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)
water
Dire Straits Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Lost and lonely every way
Got the flats all around me sky up above
Yes I need a little water of love
I've been too and long lonely and my heart feels pain
Crying out for some soothing rain
I believe I have taken enough
Water of love deep in the ground
But there ain't no water here to be found
Some day baby when the river runs free
It's gonna carry that water of love to me
There's a bird up in a tree sitting up high
Just waiting for me to die
If I don't get some water soon
I'll be dead and gone in the afternoon
Water of love deep in the ground
But there ain't no water here to be found
Some day baby when the river runs free
It's gonna carry that water of love to me
Once I had a woman I could call my own
Once I had a woman now my woman she gone
Once there was a river now there's a stone
You know it's evil then you're living alone
Water of love deep in the ground
But there ain't no water here to be found
Some day baby when the river runs free
It's gonna carry that water of love to me, carry that
Water of love deep in the ground
But there ain't no water here to be found
Some day baby when the river runs free
It's gonna carry that water of love to me
The song "Water of Love" by Dire Straits explores themes of loneliness, desperation, and hopelessness. The singer is in a state of despair, feeling lost and alone, and longing for a little bit of love and comfort. The image of being "high and dry in the long hot day" highlights the singer's utter desperation, and the mention of the "flats all around me" implies that he is stranded and dejected in a desolate and barren environment.
As the song continues, the singer expresses his need for "water of love" to soothe his pain and heal his heart. This "water of love" is likened to rain, a life-sustaining force that can revitalize and nourish. However, the singer realizes that this water is hard to come by and must be sought out, as he acknowledges that "there ain't no water here to be found."
Despite the bleakness of the situation, there is a glimmer of hope in the idea that one day the river will run free and bring the much-needed water of love. The final verse brings the song full circle, as the singer reflects on a time when he had a woman to call his own but is now alone, with only the memory of a river that is now a stone.
Overall, "Water of Love" is a poignant portrayal of the human condition, capturing the universal feeling of longing for love and connection in a world that can often feel cold and isolating.
Line by Line Meaning
High and dry in the long hot day
I am stranded and dehydrated in a never-ending day
Lost and lonely every way
I am aimless and desolate in every direction
Got the flats all around me sky up above
I'm in a vast, featureless desert with nothing but the endless sky above
Yes I need a little water of love
I am desperately in need of love and care
I've been too and long lonely and my heart feels pain
I've been lonely for far too long and it hurts me deeply
Crying out for some soothing rain
I am crying out for something to ease my pain
I believe I have taken enough
I can't handle any more hardship and need relief
Yes I need a little water of love
I need to be loved and cared for to survive
Water of love deep in the ground
Love is buried deep within me
But there ain't no water here to be found
I am unable to find love anywhere around me
Some day baby when the river runs free
One day, when the circumstances change, love will come to me
It's gonna carry that water of love to me
Love will finally reach me and heal my wounds
There's a bird up in a tree sitting up high
There is a vulture waiting for me to give up on life
Just waiting for me to die
The vulture is waiting for me to perish so it can feed on my remains
If I don't get some water soon
If I don't find love soon
I'll be dead and gone in the afternoon
I'll die alone and forgotten soon enough
Once I had a woman I could call my own
I used to have someone who loved me back
Once I had a woman now my woman she gone
But now she's gone and I'm alone
Once there was a river now there's a stone
Once love flowed freely for me, now it has turned to stone
You know it's evil then you're living alone
Living without love is a cruel fate
Water of love deep in the ground
Love lies buried within us
But there ain't no water here to be found
But sometimes it feels like we can't find it
Some day baby when the river runs free
But eventually, love will come to us
It's gonna carry that water of love to me, carry that
And when it does, it will sustain us and give us new life
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: MARK KNOPFLER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@MonkeyMomma76
Lyrics:
High and dry in the long hot day
Lost and lonely every way
Got the flats all around me sky up above
Yes I need a little water of love
I've been too and long lonely and my heart feels pain
Crying out for some soothing rain
I believe I have taken enough
Yes I need a little water of love
Water of love deep in the ground
But there ain't no water here to be found
Some day baby when the river runs free
It's gonna carry that water of love to me
There's a bird up in a tree sitting up high
Just waiting for me to die
If I don't get some water soon
I'll be dead and gone in the afternoon
Water of love deep in the ground
But there ain't no water here to be found
Some day baby when the river runs free
It's gonna carry that water of love to me
Once I had a woman I could call my own
Once I had a woman now my woman she gone
Once there was a river now there's a stone
You know it's evil then you're living alone
Water of love deep in the ground
But there ain't no water here to be found
Some day baby when the river runs free
It's gonna carry that water of love to me, carry that
Water of love deep in the ground
But there ain't no water here to be found
Some day baby when the river runs free
It's gonna carry that water of love to me
@caleb6595
Oh yeah, if you’re here, I like you.
@jonathanbirch2022
This song is like stepping into a Western movie
@curtisbilgray3615
Mark Knopfler while not exactly unknown, is still one of the most underrated/underappreciated musicians of all time.
@alexbeeney3067
so true
@marcosrotllan
Its because the videoclips
@kikililac
Curtis Bilgray
He's absolutely NOT underrated; over the entire world everybody knows about his advanced guitar skills and it's a matter of fact that the Knopfler sound is a commonly known phenomenon.
Underrated? No
Genius? Yes......................
@morrisonreed1
only in bad company
@said-dp4mx
Mark Knopfler is a whole that's why we can't classify him
@fritsvanswinderen4532
Possibly the best debut album ever made, no fillers or exces notes
@tangiwaihill7927
Yes I totally agree 100%