dire Straits didn't get much play in their house. It was a salve for my soul after the end of my marriage 6 years ago. There's a bittersweet playfulness and honesty to the song that's so soothing. I love Mark's voice and style of singing, so many great songs and this is one of my favorites.
Poll: What is your pick for the most heart wrenching love song of the rock era?
"I'll Be Over You" by Toto.
This is a great tune, along with the Killers version that my wife is into. But as for other heart wrenchers... I have a major soft spot for Save Me by Queen.
Black, Pearl Jam
Kissing a Fool by George Michael
Against All Odds, Phil Collins
Nothing Compares to You, Sinead O'Connell (Written by Prince)
I met my wife when she was 17. We dated for about 9 months. She left for college and we lost touch. I would listen to this song for hours, there are so many lines in this song that I applied to my on life. The one that stood out to me was “our time was wrong”.
30 years ago later, and after a divorce, I rolled the dice on more time and found her on fb. We have been married for 10 years now and she keeps exploding in my heart.
Awesome!!
Thats awesome! True love never dies
I hope this happens with me and my ex that left a hole in my heart 4 years ago.
@@IfInDoubt..
Trust me..,... I know.....
there's a deference between "losing" someone, and "escaping" someone.
They both fuck with your head the same way, but your gut knows which is real.
Listen to your gut.
Making movies is my favorite l p of all time
Have always loved Dire Straits. Nobody sounds like them. Mark has written so many awesome songs. So much feeling of raw emotion in his music. He makes you feel what he is feeling when he plays.
Have a listen to “She Said She Was A Dancer” by Jethro Tull 😉
@@tigglepig that’s a great tune,another song I would like to see covered on this channel.
As an English teacher I use this song, and others when I teach poetry. This song is pure genius. Love it.
I wish you were my English teacher 😭😭😭
This is the greatest love song ever. "Juliet When we made love you used to cry, you said I love you like the stars above I love you till I die". The grief is so real. The longing. The betrayal. The innocence. The story he tells just grips you. It blows me away every time. And Knopfler makes it both gentle and powerful.
Run every red light on memory lane".... Great line...
Yea, you can feel it whether you want to or not. That's a torrent of emptions.
Very well said and agree 100%. One of my very favorite songs by one of my very favorite bands.
It wrenches your balls off when you had an ex who did just that.
Saw him play at Royal Albert Hall in 2019. As he played Romeo & Juliet I realised I was crying quietly. I wasn't upset, it was the sheer beauty of it. The Hall was spellbound.
Some of the best lyrics ever written:
"When 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."
Resplendent
Amazing! Those are the exact lines that have stuck with me over the years!
I can't do everything but I'd do anything for you...Julie I'd do the stars with you any time.
That's because back then lyrics were good, they told us a story unlike today, they just tell you vulgarly how they're going to have sex or do drugs. I mean, where's the talent, even my 21 year old son said the other day, songs should tell you a story not the crap they make nowadays. Of course, these are great lyrics.
@@ch1ckmom217 Songwriting used to be an art, something the writers took pride in, both musically and lyrically. Songs meant something back then and that's why they still resonate with people today.
Mark is one of the greatest songwriters and guitarists of all time. I mean, who else can write Blues, rock, Scottish music Irish music, jazz and even classical?
And that voice ...💛🎶🎵
100%
elvis costello
Yes, indeed!! 👍👍
Poor Boy Blues duet with Chet Atkins would qualify as country.
My son loves this song so much he named his daughter Juliet. By the way this song came out 7 years before HE was born. Proud grandpa moment!
Awwww! That’s SUCH a great achievement when you pass on something of everlasting value to your children. Well done, grandpa!
It seems that in these ‘modern’ times with their obsession with tech, kids see it as embarrassing to participate in anything their elders do.
I did try hard to appreciate the ‘joys’ of Minecraft with my grandkids, but in the end we had to agree to disagree…☹️
The one in the relationship who is the least in love, holds the power of the relationship.
Sadly true
Sad, but true.
