Sultans of Swing
Dire Straits Lyrics
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It's raining in the park but meantime
South of the river you stop and you hold everything
A band is blowing Dixie, double four time
You feel alright when you hear the music ring
Well now you step inside but you don't see too many faces
Coming in out of the rain they hear the jazz go down
Competition in other places
Uh but the horns they blowin' that sound
Way on down south
Way on down south
London town
You check out guitar George, he knows all the chords
Mind, it's strictly rhythm he doesn't want to make it cry or sing
They said an old guitar is all, he can afford
When he gets up under the lights to play his thing
And Harry doesn't mind, if he doesn't, make the scene
He's got a daytime job, he's doing alright
He can play the Honky Tonk like anything
Savin' it up, for Friday night
With the Sultans
We're the Sultans of Swing
Then a crowd a young boys they're foolin' around in the corner
Drunk and dressed in their best brown baggies and their platform soles
They don't give a damn about any trumpet playin' band
It ain't what they call Rock and Roll
And the Sultans
Yeah, the Sultans, they play Creole
Creole
And then the man he steps right up to the microphone
And says at last just as the time bell rings
"Goodnight, now it's time to go home"
Then he makes it fast with one more thing
"We are the Sultans
We are the Sultans of Swing"
The song "Sultans of Swing" by Dire Straits takes us on a trip to a rainy night in the southern part of London, where a band is playing Dixie music. The song starts with the singer walking in the park and hearing the music ringing in his ears, making him feel alright. The music takes him to a club where jazz plays down, and he sees guitar George playing rhythm with an old guitar, who's saving it up for Friday night with the Sultans. Also, there is Harry, who can play Honky Tonk like anything, and he does it while having a daytime job. Then, there are young boys making a fool in the corner, dressed in their best brown baggies and platform soles; they don't care about the trumpet playing band or what they call Rock and Roll.
In the end, the man steps up to the microphone and introduces the band, "We are the Sultans of Swing." The song talks about the band that plays jazz and swing music that sets them aside from rock bands. Mark Knopfler wrote the song from his experiences playing in different pubs with different bands in London. He wanted to highlight a band that played swing with no other intention but to make great music. The lyrics are a testament to the fact that memorable music can come from anywhere, be it a jazz club, a pub, or the corner of the street.
Interesting facts about the song "Sultans of Swing":
Interesting Facts
Note: This section uses generative AI, which can be inaccurate.
Line by Line Meaning
You get a shiver in the dark
You experience a feeling of excitement or anticipation in the night
It's a raining in the park but meantime-
Despite the rain in the park, something else is happening
South of the river you stop and you hold everything
You pause and pay attention to what's happening south of the river
A band is blowing Dixie, double four time
A band is playing Southern-style jazz at a fast tempo
You feel alright when you hear the music ring
The music makes you feel good and satisfied
Well now you step inside but you don't see too many faces
When you go inside, there aren't many people around
Coming in out of the rain they hear the jazz go down
People come in out of the rain and hear the jazz music playing
Competition in other places
There may be other places with jazz music
Uh but the horns they blowin' that sound
The instruments, especially the horns, are playing loudly and energetically
Way on down south
The music has an influence from the southern United States
Way on down south
The music has an influence from the southern United States
London town
The song is taking place in London
You check out guitar George, he knows all the chords
You pay attention to Guitar George, who is a skilled guitarist
Mind, it's strictly rhythm he doesn't want to make it cry or sing
He focuses on playing rhythm and not on flashy soloing
They said an old guitar is all, he can afford
People say he can only afford an old guitar
When he gets up under the lights to play his thing
When he plays guitar under the spotlight
And Harry doesn't mind, if he doesn't, make the scene
Another musician, Harry, doesn't care if he's not in the limelight
He's got a daytime job, he's doing alright
Harry has a regular job and is financially stable
He can play the Honky Tonk like anything
Harry is skilled at playing Honky Tonk-style music
Savin' it up, for Friday night
He's saving his energy for Friday night gigs
With the Sultans
With the rest of the band, the Sultans of Swing
We're the Sultans of Swing
We are the skilled and talented band, the Sultans of Swing
Then a crowd a young boys they're a foolin' around in the corner
A group of young people are messing around in the corner
Drunk and dressed in their best brown baggies and their platform soles
They are drunk and wearing their best bell-bottom pants and platform shoes
They don't give a damn about any trumpet playin' band
They don't care about the jazz band playing trumpet
It ain't what they call Rock and Roll
It isn't the type of music they prefer, which is rock and roll
And the Sultans
The band, the Sultans of Swing
Yeah, the Sultans, they play Creole
The Sultans of Swing play Creole-style music
Creole
A style of music with African, European, and Caribbean influences
And then the man he steps right up to the microphone
The announcer steps up to the microphone
And says at last just as the time bell rings
The end of the performance is being announced
Goodnight, now it's time to go home
The announcer is telling the audience to leave
Then he makes it fast with one more thing
The announcer quickly adds one more statement
We are the Sultans
We are the talented band, the Sultans of Swing
We are the Sultans of Swing
We are the skilled and talented band, the Sultans of Swing
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: Mark Knopfler
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Gaulezinho
You get a shiver in the dark
It's raining in the park, but meantime
South of the river, you stop, and you hold everything
A band is blowing Dixie, double-four time
You feel alright when you hear the music ring
Well, now you step inside
But you don't see too many faces
Coming in out of the rain to hear the jazz go down
Competition in other places
Ah, but the horns, they're blowing that sound
Way on down south
Way on down south, London town
Check out guitar George
He knows all the chords
Mind, it's strictly rhythm
He doesn't wanna make it cry or sing
Yes and an old guitar is all he can afford
When he gets up under the lights to play his thing
And Harry doesn't mind if he doesn't make the scene
He's got a daytime job, he's doing alright
He can play the honky tonk like anything
Saving it up for Friday night
With the Sultans
With the Sultans of Swing
Yeah
And a crowd of young boys
They're fooling around in the corner
Drunk and dressed in their best brown baggies
And their platform soles
They don't give a damn
About any trumpet-playing band
It ain't what they call "Rock and Roll"
And the Sultans
Yeah, the Sultans, they play Creole
Creole
And then the man, he steps right up to the microphone
And says at last, just as the time bell rings
"Goodnight, now it's time to go home"
Then he makes it fast with one more thing
"We are the Sultans—
We are the Sultans of Swing"
Eytan Levine
I love how the guitar solo feels so clean and not over the top it really fits with the calm vibe of the song
Janet Richards
Well said!
Fernando Puente
Just masterful right?!
Bart Vandergracht
this is so true!
Allen Dufour
I turn it as loud as it goes
Ramrod Posisi
Without pick.
Nelson Ferreira
Esses toque dê guitarra parece divino inexplicável e ele toca sem ao menos olhar com uma facilidade impressionante ❤
Franci Muniz
Não canso de ouvir.
Roberto
Impressionante a versatilidade na guitarra que esse cara tem.
Savanah Mclary
This song never ends. It keeps playing inside your head for hours.