There are actually two studio recorded versions of this song: the album version which is 6:58 seconds, and the shorter version which is 6:05 seconds and features slightly different (and shorter) solos at the beginning and end of the song. The version that appears on Dire Straits' greatest hits album, The Very Best of Dire Straits, is 4:55. The On The Night-version contains an extra slide guitar-solo and is 8:55 seconds.
Mark Knopfler usually played the song on a Gibson Les Paul guitar, rather than his usual Schecter "Stratocaster", and a Les Paul appears in the distinctive promo video, which is in the style of a charcoal drawing, interspersing scenes of the band playing with scenes of war. During Dire Straits' tour On Every Street 1992, Mark used his Pensa Suhr MK1 for this song, like most of the others.
Brothers in Arms
Dire Straits Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Are a home now for me
But my home is the lowlands
And always will be
Someday you'll return to
Your valleys and your farms
And you'll no longer burn to be
Brothers in arms
Through these fields of destruction
Baptisms of fire
I've witnessed your suffering
As the battle raged high
And though they did hurt me so bad
In the fear and alarm
You did not desert me
My brothers in arms
There's so many different worlds
So many different suns
And we have just one world
But we live in different ones
Now the sun's gone to hell and
The moon's riding high
Let me bid you farewell
Every man has to die
But it's written in the starlight
And every line in your palm
We're fools to make war
On our brothers in arms
The song "Brothers in Arms" by Dire Straits is essentially an anti-war song. It begins with the singer describing his love for the mountains which have become his home, but he acknowledges that his true home is in the lowlands. He then speaks directly to his brothers in arms, saying that they will soon return to their homes as well, shedding themselves of the desire for war and the need to be connected through fighting.
The next verse is a reflection on the horrors of war. The singer has seen his comrades suffer in battle while he himself has also been hurt. Despite the fear and confusion, the brotherhood they share keeps them from abandoning each other.
The final verse speaks to the idea that while there may be many different worlds and suns, we all inhabit the same world. The imagery of the sun setting and the moon rising further emphasizes the inevitability of death. The singer bids his brothers farewell, recognizing that every man must eventually die, but he concludes the song by saying that it is foolish for brothers to fight each other.
Line by Line Meaning
These mist covered mountains
My surroundings are surrounded by mist-covered mountains
Are a home now for me
I now consider these surroundings my home
But my home is the lowlands
However, I truly belong to the lowlands
And always will be
This will never change
Someday you'll return to
I hope that someday you will return to
Your valleys and your farms
Your beloved faming places and valleys
And you'll no longer burn to be
And you will no longer have a strong desire to become
Brothers in arms
A soldier who fights alongside you
Through these fields of destruction
Amidst the aftermath of ruined landscapes
Baptisms of fire
Experiences of being thrown into intense and life-threatening situations
I've witnessed your suffering
I have seen your pain and struggles
As the battle raged high
During moments of intense combat and conflict
And though they did hurt me so bad
Despite the fact that their actions caused me immense hurt
In the fear and alarm
During times where fear and alarm dominated our feelings
You did not desert me
You still stood by me and didn't abandon me
My brothers in arms
You, my fellow soldiers fighting aside me
There's so many different worlds
There are countless different social, political, and economic worlds
So many different suns
So many variations of our universe, cultures, and human beings
And we have just one world
As humans, we only have one planet Earth on which we live
But we live in different ones
However, our interpretation of our surroundings is different and personalized
Now the sun's gone to hell and
As the sun sets and leaves the sky to darkness
The moon's riding high
The moon takes its place as the highest celestial object in the sky
Let me bid you farewell
Let me say goodbye to you
Every man has to die
Death is an inevitable fact for every human
But it's written in the starlight
But these events, including birth and death, are all predetermined by the universe
And every line in your palm
Even every wrinkle and cut on our hand
We're fools to make war
We are foolish to be fighting against one another
On our brothers in arms
Against our fellow soldiers who fight beside us
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Mark Knopfler
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@tiagojohannes5920
I know it’s not the same but I just wanna say it.
My father said
”Now the sun's gone to hell
And the moon's riding high
Let me bid you farewell
Every man has to die
But it's written in the starlight
And every line in your palm
My brother in arms.”
At his best friends funeral which he has known since he was a 7 year old boy as well as his other friend. They grew up in a small village in Congo which people found odd when he tells them about it because he is white but he is Belgian and they had colonised Congo so I assume it’s why they were there, he is now 53. They called themselves the 3 musketeers, Kris(*the one who has died*),Lawrence my dads other best friend and my dad Thierry. The 3 of them went to school together, shared a room with each other at boarding school. They all grew up together. Everything they did they did together. His father was an abusive alcoholic and died when my father was 9 while his mom was in hospital with cancer which she overcame but died 3 years later from TB so he didn’t really ever have family, but he told me that the 3 of them were brothers. Whether they were blood or not. After school they would go down to the river and get on their little wooden sail boat that they borrowed from a local fisherman with a few friends. There were crocodiles and hippos there but they didn’t care, they were young and foolish but they had fun. One of his friends had a brother who had gone missing, 3 days later one of his arms were found on the banks of the river(irrelevant, I know). The 3 musketeers later went to Belgium to finish their studies so they could make it one day, when they had finished they all moved to South Africa because they missed Africa, but it wasn’t the same kind of Africa. When they came here they had very little money so the 3 of them rented a small apartment and stayed in it together. They searched tirelessly for jobs and my dad and Kris found jobs here, they both became engineers, the other friend Lawrence went back to Belgium because he couldn’t get one here and later found one there. Kris introduced my mom to my dad and he is the reason I,my brother and my sister exist. He was the one who had wanted a family the most out of the 3 of them, he had many girlfriends in the past , he ended up finding the right one who unfortunately may not have been and they got engaged and a few months later she died in a car accident. Years past, my dad and Kris had some fights and didn’t see each other for a few months but they resolved their problems. He finally found the person who would become his wife and start a family with. They tried many times to have children but she had some problem with her which was preventing her from getting pregnant, they went to doctors and tried to sort out the problems and after some time they finally managed to have children, 2 daughters 1 year difference in age. The 3 musketeers still saw each other often even tho the one lives in Belgium who also has a family of his own now and the other lives almost 2 hours from us. They all made it and were successful in life but Kris seemed to be an unlucky man, he then got COVID when working on some project in Congo which is ironic. The last time the 3 of them were together was 2 years ago because of COVID/ lockdown. Lawrence and his family came here because it was Kris’s 50th birthday. That was the last time we saw Kris. He died on the 16th of August 2, 2021, 2 days before my dads birthday and the same day my dad had a heart attack 7 years ago. After being in hospital fighting COVID for nearly 2 months, my mom called me to come downstairs and I had the feeling something was wrong and I saw my mom and dad standing in the kitchen, they told me that Kris had died just before my mom started crying, my dad tried to act strong like always but at the dinner table halfway through dinner he just started crying, I had never seen my dad cry in my entire life, I am 17. He had multiple infections and organ failures and my father wasn’t allowed to visit him but it would have been pointless because towards the end he was tired and looked deathly ill and was mostly sedated, a week before he died his wife went there and kept telling him he will be fine and he will make it but with the little strength he had , he shook his head and said no his wife Charlene told us, he asked to see his girls who are 5 and 6 but they weren’t allowed in.
They are now currently with us as his wife is suicidal and has gone to some institute to try and get help because she doesn’t know how to carry on.The girls don’t seem to understand what death is and that he isn’t coming back because they say “my daddy died and that’s why we aren’t at home but we waiting for mommy and daddy to come back” They don’t seem to be upset but they keep saying they miss mommy and daddy which hurts me to hear and I think it hurts my dad more as his friend isn’t here but his 2 daughters are and they will grow up without knowing their father like my dad did. My dad had to carry the coffin and do the eulogy which is when at the end he said those words because Brothers in arms was Kris’s favourite song.
But now *The 3 musketeers are no more*. I am writing this with tears in my eyes as I find it very upsetting, I had to watch the funeral online as your are only allowed 50 people in a venue. My dad put his hand on his coffin and patted it and said something which he says is just for Kris. The rest Kris’s family couldn’t fly here because of restrictions so they had to do a funeral in Belgium without the coffin. We had to watch it online. Lawrence did the eulogy too but he broke down at the end. It was in french so I couldn’t understand but my dad could. He was very upset for the rest of that day and didn’t say a word, I think it re enforced the fact that he is gone and there is no changing it and you can’t do anything.
My dad is now depressed and he doesn’t know what to do with his life which is upsetting for me and my family but the words he said in the eulogy
*“Now the sun's gone to hell
”And the moon's riding high
Let me bid you farewell
Every man has to die
But it's written in the starlight
And every line in your palm
My brother in arms.”
I will always remember those words.
My dad has tears in his eyes when he listens to this song now. He says when it’s his turn he wants his song to be
Blood Brothers
By Bruce Springsteen because Lawrence will be
the last one.
Rip Kris.
I know it’s not the same, I don’t know what it is like for you as I didn’t go to war and lose someone I was so close too like that so abruptly and in a way like that, and then for him to not even get the recognition that he deserved but I’m sure the people he has saved will always remember what he did and will forever be grateful as they were able to return to their families because of his sacrifice. Many people have gone to early before their lives even really started and it isn’t fair.
I have never had a friendship or a bond like you guys have so I will unfortunately never know.