"Hand". (Ref: Seinfeld)
And when that happens, that one acts out of desperation and desperation is not generally an attractive quality. And you know it when you're doing it, but the harder you fight, the worse it gets.
The principle of least interest: Whoever is least interested in a relationship continuing controls the relationship.
My stepmother was a huge Dire Straits fan, and I heard this song a hundred times. She passed away from a Diabetes induced heart attack several years ago. Hearing this song again brings back fond memories
I’m so sorry for your loss x
I saw Dire Straits perform this soon after its release to their home audience at Newcastle City Hall. All the stage lights and house lights were off and a single pencil beamed spot light shone on Mark's polished steel resonator guitar. Any slight movement reflected the light around the audience. The home crowd were moved to tears by the beauty of the spectacle this, coupled with the silky smooth tones of the resonator and the exquisite lyrics. This was one of those iconic moments in my life.
An absolute masterpiece. I saw Mark in the Bull-Ring in Valencia, Spain three years ago. His beautiful guitar pierced the warm Spanish night and I knew I was in the presence of genius........
Not only my favorite Dire Straits song, but my favorite ever.
I was always touched by the line "And all I do is kiss you through the bars of a rhyme". After listening to your deep insights into this song, I have to wonder if Mark's songs were his love letters that she didn't see.
Maybe.
A sad story but a truly beautiful song.
Agreed.
The ending just rips through me where he sings, "you and me, babe. how 'bout it." Followed by the guitar echoing the melody. He sounds so defeated.
This album and Love over Gold are just awesome. Telegraph Road is a masterpiece.
that outro is soul-sucking.
@@allenswanson2423 The song Love Over Gold is pretty good too.
I totally agree with you. I can't think of anything Knopfler has done that wasn't spot-on.
Telegraph road and love over gold are their two best songs
Glad to see Love Over Gold getting some recognition .I also really like On Every Street.
This song brings me to tears. I was about 15 or 16 when this song came out and it clung to my heart and soul for years.
I gushed over this episode already but I went back and listened to this song for an hour after watching this. The structure of the lyrics is flawless. The references to the play, the movie, and early rock "he la my boyfriend's back" the perfect fusion of the Piana, guitar and drums as they swell during the chorus and then retreat for the verses. The final perfect image of doing the stars with Juliet as the star crossed lovers. But more then anything, Knopfler's voice. So much pain, so much emotion, the sincerity of his heartbreak. I realized I never sing out loud when I listen to this song because I can't. Knopfler rips my heart out of my chest.
Dire Straits came from a time when there was no shortage of incredible bands but what really sets them apart, and makes them one of the greatest bands of all time is that they created a ‘sound’ that was truly unique to them ! No other band sounds anything like DS.
Yep , one , two notes at most you know who it is , his attack is unique .
Like Stevie Wonder on a harmonica , how can one man blow a note so recognisable it couldn't be anyone else .
Lot's of bands have a unique sound and fizzle out after a single hit and 1 album... I think there is something in finding a signature sound but also being creative enough to keep things fresh past that first outpouring and novelty value.
@@laurencesmith2199 not necessarily a mark of quality though is it... I can pretty quickly pick out a Status Quo tune too.
True
Yeah I'm not particularly knowledgeable about the technicalities of music, but for some reason I always know when I hear Mark Knopfler on guitar before I hear him sing. Very few bands with as unique or good a sound as Dire Straits, especially not now when all bands of a genre sort of just sound the same band.
First listened to Romeo And Juliet in January 1983 during my own break up. It struck a huge chord with me - I was Romeo and I never got Juliet back.
Once past the lyrics, I fell in love with the music and remain a Dire Straits fan to this day. It's a great track and thank you for breaking it down and taking me back to my college days.
I hope you found love again. An even greater love. I worry that i won't. I don't know if i even want to with anyone else
Dire Straits don't have a single weak album. It's all pure quality. The last one might be a bit dragged out but the previous five are all amazing
I would have to agree.
Their songs are all classic.
I think if you shortened On Every Street to a vinyl length album youd have a much stronger album.
@@jgmiller804 Still a great record but I just never got into it as much as I did with other ones.
