Their first single, "Sultans of Swing", from their 1978 self-titled debut album, reached the top ten in the UK and US charts. It was followed by a series of hit singles including "Romeo and Juliet" (1981), "Private Investigations" (1982), "Twisting by the Pool" (1983), "Money for Nothing" (1985), and "Walk of Life" (1985). Their most commercially successful album, "Brothers in Arms" (1985), has sold more than 30 million copies worldwide; it was the first album to sell a million copies on compact disc (CD) and is the eighth-best-selling album in UK history. According to the Guinness Book of British Hit Albums, Dire Straits have spent over 1,100 weeks on the UK Albums Chart, the fifth most of all time.
Dire Straits' sound drew from various influences, including country, folk, the blues rock of J. J. Cale, and jazz. Their stripped-down sound contrasted with punk rock and demonstrated a roots rock influence that emerged from pub rock. There were several changes in personnel, with Mark Knopfler and Illsley being the only members who remained with the band for its whole history. After their first breakup in 1988, Mark Knopfler told Rolling Stone: "A lot of press reports were saying we were the biggest band in the world. There's not an accent then on the music, there's an accent on popularity. I needed a rest." They disbanded for good in 1995, after which Knopfler launched a solo career full-time. He has since declined numerous reunion offers.
Dire Straits were called "the biggest British rock band of the 80s" by Classic Rock magazine; their 1985–1986 world tour, which included a performance at Live Aid in July 1985, set a record in Australasia. Their final world tour from 1991 to 1992 sold 7.1 million tickets. Dire Straits won four Grammy Awards, three Brit Awards (Best British Group twice), two MTV Video Music Awards, and various other awards. They were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2018. Dire Straits have sold between 100 and 120 million units worldwide, including 51.4 million certified units, making them one of the best-selling music artists of all time.
Full Wikipedia article: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dire_Straits
Discography
Dire Straits (1978)
Communiqué (1979)
Making Movies (1980)
Love over Gold (1982)
Brothers in Arms (1985)
On Every Street (1991)
Planet of New Orleans
Dire Straits Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Of Toulouse and Dauphine
Waitin' on Marie-Ondine
I'm tryin' to place a tune
Under a Louisiana moonbeam
On the planet of New Orleans
In a bar they call The Saturn
And somethin' that she said in a dream
Inside of my suit I got my mojo root
And a true love figurine
For the planet of New Orleans
New Orleans - the other planet
With other life upon it
And everythin' that's shakin' in between
If you should ever land upon it
You better know what's on it
The planet of New Orleans
Now I'm tryin' to find my way
Through the rain and the steam
I'm lookin' straight ahead through the screen
And then I heard her say
Somethin' in the Limousine
'Bout takin' a ride across the planet of New Orleans
If she was an ace
And I was just a jack
And the cards were never seen
We could have been the king and queen
But she took me back to her courtyard
Where magnolia perfume screams
Behind the gates and the granite
Of the planet of New Orleans
The lyrics to Dire Straits’s song “Planet of New Orleans” depict the singer standing at the corner of two streets in the city of New Orleans, waiting for someone named Marie-Ondine. He tries to place a tune under the Louisiana moonbeam and seems to be captivated by the charm of the city. The singer then describes a bar called The Saturn and a woman with green eyes who said something in a dream that intrigued him. He mentions having his mojo root and true love figurine in his suit, suggestive of a longing for love and attraction towards the place.
As the song progresses, the singer is trying to find his way through the rain and steam in the city. He heard Marie-Ondine say something in a Limousine about taking a ride across the planet of New Orleans, which seems like an invitation to explore the city. The singer then contemplates the possibility of a romantic relationship with her but realizes that they are not a perfect match. The song concludes with the two of them standing in her courtyard where magnolia perfume screams.
The lyrics of the song paint a vivid picture of the city of New Orleans and the psychedelic experience of visiting it. The song’s meaning can be interpreted in different ways, with some believing that it is a piece of anti-capitalist propaganda, while others view it as a tribute to the city’s distinctive culture.
Line by Line Meaning
Standin' on the corner
Of Toulouse and Dauphine
Waitin' on Marie-Ondine
I'm tryin' to place a tune
Under a Louisiana moonbeam
On the planet of New Orleans
The singer is standing on a street corner in New Orleans, waiting for someone named Marie-Ondine. They are trying to come up with a song that fits the vibe of New Orleans, bathed in moonlight.
In a bar they call The Saturn
And in her eyes of green
And somethin' that she said in a dream
Inside of my suit I got my mojo root
And a true love figurine
For the planet of New Orleans
The singer is inside a bar called The Saturn, where they see a woman with green eyes who has said something that seemed significant in a dream. The singer feels prepared for anything thanks to his lucky charm and other talismans, all of which are in tribute to New Orleans.
New Orleans - the other planet
With other life upon it
And everythin' that's shakin' in between
If you should ever land upon it
You better know what's on it
The planet of New Orleans
New Orleans is like another planet with a completely different lifestyle and culture. There is so much activity and excitement in New Orleans that newcomers need to be fully prepared if they decide to come.
Now I'm tryin' to find my way
Through the rain and the steam
I'm lookin' straight ahead through the screen
And then I heard her say
Somethin' in the Limousine
'Bout takin' a ride across the planet of New Orleans
The artist is struggling to navigate through the heavy rain and humidity in New Orleans, but he continues to look for his muse. He hears her whisper something in the car they're in about taking a ride across the city.
If she was an ace
And I was just a jack
And the cards were never seen
We could have been the king and queen
But she took me back to her courtyard
Where magnolia perfume screams
Behind the gates and the granite
Of the planet of New Orleans
If the woman he's with was an ace and he was only a jack, they could have ruled New Orleans together - but it wasn't meant to be. Instead, they go back to her place, where the scent of the magnolia trees overwhelms them both. Her courtyard is behind imposing gates of granite that suggest the city's mysterious and alluring nature.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: MARK KNOPFLER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind