He wrote the song based on an experience he had in '77, seeking shelter from the rain in a run-down pub with a mediocre band. The singer closed their set with, “Goodnight and thank you. We are the Sultans Of Swing.”
I read that Mark Nopfler was writing about seeing a mediocre bar band who at the end of their set simply said, "thank you we are the sultans of swing," before exiting the stage. It really is self explanatory. Hahaha
There are so many great Dire Straits' songs for a Literalist to check out because Mark Knopfler is such a masterful storyteller. Here are just a few: In The Gallery, Wild West End, Single-Handed Sailor, Tunnel of Love, Private Investigations, Money For Nothing, Your Latest Trick, Brothers in Arms, On Every Street, Iron Hand, Ticket to Heaven, My Parties and Planet of New Orleans.
You're spreading it thin, JJ C. You just effectively doubled the number of Dire Straits songs on our suggestion list. Now it's up to votes from others. We did Money For Nothing. - JD
Similar to the live version of Telegraph Road, the live version of Sultans from Alchemy live album tour is incomparable with a finale that is chefs kiss. Preferential in my view to the studio version.
Yes the Alchemy Live performance of this is an absolute must watch. Its my favourite live performance of anything ever. And one of my favourite things that I am aware of in general.
I'll never forget when I was 13, listening to WPLJ in NYC when they played this for the very first time, and it BLEW. ME. AWAY. ....been a Dire Straits fan ever since!
“Guitar” George and Harry are references to George Young and Harry Vanda (Vanda & Young). George was a founding member of the Aussie group The Easybeats, and of course was the older brother of Malcolm and Angus Young (AC/DC). The Youngs and Knopfler hail from the same area of Scotland, “Geordie Boys.” There’s a documentary on UA-cam with Brian Johnson (AC/DC) and Mark Knopfler reminiscing the old days, exploring Mark’s early musical influences. Worth a look.
If you're open to more Dire Straits, "Brothers in Arms" is a must. If nobody has suggested it yet, "Dreamline" by Rush would be another good pick. Late era Rush had some really great, dense lyrical content.
I remember the time when this song came out and I really enjoyed it and became a fan after picking up the album. Ever since then I've got all the albums and some of Mark's solo efforts are also well worth the listen. I think Mark has a great understanding of musical silence and phrasing that few others seem to get. Funny I wrote the above before the "notes you don't play" comment. :)
Some of the most beautiful guitar sounds ever recorded. I was 16 when this came out and made us all look...and listen. Still sounds as fresh as the day it dropped. Mark Knopler's pick attack and note articulation are otherworldly. And that bass makes you want to swing!
Another great reaction video to one of my old favorites. Looking forward to Romeo and Juliet and Skateaway. (I think I already voted for one if not both of them) Skateaway always reminds me of my daughter in law who was a roller derby star for years. I know it's not about roller derby, but it is about roller skating, so I'll take it!
I have owned ALchemy for years. When I first got it, I listened to it once and shelved it where it has been gathering dust ever since. Due to the hoo-rah of MK/DS fans, I will drag it down and give it a thoughtful listen. Thanks! - JD
Have you guys considered widening your listening beyond Dire Straits to Mark Knopfler's solo work? It would be interesting to see Literalist's Dave's take on songs like Boom Like That, Song for Sonny Liston, Privateering and If This Is Goodbye (with Emmylou Harris).
Again, I had 3 MK tunes on the list, none of which you mention, thus you added 4 more to the list. I have never once heard a Knopfler solo tune on the radio. Some Reaction channels require a song to have 10 million spotify or youtube streams before they will consider it. We don't work that way, however, to get votes from others, you need to focus on the top of the top. However, I listen to every suggestion I am unfamiliar with to look for those diamonds I missed. ultimately, I alone choose what songs I present to Dave, however I have set up a way for viewers to weigh in and carry significant influence on selection. Hope this helps.- JD
One of my favorite Dire Straights songs. Not sure if it is in your style, but I have always loved Rhyme of the Ancient Mariner by Iron Maiden. First heard it live, front row on the floor and it made a lasting impression.
Great reaction! My only difference of interpretation is that I always assumed, given the narrator's personal knowledge of the various musicians, that he was part of the band. He was lamenting that that style of music was waning in popularity, forcing, say, Harry, to get a daytime job. The melancholy tone of the song seemed to fit in that scenario. And definitely "Skateaway"!