@@vladimirmihajlovic2485 I feel like they just got a little too big after the first three albums but still made great music...
I was fortunate enough to get to see Mark in concert in Edmonton, Alberta 10 years ago when he was touring with Bob Dylan. Absolutely phenomenal show, and his solo album Privateering is second to none. Mark is a genius with a guitar.
this has always been my favourite Dire Straits song, even better when I saw it performed live in 1986 and played on his silver guitar
My older sister, passed away in 2019, taught American and English Literature and English in high school. I played Romeo and Juliet for her when I first got the album. It blew her away. Until she retired in 2006, she played the song to her students and had them write about it. She said no student ever complained or groaned about having to do that. And I’m positive she helped create a larger Dire Straits and Shakespeare fan base!
The backstory here (thank you!) helps to explain why this song is arguably the best in the Dire Straits repertoire--which is saying a lot. Not knowing that it had an autobiographical component, I considered it an intelligent twist on the R&J/West Side Story theme. But turning the sweetly romantic Juliet into a crass, gum-snapping New Yorker now looks like sweet revenge. And then there's that haunting finger-picking on the National guitar, which manages to sound both upbeat and melancholy. A live version recorded in Lyon, France with a string section tilts it toward melancholy and is well worth a listen.
This level of musicianship and artistry is becoming increasingly rare in what passes for popular music these days.
The problem with covers of "Romeo and Juliet" is that the song, for me, has Mark Knopfler's unique sound baked into it as much as the lyrics themselves. To me, they're inseparable... and unreproducible.
Shane that’s fair :) but i love the Killers cover.
Reckless Kelly does a hell of a cover also
First time I ever heard the song it was done by the Indigo Girls, Amy Ray on the lead. Was a fan of Dire Straits, but I didn't have that album, having skipped from "Communique" to "Brothers in Arms."
I'm the same.... not sure any cover will be the same as the original.
Fair point.
- For me, i'm just really glad i never saw the videos. Only ever listened to the tracks on radio... the way they're meant to be.
This song reduces me to tears every time even after dozens and dozens of listenings. Hundreds maybe. And all it takes is a a bar or two to get the feelings going.
I never gave them a chance because I hated MTV then I bought their first album on vinyl and was blown away how good his writing, guitar playing and singing were.
Better late then never
Perfection. I loved this song since the album was first released. The poignant lyrics coupled with Mark’s beautiful fingerpicking on his National Resonator guitar are painfully beautiful. MK is my absolute favorite artist and I have collected all of his music. 🎸 Thank you, so very much for this wonderful video, Professor. ❤️
I love seeing all the love for Knopfler and the band!!
They truly are legendary 😭😭
“All I do is kiss you through the bars of a rhyme”. That’s an incredible line!
Most of the 80's hits still sound just as good today, many of them sound even better when compared to the modern, autotuned, formulaic garbage of today.
Especially the live versions
This story reminds me of a greeting card that I saw many moons ago… “I’ll always love my image of you.”
One of my all time favourite songs. It makes me feel sad. For Mark to sing in the lyrics 'I can't do a love song like the way it's meant to be.' He just did perfectly.
I still listen to Romeo And Juliet, remembering the time when I was turned down by someone I loved very deeply while at high school. The pain and shame I suffered is still fresh in my mind.
Actually most of them do fall for chains of silver, chains of gold and for pretty strangers with promises they hold.. 😢
This is one of my favorite songs ever... Every time I hear it I think of my lost love Natalie who every 6 months after our break up would reach out to me. Five years after our break up she died and now I cry every time I hear this perfect song.
The sax solo in Sultans Of Swing at Live Aid is sublime. It's as if time stands still when it slows the song down for a few minutes. Amazing performance. They played two sell out shows that beautiful summer's day on July 13th 1985; in the evening they played Wembley Arena. Brian Johnson interviews Mark Knopfler in a Sky documentary which is interesting. Your Latest Trick from Brothers In Arms is a great track.
