Dire Straits - Romeo And Juliet

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Is this a good song? I'm not sure. Tell me what to think and why.

― Tom (Groke), Tuesday, 13 September 2005 13:14 (twenty years ago)

I prefer the one about the girl on roller skates. Or maybe they're the same song? I loved Making Movies when I was four.

― Huk-L (Huk-L), Tuesday, 13 September 2005 13:57 (twenty years ago)

this is a fantastic song. probably mark knopfler's best vocal -- "hey la, my boyfriend's back..."

― my name is john. i reside in chicago. (frankE), Tuesday, 13 September 2005 13:59 (twenty years ago)

The "Hey la, my boyfriend's back" bit is vital... it always seemed to me that there were certain Straits song where Knopfler was having "fun" ("Twisting By The Pool", "Lady Writer", "Money for Nothing") and those where he was BUSINESS ("Brothers In Arms", "Private Investigations"), and this is one of the former... I think I like my Dire Straits a lot more relaxed than Knopfler himself did. A Dire Straits instrumental album would be one of the most awesome things ever I think.

― Dom Passantino (Dom Passantino), Tuesday, 13 September 2005 14:18 (twenty years ago)

I love this song. But I am a total sap.

― mai, Tuesday, 13 September 2005 14:23 (twenty years ago)

Sap? This song is pissed off. "Now you just say 'Oh Romeo, yeah, you know, I used to have a scene with him.'" There's some almost Dylan-level vitriol there. My favorite Knofler guitar line, for one thing. And it was written for/about Holly of Holly and the Italians, right? Classic.

― gypsy mothra (gypsy mothra), Tuesday, 13 September 2005 14:55 (twenty years ago)

This and "Skateaway" are the best things that happened in that entire year maybe. What year was it again?

― The Obligatory Sourpuss (Begs2Differ), Tuesday, 13 September 2005 14:58 (twenty years ago)

Don't you find it really hard to reconcile the idea of Mark Knopfler having the sex, though?

― Dom Passantino (Dom Passantino), Tuesday, 13 September 2005 15:01 (twenty years ago)

R+J = Dylan for Kids, which is KLASSIC when it's Mouse and the Traps or PF Sloan, but DUD when it's Knopfler, something to do w/ the ponderous dead hand of the Brit Pup blooze rock 'tradition' that DS came out of?

― Ward Fowler (Ward Fowler), Tuesday, 13 September 2005 15:03 (twenty years ago)

"Twisting by the pool" sounded like rock and roll as played by a christian rock band that decided to have one song that didn't mention God or Jesus, just to show they were fun and get the kids interested.

― mark grout (mark grout), Tuesday, 13 September 2005 15:03 (twenty years ago)

Don't you find it really hard to reconcile the idea of Mark Knopfler having the sex, though?

Maybe Holly had the same difficulty.

― gypsy mothra (gypsy mothra), Tuesday, 13 September 2005 15:04 (twenty years ago)

so great. the vocal delivery isn't this killer bleeding heart a la indigo girls wah-wah stuff. very matter of fact. great piano part. cute intro

― katie, a princess (katie, a princess), Tuesday, 13 September 2005 15:30 (twenty years ago)

A Dire Straits instrumental album would be one of the most awesome things ever I think.

Knopfler's soundtracks for Local Hero and Comfort And Joy basically fulfill that request.

― Elvis Telecom (Chris Barrus), Tuesday, 13 September 2005 16:24 (twenty years ago)

This song is absolute magic. I think I prefer the Indigo Girls version, though.

― Brooker Buckingham (Brooker B), Tuesday, 13 September 2005 18:11 (twenty years ago)

Great song. One of, if not the, best out of Dire Straits/Knopfler. The lyrics are just in a good pocket, playing with the Romeo & Juliet idea, but also with West Side Story's version of the same joke, and the "my boyfriend's back" reference, and the balance of humor and poignancy. The guitar part has those triplets that Knopfler does so well. Sure, it's EZ Dylan, or veddy British Springsteen, or whatever. I sing along.

― Vornado, Tuesday, 13 September 2005 18:30 (twenty years ago)

one year passes...

i love making movies so much. there should really be a thread for it, but i don't feel like starting one. basically, it's my favorite bruce springsteen album. love every song.

― scott seward, Sunday, 10 June 2007 22:53 (eighteen years ago)

one month passes...

revive b/c dire straits rules

― max, Wednesday, 18 July 2007 02:46 (eighteen years ago)

Lovely -- one of the few times Knopfler sounds like he doesn't want whoever's on the receiving end of his plaints to notice that he's wearing a headband. I may prefer "So Far Away," though, even if it's more generic.

― Alfred, Lord Sotosyn, Wednesday, 18 July 2007 02:55 (eighteen years ago)

headbands and dopey mop-haired bassists anyone? ;)

― Charlie Howard, Wednesday, 18 July 2007 03:16 (eighteen years ago)

"Romeo And Juliet" is OK, although their true masterpieces are "Telegraph Road", "Love Over Gold" and "Private Investigations".

― Geir Hongro, Wednesday, 18 July 2007 08:53 (eighteen years ago)

Brooker is deaf. Geir too, apparently.

― If Timi Yuro would be still alive, most other singers could shut up, Wednesday, 18 July 2007 09:35 (eighteen years ago)

yeah 'private investigations' is ace. i can't believe there won't be a proper resurge of interest in these guys after SEVEN AGES OF ROCK and the like. stuff like 'walk of life' is enough to make you hurl mind.

― pisces, Wednesday, 18 July 2007 09:35 (eighteen years ago)

I'm quite happy for Dire Straits to remain "unrediscovered", I have no desire for them to become irono-fodder for the Guilty Pleasures set.

"So Far Away" is, like, best love song ever anyway.

― 597, Wednesday, 18 July 2007 09:44 (eighteen years ago)

They will be forever doomed by "Walk Of Life", I guess. Which is kind of too bad, as they were brilliant when they slowed down. "On Every Street" was dreadful though, so they didn't quite quit at the top of their game.

― Geir Hongro, Wednesday, 18 July 2007 10:21 (eighteen years ago)

Who does, these days?

― If Timi Yuro would be still alive, most other singers could shut up, Wednesday, 18 July 2007 10:30 (eighteen years ago)

Kurt Cobain?

― Noodle Vague, Wednesday, 18 July 2007 10:36 (eighteen years ago)

In an ideal world they'd have had a one-off minor hit with Sultans Of Swing and remained minor-league sophisto-pub-rock that's really rather good e.g. Sniff And The Tears, Ace, Brinsleys.

Oh sod it, Romeo and Juliet is alright. Maybe better than alright.

― Dr.C, Wednesday, 18 July 2007 11:43 (eighteen years ago)

tunnel of love/romeo&juliet/skateaway is one of my fave 1-2-3 punches of all time. so great.

― scott seward, Wednesday, 18 July 2007 11:48 (eighteen years ago)

see now there's a new surge of interest happening right here under our noses. who'd have thouggt?!

― pisces, Wednesday, 18 July 2007 11:55 (eighteen years ago)

nah, i was just listening to the album a while ago. when i revived this thread the first time. i had wanted to hear it for awhile though. so i did have some new interest. but i always loved that album. since high school anyway. i have a copy of communique that i've never listened to!

i saw them on that brothers in arms tour. i was so stoned i fell asleep.

― scott seward, Wednesday, 18 July 2007 11:58 (eighteen years ago)

Ah yes, Making Movies. That record holds up surprisingly well. Expresso Love is another great song. The Love Over Gold record has its moments also.

The best Dire Straits song of the last 25 years is What It Is, from the Mark Knopfler solo record. It would have fit right in on Making Movies.