John, “He’s saving it up for Friday night.” Friday night is when he is playing with the band…” he’s got a daytime job. He’s doing all right” therefore, he’s playing at night “with the Sultans, we’re the Sultans Of Swing”. Thanks for doing this song.
It was a Pub. Mark said that when the Announcer says "We are the Sultans of Swing" he commented that they weren't like the Sultans of anything. Next to nobody was in the bar "You don't see too many faces" It really has nothing to do about Jazz just about a band that were crap.
Great reaction to a great song! Now, you have to do Dire Straits “Tunnel of Love”. Strongly recommend the album version, the lyrics are clearer and the outro solo is the most poignant guitar solo ever. The lyrics are based on an actual event that happened to Mark Knopfler when he was a teenager hanging out at a nearby amusement park, The Spanish City. Dave, the bridge has a pun that I know you will catch…think amusement park (hint: the song was recorded in New York City).
Sorry for the comment barrage. I've only recently found your channel and am falling in love with it. hehe. Have you guys heard the band Tropical F*** Storm yet? 4 piece from Australia, two men/two women, that sound like Leonard Coen on Quaaludes. A newer musical 'hipster' enjoyed band.
I do like their cover of Stayin' Alive and their unique sound. Dave, however, will not like this. He's no fan of discordant music. Thanks, and welcome to the channel! - JD
Hey guys... awesome as usual. Try out, Twisting by the pool - Dire Straits. Please. Oh and I second, Rime of the ancient mariner by Iron Maiden. Cheers 🍻🍻🤘🤘🤘🤘🤘
Twistin is destined for a livestream as it doesn't fit our goals for Full Reaction vids. I have always loved the song and used to play it when I DJ'd poolside parties. - JD
As a complete off topic, think you guys should react to some Warren Zevon classics. Excitable Boy, Lawyers Guns and Money, Tenderness on the Block and Werewolves of London being my suggestions. Later edit - I saw reaction to Excitable Boy but many other great Zevon hits are out there ready for reaction. Particularly Werewolves during the Halloween season.
In an interview posted by another comment on this video, Knopfler says the story is true, he was a fly on the wall, not in the band, and that it occurred in "Deptford or Greenwich" which are both located just south of the Thames in London. - JD
@@DrNothing23 I believe he mentioned Meantime in the first verse. I’m a Yank, and have only been in Greenwich once. I think that it has been a fun place since Henry VIII made it his stomping grounds.
I know this is a real tangent, but the song Broadsword by Jethro Tull is one of my favorite JT songs. Put it on the list, although, I kind of doubt it will get many votes...
Isn't that the album that got Jethro Tull the very first Grammy Award for "Heavy Metal"? I remember laughing when I heard that. Anywho, it's a strange mix between native American and Celtic or Viking-sounding, don't ya think? It's added to the list. - JD
Song suggestion that might be funny/interesting in light of the point of this channel; interpreting the lyrics literally. Ween's "Marble Tulip Juicy Tree". 90's band formed by two Jr. High best friends from New Hope, Pennsylvania. If you're not familiar, they basically parody music itself and their lyrics are either unfathomably oblique or just nonsensical. Genius band.
Jeff, clearly you prefer to traverse the rough edges of music, and for that I applaud you! At my age, it's difficult to make those kinds of musical choices, but when I was younger and listening to Devo and Yes in the same sitting, people thought the same of me. Both of your recent suggestions have been listened to and enjoyed by me, that's for sure. I don't see returning to those wells unless prompted, so keep prompting! Thanks! - JD
Absolutely one of my top 5 from the 80's! Amazing piece. EDIT: Another lyric I THINK they might have misinterpreted is "Comin' in out of the rain to hear the Jazz *POUR* down", but might be wrong. That's how I've always heard it and it seems more poetically lyrical. EDIT EDIT: The backbeat on the high hat drives this thing like a German Watch and the drum fill at 9:28 is geniusly simple but DISGUSTING! EDIT EDIT EDIT: Rock and Roll's etymology is a mixture of Texas Blues, Country and Old Timey Gospel. ;)
If you want to hear the story, Mark Knopfler explained it in an interview he had with Brian Johnson(the singer of ACDC) ua-cam.com/video/ExFQqt5t34o/v-deo.html
Tim, sorry, if you're a sufferer of that. Since we're sharing, I have a rare neurological issue also, Transient Global Amnesia. Life is fun when you wake up and you're not sure your day is going to go as planned. - JD
That sucks, Tim :P My only ailment is Luposlipaphobia. The fear of being chased by a pack of wolves around a small kitchen table on a new linoleum floor wearing only my socks.