@80s Music. And Mark's extended guitar solo for Sultans of Swing is one of the most melodicly beautiful solos ever. A true masterpiece
Your latest trick is a masterpiece. Legendary sax. I love the live (Alchemy) improvisations of Sultans and Tunnel of love. For your latest trick i always prefered the studio (Brothers in Arms) version.
I love how Mark Knopfler reinvents Romeo and Juliet with each live performance of it. It’s one of my favorites ❤️
This song tears my heart out every time I listen. The verses tell the story, the chorus reveals the pain.
The greatest love song/story of all time. So sad, so tragic. Who doesn't connect with love. Thanks Mark Knopfler ... and thanks Professor of Rock/Love Ballads ... beautifully summarised. djh esq.
If I could only listen to one artist its would be Mark Knopfler, everything he has done has aged well.
I caught the idea for this song back in the MTV days, and was instantly hooked. The musicality, the soulful guitar, the heart-wrenching pathos, the literary references… it’s all perfect
This is one of the most beautiful songs ever written, the intro guitar is amazing too. I always wonder if Mark thinks about Holly when he plays it live.
One of my absolute favorite records is Mark Knopfler’s brilliant soundtrack to Local Hero. His romanticism strikes the perfect balance betwen the magic and the misery of our relationships. That, coupled with his incredible melodic sense, soulful voice and his singular guitar chops make him one the greatest artists to emerge from the late 1970s.
the entire LP is amazing. Been listening to it for the last 40 plus years and it never gets old. Romeo & Juliet is of course a stand out on such a perfect record
Despite their success I've always thought Dire Straits was underrated! Excellent group! 👍👍
“Mark Knopfler has an extraordinary ability to make a Schecter Custom Stratocaster hoot and sing like angels on a Saturday night, exhausted from being good all week and needing a stiff drink.”
― Douglas Adams, So Long, and Thanks for All the Fish
I live 7000 miles from my brother, and every time I come home it's the first song we play...he used to play it for me on his guitar when I was a kid. He would make me sit in his room while he educated me on music, on vinyl and tape. He's my most important person, and this is the song that will forever be that echo of that happy time. The absolute best song ever. ❤️
I had never heard of Holly Beth Vincent while Mark Knopfler’s music is known and enjoyed the world over. The best revenge is living well and being successful.
I grew up with a dad that loved Dire straights and Mark Knopfler. I would say that both Romeo & Juliet and Tunnel of live is masterpieces and I really like the versions on the live Alchemy album. It is a classic.
The brevity of this album is a part of its beauty. It's compact, cohesive and leaves you wanting more. A solid record.
Beautifully composed essay on this intriguing and heartbreaking song. Adam's monologue really captures the essence of the emotion running through it, and Mark Knopfler's personal torment and how the pain Mark was going through inspired him to write the song for his somewhat heartless former beau. Well done, Adam!
Love this song, Dire Straits one of the best band of the 80's my brother had all their albums, i think of missed opportunities with the girl i though was the one and how we kept meeting and the feelings was just as deep with little return. Mark Knopfler did a good thing writing my heart in this song, I feel ya
The depth and substance of these classic rock era tracks speaks to the quality and inspiration that is so utterly lacking in mainstream contemporary music.
Ooh Dire Straits, love these guys and they are timeless. What a beautiful song, with a beautifully played guitar and a great story to go with it.
I love the guitar on this song. Timeless. Thanks Elwaves!
That guitar gives me the chills.
@@xxlilly_playsxxkiz9980 For me it's the melancholic guitar in Brothers In Arms. That always gets me.
@@Elwaves2925 Me too! Love that sound!
I never got to see Dire Straights live, but I did get to see Mark Knopfler at Massey Hall In Toronto, a venue that seats about 5000. It's almost like seeing him in your local pub. Amazing show. He played Telegraph Road as his encore. Just fantastic.
This song came out about a week after the most painful breakup of my life. I obviously didn't know Mark's motivation at the time, but it sure hit me, as the lyrics were nearly a perfect fit for my personal situation. To this day my admiration for the genius of the song, Includes a hefty dose of melancholy listening to it.