― kornrulez6969, Wednesday, 18 July 2007 14:10 (eighteen years ago)

tunnel of love/romeo&juliet/skateaway

yeah. one thing the cd misses is having those three isolated on one near-perfect side.

― tipsy mothra, Wednesday, 18 July 2007 15:46 (eighteen years ago)

this is a pretty, sad song.

― M@tt He1ges0n, Wednesday, 18 July 2007 15:46 (eighteen years ago)

geir is right about "private investigations"

― max, Wednesday, 18 July 2007 16:08 (eighteen years ago)

A Dire Straits instrumental album would be one of the most awesome things ever I think.

bring it!

― CharlieNo4, Wednesday, 18 July 2007 16:11 (eighteen years ago)

two years pass...

Jayzik Azikiwe (a.k.a. the girl in the "Skateaway" video) died of cancer last year at age 49. Didn't know she was a big performer in Gambia.
http://observer.gm/africa/gambia/article/2008/2/8/jayzik-azikiwe-phenomenal-woman

― Elvis Telecom, Thursday, 23 July 2009 21:41 (sixteen years ago)

four years pass...

Yet again, revive b/c Dire Straits rules. Especially this fucking album.

― Mule, Thursday, 10 October 2013 10:23 (twelve years ago)

a great record saddled with an awful album-closer

"R&J" solid contender for best Dire Straits song

― Lee626, Thursday, 10 October 2013 11:18 (twelve years ago)

They do have a lot of contenders tbf, but R&J is completely wonderful.

― Ismael Klata, Thursday, 10 October 2013 11:42 (twelve years ago)

Yeah, tons of great tunes, but I think I'd go for R&J in something like 7 out of 10 times.

― Mule, Thursday, 10 October 2013 11:46 (twelve years ago)

Down to the Waterline and Water of Love from the first album also excellent, but not quite on the level of R&J; great use of vocal dynamics.

― Lee626, Thursday, 10 October 2013 12:55 (twelve years ago)

Go-to bruised lovesong imo

― unblog your plug (darraghmac), Thursday, 10 October 2013 22:34 (twelve years ago)

just their emotions i trust

― Austrian Economics (nakhchivan), Thursday, 10 October 2013 22:38 (twelve years ago)

They need so much more <3. Great band.

― Ismael Klata, Thursday, 10 October 2013 22:39 (twelve years ago)

Btwn daterape and domestic abuse yr running the gamut nakh

― unblog your plug (darraghmac), Thursday, 10 October 2013 22:48 (twelve years ago)

You know who loves dire straits is the sandboxers iirc

― unblog your plug (darraghmac), Thursday, 10 October 2013 22:49 (twelve years ago)

the suggestion will have been that some nights you forget your magical rain stick, deems

― Austrian Economics (nakhchivan), Thursday, 10 October 2013 22:52 (twelve years ago)

sometimes you can almost trend too relevant huh

― Austrian Economics (nakhchivan), Thursday, 10 October 2013 22:53 (twelve years ago)

Lars von Trier's The Rainmaker

― unblog your plug (darraghmac), Thursday, 10 October 2013 23:12 (twelve years ago)

Love this whole album except for the obvious clunker at the end. Love Over Gold is great too.

― kornrulez6969, Friday, 11 October 2013 00:05 (twelve years ago)

Hidden weapon on this (and "Skateaway" and a bunch of other songs) is Pick Withers.

― something of an astrological coup (tipsy mothra), Friday, 11 October 2013 02:17 (twelve years ago)

Nice performance:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_BRrbbzrZ2s

― something of an astrological coup (tipsy mothra), Friday, 11 October 2013 02:22 (twelve years ago)

Very nice.

I must rep for What It Is, from a solo record about ten years back. It's one of the best things he ever wrote.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nrNd-gR0gpA

― kornrulez6969, Friday, 11 October 2013 04:19 (twelve years ago)

OTM about Pick Withers. Love the drumming on L&J.

― Mule, Friday, 11 October 2013 14:31 (twelve years ago)

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