@tihomirx
These mist covered mountains
Are a home now for me
But my home is the lowlands
And always will be
Someday you'll return to
Your valleys and your farms
And you'll no longer earn to be
Brothers in arms
Through these fields of destruction
Baptisms of fire
I've witnessed your suffering
As the battle raged higher
And though they did hurt me so bad
In the fear and alarm
You did not desert me
My brothers in arms
There's so many different worlds
So many different suns
And we have just one world
But we live in different ones
Now the sun's gone to hell and
The moon riding high
Let me bid you farewell
Every man has to die
But it's written in the starlight
And every line in your palm
We are fools to make war
On our brothers in arms
@minorgang9576
These mist covered mountains
Are a home now for me
But my home is the lowlands
And always will be
Someday you'll return to
Your valleys and your farms
And you'll no longer burn to be
Brothers in arms
Through these fields of destruction
Baptisms of fire
I've witnessed your suffering
As the battle raged high
And though they did hurt me so bad
In the fear and alarm
You did not desert me
My brothers in arms
There's so many different worlds
So many different suns
And we have just one world
But we live in different ones
Now the sun's gone to hell and
The moon's riding high
Let me bid you farewell
Every man has to die
But it's written in the starlight
And every line in your palm
We're fools to make war
On our brothers in arms
@Clauder.
"Brothers in Arms" de Dire Straits é uma canção com múltiplas camadas de interpretação, mas sua essência gira em torno do tema da camaradagem e da tragédia da guerra.
A letra retrata a perspectiva de um soldado em meio a um cenário de guerra desolador. Os "campos de destruição" e os "batismos de fogo" simbolizam a violência e o trauma da batalha. Porém, apesar da dor e do sofrimento, a união entre os soldados surge como um ponto de esperança e resiliência. A frase "brothers in arms" torna-se um manifesto de solidariedade e companheirismo em face da morte e da incerteza.
Ao mesmo tempo, a canção expressa um anseio profundo por paz e um retorno à vida "normal". As "montanhas cobertas de neblina" se tornam refúgio temporário, mas o verdadeiro lar, "as planícies e as fazendas", representam a estabilidade e a esperança de um futuro livre de conflitos. O cantor reconhece a futilidade da guerra e apela aos irmãos de armas para que sonhem com um mundo onde não precisem mais lutar.
Apesar de seu contexto específico de guerra, a letra toca em temas universais como a fragilidade da vida, a impermanência do mundo e a importância dos vínculos humanos. A frase "há tantos mundos diferentes, tantos sóis diferentes, mas temos apenas um mundo, mas vivemos em mundos diferentes" reflete a diversidade de perspectivas e a dificuldade de compreensão mútua, porém também serve como um lembrete da necessidade de superar as diferenças e encontrar pontos de comunhão.
Vale lembrar que a canção foi lançada em 1985, em um período marcado pela Guerra Fria e a constante ameaça de uma guerra nuclear. Nesse sentido, pode ser interpretada como um protesto contra as futilidade e o horror da guerra, um apelo pela paz e pelo diálogo entre as nações.
Além dessas interpretações principais, cada ouvinte pode extrair significados pessoais da canção, conectando-a à sua própria experiência e perspectiva. A musicalidade melódica e melancólica, o vocal suave e introspectivo de Mark Knopfler, e a letra rica em imagens contribuem para a universalidade e o poder emocional da canção.
Espero que essa interpretação ajude a você se aproximar ainda mais da canção "Brothers in Arms".
@Thorsten-Tom-Martin
LYRICS:
[Verse 1]
These mist covered mountains
Are a home now for me
But my home is the lowlands
And always will be
Some day you'll return to
Your valleys and your farms
And you'll no longer burn
To be brothers in arms
[Verse 2]
Through these fields of destruction
Baptisms of fire
I've witnessed your suffering
As the battle raged higher
And though they did hurt me so bad
In the fear and alarm
You did not desert me
My brothers in arms
[Choros 1 / Bridge]
There's so many different worlds
So many different suns
And we have just one world
But we live in different ones
[Instrumental]
[Verse 3]
Now the sun's gone to hell
And the moon riding high
Let me bid you farewell
Every man has to die
But it's written in the starlight
And every line in your palm
We're fools to make war
On our brothers in arms
[Instrumental Outro]
@thesoundoftoulouse
Don't worry... you're not the only one who is listening this masterpiece in 2022
@Edgarswoodworks
👍
@NightHawkGameplays
I predict the same comment will appear in 2041 and so on. This song is out of time.
@chessygirl5
Used to play it for my early HIV friends but now its for The Vid-19 🙏😰❤️🌹
@klasstenmo2726
👍
@NightHawkGameplays
I get very emotional with music, but never to the point of crying.
This music made me cry at work but my colleagues understood when I explained why.
@JaneKellie-uh3mo
We're in the year of 2024 - And this Dire Straits Song Is Timeless. 🫡✌️🫡🇬🇧
@johnnyboyfromholland
klopt
@adriananderson76
Yes it is.
@robinfriday9583
Masterpiece incredible ❤