I never knew this, any wonder it's such an emotive song. It's also 40 years old now and still sounds as fresh as it did in 1982, a good sign that it's a really well written song.
One of the most amazing opening bars ever. And the sound especially on the Alchemy is beyond divine. What a song. This will be heard till humanity dies, whether Juliet loves Romeo till she dies or not.
I never thought about it much until I heard the beginning of "Tunnel of Love" on an antique music box. It's the "Carousel Waltz", Tchicovski I think.
All I can do is kiss you through the bars of a rhyme.....My heart, every time I hear it.
For me, Romeo and Juliet may just be the greatest pop song ever. The lyrics are mind-blowing. Absolutely brilliant. I knew nothing of the real-world backstory. The lyrics also play wonderfully in a more universal sense. Romeo's reality is eternal. He's from all time; he lives among the stars. Juliet is very contemporary and 'local.' Knofler says "You almost give me a 'art attack" in a way that makes Juliet a product of a very narrow geographic and chronological space. That first line: "Walked the streets of serenade." Why that framing and not "Walked the streets with a serenade?" Because his phrasing speaks to forever. It speaks of the archetypal. "Streets of Serenade." "Do the stars." This is the genius of his work. He takes a personal heartbreak and turns into an eternal drama that on the one hand is like the original R&J, which is also an eternal drama, but also different and in a way even more impressive because it puts the conflict on a much higher level, not puppy and the female-equivalent love but a timeless saga of the lover hooked into forever and the object of his love hooked into the mundane realm of Now. "Through the bars of a rhyme." Talk about a person imprisoned and looking for escape beyond time with his Beloved! For years, I thought the line was "through the bars of Orion," which would have made it even more stoner-cosmic.
Yeah, I like this song. A lot.
“Heart attack.”
"Sings a street- suss serenade" not "walked the streets of serenade".
The sound of that resonator guitar also lends to the heartbreaking sound of this song. This is one of my fave Dire Straits songs. So great. The song make so much sense after hearing the background.
Dire Straits! One of my all time favorites! Love every song! I never knew the story behind Romeo and Juliet of theirs, I love hearing the stories behind the music! Thanks for sharing them Professor, and for keeping the music alive!
Thanks for watching! Your continued support is what keeps it alive!
@@ProfessorofRock 👍
@@ProfessorofRock Me and my teacher friend are certainly keeping the music alive! She also mentioned the Go-Go’s today and their song “Vacation”. It would be cool if you could get in an interview with them!
I new it the most romantic song ever. His heart is it that song. ReMARKOble
The Killers’ cover of R&J blew my mind. When I learned it as a cover, mind blown again.
Knopfler's a genius but Dire Straits' creative peak was their next album - Love Over Gold has only 5 songs but it's literally perfect.
My favourite DS album
I was in my last year of high school and I would study while this album and 2 others were constantly on repeat. I miss my vinyl, the sound was warmer and hit harder through my old headphones.... so many nights up late...
no, making movies is far better. Love over gold is dated
I'm a heavy metal guy but Dire Straits has always been my guilty pleasure..... good vid Prof! Truly enjoyed it.
Dire Straits was an awesome band. Romeo And Juliet is an incredible song. Thanks for telling this story and for making this video.
Probably one of the greatest lines in any modern song "I can't do everything but I'd do anything for you. Can't do anything except be in love with you". This alone brings tears to my eyes - it's a line I have used for my wife many times to show how deeply I love her.
My whole family is into Art & I was blown away the 1st time I heard IN THE GALLERY.
Just witty smart lyrics Mark.
Desu bad, race card abused
desuba drac ecar ,bad used
Knophler's Romeo and Juliet is such a masterful ballad that anyone who has ever lost out in a relationship after putting everything into it can identify with. The melody, lyrics and his vocal delivery all blend together complementing the whole and without ever being overpowering to amplify its mood into its strongest expression. One has to imagine after putting so much effort into a such a love lost, one may be expected to become utterly destroyed, yet because of his ability to still create a such potent work of art after the fact, it shows he gotten beyond the the tragedy, has kept himself together, and capable of further mending. I can't see anyone ever doing a better version than his.
