Here Come Johnny, Gonna Tell You The Story

Brothers In Arms
Dire Straits (1985)
The Grammy Award winning fifth studio album by Dire Straits was released forty years ago today.  It is without question one of the greatest records to have been released in my lifetime, going 10x platinum in the UK and 9x platinum in the US.  It was also the first album in history to sell over a million copies on CD.

The biggest hit on the album, and the most successful single in the band's catalog, is Money For Nothing.  It's instantly recognizable to just about everyone who knows what rock music is.  Another excellent song that got a lot of radio play is the opening track, So Far Away.  However, the first song that comes to my mind when someone mentions Dire Straits is the third track which was included on the album by Mark Knopfler at the last minute.  If I was going to create a mixtape of songs that encapsulate my experience of growing up in the 80's, this song would absolutely be included.  It's called Walk Of Life.

Walk Of Life
Dire Straits (1985)

Here come Johnny singing oldies, goldies

"Be-Bop-A-Lula," baby, "What'd I Say"

Here come Johnny singing "I Got A Woman"

Down in the tunnels, tryna make it pay

He got the action, he got the motion

Oh, yeah, the boy can play

Dedication, devotion

He turnin' all the night-time into the day

He do the song about the sweet loving woman

He do the song about the knife

Then he do the walk, do the walk of life

Yeah, he do the walk of life

Here come Johnny gonna tell you the story

Hand me down, my walking shoes

Here come Johnny with the power and the glory

Backbeat, the talking blues

He got the action, he got the motion

Oh, yeah, the boy can play

Dedication, devotion

He turning all the night-time into the day

He do the song about the sweet loving woman

He do the song about the knife

And he do the walk, he do the walk of life

Yeah, he do the walk of life

Here come Johnny singing oldies, goldies

"Be-Bop-A-Lula," baby, "What'd I Say"

Here come Johnny singing "I Got a Woman"

Down in the tunnels, tryna make it pay

He got the action, he got the motion

Oh, yeah, the boy can play

The dedication, devotion

He turning all the night-time into the day

And after all the violence and double-talk

There's just a song in all the trouble and the strife

You do the walk, yeah, you do the walk of life

They do the walk of life