Was cruising around listening to this one earlier this week. Great album. Great song. Hadn't heard the backstory before. Then again, that's why we have this channel. Thanks again for another great breakdown of a classic.
I too did not know the story behind this song before today! The more we know, the more we grow.
tunnel of love is a masterpiece
@@rainerwinkler1026 my favorite on that album
One of the greatest (sad) love songs ever--'tiI this day, I still tear up when singing along with it!
The entire album is a wonderful work of songwriting and musicianship. Thanks so much for featuring this tune. See ya! 🎶🎸
The first time I played this song to my grunge-loving high school friends, their jaws dropped from Knopfler's masterful guitar and from then on, we listened to my dad's Dire Straits collection together.
Just love this song and the band! Although their songs seem simplistic and accessible, they're really not. There is real mystery, intrigue and stories in the narratives of every song, especially the great ones. There is a reason Bob Dylan loved Dire Straits.
No kidding. Mark Knopfler is a genius. Just an out of this world writer...
How did Bob Dylan die w/out me hearing about it? Did you mean he stopped liking " D.S. "? I'm getting older myself and the older I get the more I hate it when people are writing us off before we're done. Now, I'm not sure whether you and Mr Dylan are personal friends or not but in my case I am not, but I would not, you know, just assume that well he's, he's done and he's done all the loving of " Dire Straits " in the earth he'll ever have done.
And hey you know while we're at it here, these people you know like Bob Dylan was great he's okay you know he's good, he's good but he wasn't God this is a dude that also you'll remember told Joan Baez that her poetry was lousy okay? We're all really just people and you know what like if I'd have been a person that had a woman love me like that well man I'd have thought it was really something. So I actually think in some cases Bob Dylan was a real freaking top-flight jackass okay. And you know I've also become a lot more forgiving of John Lennon. That man didn't get to live to maybe atone for some of the things that everybody castigates him for all the time. I think from maybe some of the things that I've read, through maybe his love 4 his brother, Julian has come to forgive some of his fathers shortcomings, and I think maybe the older he gets the more he may realize that we're all just men. The young Mr. Lennon obviously benefited greatly from having a really strong, good mother. He was lucky because there are people in the world that don't have that either. He might have just gleaned some benefits from having John as a father that he may look around and even in the mansion that he sits in now and think, " Well, Gee, I guess I was pretty lucky."
Or maybe not, who I am I to say? I after all don't know I'm just speculating you know and maybe hoping a little bit. I'd like to think there's hope for all of us because the alternative would suck... L.L.
@@ProfessorofRock A true legend.
Never understood the attraction to Dylan but everyone is different,love Mark Knopfler and Dire Straits,though.
@@kyzor-sosay6087 me neither
That Big Brass Bed song is the only thing I've heard from Dylan that doesn't totally suck to my ears. I saw Dylan live once, in 1997, maybe it was, and I still want my money back.
He was SO bad. His band was great, but man, Dylan sucks!
One of the best songs mark ever wrote (and that says A LOT!). Thanks for covering!
One of my favorites ever is Romeo and Juliet; Mark makes it sound so dreamy live 🥹
romeo and juliet is a superb song, the lyrics are so cleverly written to narrate the story,it will always be my favourite dire straits song.
Thanks for this! Dire Straits was my 2nd concert, in the 10th grade in late 1982. Yeah, I was a weird young cerebral music fan. To this day it is still the standard I jidge other ones by. What a magnificent band they were.
Mark is by far my vote for best guitarist, but even that pales compared to his songwriting. He is one of the premier musical poets of our time! The body of quality songs he wrote in Dire Straits and in his lengthy solo career since is moving and masterful. Thank you for putting the spotlight on what I have always felt is Mark’s strongest musical contribution: his songwriting!
it got me through the heartbreak of my 1st love i look back now and i'm glad i went through it. it's better to love and lost than to never love.
Love Dire Straits, and it's amazing just how underrated this track is! I also love The Indigo Girls and Edwin McCain.
Just about everyone has a love that was lost that they couldn't get back. I know I have a few. This song, forty years old, still brings a tear to my eye as I reminisce.
My wife and I both love this song, so when it was time for our mature age marriage, in '95 we chose this as our wedding waltz. Given the actual context of the song it was a strange choice, but everyone loved it. Interestingly enough, her stroll down the aisle was to Led Zeppelins Thank You, which hard core Zep fans, generally think is a sell out, but Robert thinks it's one of his best, again because of the context. Saw Dire Straits in Darwin, Australia in 1986, and this song was (one of many) highlights for me. Brilliant band.
Mate I had “thank you” as our first dance song at our wedding. My wife didn’t want any zeppelin played but I snuck the Chris Cornell version in….
When you are moved and vibrate the way some songs Marky make me (us) feel, you realize it's not only music, it's LIFE what you are experiencing
Oh, this is one of my favorite all time songs!! I struggled to learn those chord changes on the guitar, so I could sing it, myself. Weirdly enough, I have the exact same 'bad habit' that I have seen Mark Knopler do... I rest my pinky on the pick-guard, to hold my hand steady when I finger-pick... and a friend of mine once showed me photos of Mark Knopler doing the same thing with his own hand. Purely a coincidence. Thanks for the great story!!!
Thankyou for that. This is my favourite song. I think every Romeo, and Juliet, have given their heart to someone who never appreciated it at that time. A time later and it's too late.
I first heard the Indigo Girls version and thought it was a standout from that album. Then when I bought the Dire Straits Greatest Hits album (what I previously knew from them was their radio and video hits mostly after Money for Nothing) and heard the original for the first time, I realized that Knopfler was one of the greatest musicians I had ever heard. I still like the Indigo Girls version, but it doesn't stand out as much anymore, while the Dire Straits version is consistently in my mixes and playlists.
I find the Indigo Girls version much more enjoyable. Mark just doesn't put enough emotion into it, in comparison.
I remember when a Seattle station played the IG's version there was a long commercial break and the DJ came on and said we won't play that again the station was threatened.
@@jimmybucher9094 If true, sad. When threatened with violence, they obey and say so on the air. If not true, sad- pretend to be threatened and fake obey on the air. Only correct choice is report to the police and say nothing. Smell test failed.
Relying to this ten months later, my husband chose a Dire Straits cd, I want to say Brothers in Arms, up to then I also mostly was just aware of Money for Nothing, which I can take or leave. Brothers in Arms just swept me away. This was around the war in Nicaragua, and I could feel the realness of what it might have been to be one of those warriors in the jungle fields and valleys just seeking safety in growing enough food to feed their family. I know it was more complex, but from the farmer’s standpoint it was not. Anyway
I'm rather late to this one,
My first encounter with Dire Straits was with Brothers in arms. My brother had bought the vinyl of it and made me a copy for my Walkman.
Many many people have had music epiphanys, this was mine. I played that tape constantly, I fell in love with MK. This was way before the internet, so to be able to consume any of the music from him meant either buying or borrowing tapes. At every opportunity I bought the CDS from the back catalogue.
Just under 40 years later I can still listen to MK and it still gives me goose bumps.
Very much looking forward to the new MK album in 2024.
The live "Telegraph Road" is one of the finest performances of any band ever. Matchless musicianship and feel. Also, ten years before, Creedence Clearwater Revival had gone through the same thing--a brother rhythm guitarist who walked out of the band. Creedence fell apart, but Dire Straits turned the vacancy into opportunity and made real success from a bad moment. Too bad Creedence didn't.
One of my all time favorite songs; it's actually what really brought me to listen to more of Dire Straits and Mark Knopfler.
Wow! The pure guitar tones of everybody involved their! Great set of guys! Don’t we wish there was so much more where that came from!!
The one you are thinking of is the recording of the "aLCHEMY" tour. And yes, that is definitely one of my "desert island discs". It is amazing to think one of the most Americana (in theme) songs was written by a Brit. It's the kind of song you would have expected Springteen to have written. It just reveals Knopfler's genius.
@@LividImp I think another song that reveals his genius is "So Far From the Clyde". The song is proof that Knopfler can conjure deep emotion from even seemingly mundane objects.
@@Mythicregard - Exactly! The same with “Border Reiver.” Pure lyrical genius in all of work.
Always loved Dire Straits, saw them 3 times in Sydney in the 80's. Great shows, great music, even my parents liked them and they were 30's - 40's big band lover's. Let's never for get the band that took all of us away from disco to great music again. Long live Dire Straits.
My older brother loves Dire Straights , I'm so blessed to have an older brother who has introduced me to such great music ! PINK , FLOYD , LED ZEPPLIN , THE BEATLES many others , we are brother's in Arms ,he's 10 yrs older . I love all kinds of music.
Brothers in arms indeed. Your older brother is an amazing person.
@@xxlilly_playsxxkiz9980 yes I'm truly blessed , he is very intelligent , and i owe him alot ..he has enriched my life .
@@bigpun7916 That is so sweet and amazing. 😊
"Solid Rock" was the song which described the break-up of Mark and David. "When you point your finger because your plans fell through, you've got 3 more fingers pointing back at you"........a brutal put down of Mark's brother. If you ever saw Dire Straits live, when the roadie handed Mark that steel-bodied guitar that Romeo & Juliet was played on, the place would go nuts.
Hey Professor, you are actually doing a service to us. It is fantastic the research you do and the stories you tell. I teach English in Asia and your video are a great stepping stone into music which was instrumental to our lives and both England and America!
Dire Straits is one of my all-time favorites. Music of my life. Thanks Professor, you are great!
Thanks for a great explanation. Have always loved this song for the incredible music and arrangement as well as the amazing way Knopfler recreates the experience of having his heart broken in the lyrics. I have been singing it myself for years and it never fails to bring silence to the room.
Thanks for unlocking 'Making Movies'. It makes so much difference when the subject is a real person who has a life, and whose name is known.
Knopfler’s performance of Romeo and Juliet at the end of his Real Live Roadrunning tour was the absolute best performance. The overtones for reconciliation were incredible in his last words “you and me babe, how about it?”
Yep. I think his interpretation deepened over the years -- and the Roadrunning version (2006) is stunning.
My man this song has always been a super awesome lyrical explanation of deep boyfriend-girlfriend experience and the angst that wrenches the lovers heart.
It's right on the money. THat's what make is so very painful.
@@ProfessorofRock I m 57 so I was young but I was religious about reading my 9 year older brother's Rolling Stone magazine. The interviews and the awesome journalists who most went on to be extremely successful had nothing on you Adam (Professor of Rock) Reader! My good man you in my opinion are the modern day Pop,Rock,R.&B.,Soul, expert and critic who deserves a lot more appreciation and applause than you receive!!! Now don't rest on your laurels and keep up the good work!!! And get that darn video or videos about Jonett Napolitano, founder of Concrete Blonde with Harry Rushakoff and their excellent guitarist who's name slips my old man memory! Lol
Knopfler has some great current releases too including So Far from the Clyde, a sad song about a decommisioning of a ship. That takes songwriting genius!
Fantastic song. Don't know too many songwriters who can write such an emotional song about a the romance in an inanimate object. Radio City Serenade, too.
Dire Straits is why I love music. I listened to some stuff casually in the early 90s, mostly NWA and Dr. Dre. Stuff my friends listened to. My mom would make us listen to this radio show every morning during breakfast so she could play Name That Tune. One morning, a song came on that blew my mind. I asked her what that song was, and she told me that it was called 'Sultans of Swing' by a band named Dire Straits. Been a fan ever since.
Well done, a great explanation. Mark Knopfler is one of my absolute favorites. I love how he often uses historical events and people in his songs.
Love Romeo and Juliet. I discovered this one on my own, my parents had the album with Sultans of Swing and Dire Straits didn't get much play in their house. It was a salve for my soul after the end of my marriage 6 years ago. There's a bittersweet playfulness and honesty to the song that's so soothing. I love Mark's voice and style of singing, so many great songs and this is one of my favorites.