@@LiteralistReactions Making Movies isn't the name of a Dire Straits song. It's the name of the album that includes Tunnel of Love, Romeo and Juliet, and Skateaway. It's a phrase mentioned in the lyrics of Skateway so perhaps that's the one Cygnus means?
He wrote the song based on an experience he had in '77, seeking shelter from the rain in a run-down pub with a mediocre band.
The singer closed their set with, “Goodnight and thank you. We are the Sultans Of Swing.”
I read that Mark Nopfler was writing about seeing a mediocre bar band who at the end of their set simply said, "thank you we are the sultans of swing," before exiting the stage. It really is self explanatory. Hahaha
There are so many great Dire Straits' songs for a Literalist to check out because Mark Knopfler is such a masterful storyteller. Here are just a few: In The Gallery, Wild West End, Single-Handed Sailor, Tunnel of Love, Private Investigations, Money For Nothing, Your Latest Trick, Brothers in Arms, On Every Street, Iron Hand, Ticket to Heaven, My Parties and Planet of New Orleans.
You're spreading it thin, JJ C. You just effectively doubled the number of Dire Straits songs on our suggestion list. Now it's up to votes from others. We did Money For Nothing. - JD
Similar to the live version of Telegraph Road, the live version of Sultans from Alchemy live album tour is incomparable with a finale that is chefs kiss. Preferential in my view to the studio version.
Yes the Alchemy Live performance of this is an absolute must watch. Its my favourite live performance of anything ever. And one of my favourite things that I am aware of in general.
I'll never forget when I was 13, listening to WPLJ in NYC when they played this for the very first time, and it BLEW. ME. AWAY. ....been a Dire Straits fan ever since!
"The man's too strong" and of course the most powerful war song since war pigs "Brothers in arms"
The Man's Too Strong was added to the list and "Brothers" has your vote added, thanks! - JD
great song guys. one of my favorite guitar solos of all time. and that's saying allot. lots of love
“Guitar” George and Harry are references to George Young and Harry Vanda (Vanda & Young). George was a founding member of the Aussie group The Easybeats, and of course was the older brother of Malcolm and Angus Young (AC/DC).
The Youngs and Knopfler hail from the same area of Scotland, “Geordie Boys.” There’s a documentary on UA-cam with Brian Johnson (AC/DC) and Mark Knopfler reminiscing the old days, exploring Mark’s early musical influences. Worth a look.
Mark came up in Newcastle. "Geordie"=Newcastle, England, not anywhere near Glasgow, Scotland where Mark was born, at least for a 7-year-old.
05:31 It's South London, sometimes called "London Town." "South of the river" (Thames).
Thank you for this one!
Another great Dire Straits song is “Private Investigations”. Just mind blowing.
Already have you on the list for that one, waiting for more votes to poke its head above the crowd. - JD
I would second that vote!
Vote counted. - JD
If you're open to more Dire Straits, "Brothers in Arms" is a must.
If nobody has suggested it yet, "Dreamline" by Rush would be another good pick. Late era Rush had some really great, dense lyrical content.
There are currently 8 Dire Straits songs on the list including this one. Your vote has just pushed it into 2nd place. Thanks! - JD
I remember the time when this song came out and I really enjoyed it and became a fan after picking up the album. Ever since then I've got all the albums and some of Mark's solo efforts are also well worth the listen. I think Mark has a great understanding of musical silence and phrasing that few others seem to get.
Funny I wrote the above before the "notes you don't play" comment. :)
Some of the most beautiful guitar sounds ever recorded. I was 16 when this came out and made us all look...and listen. Still sounds as fresh as the day it dropped. Mark Knopler's pick attack and note articulation are otherworldly. And that bass makes you want to swing!
Another great reaction video to one of my old favorites. Looking forward to Romeo and Juliet and Skateaway. (I think I already voted for one if not both of them) Skateaway always reminds me of my daughter in law who was a roller derby star for years. I know it's not about roller derby, but it is about roller skating, so I'll take it!
Tim, Skateaway recently crossed the threshold for votes and will soon be recorded. Look for it in the coming weeks. - JD
Got to listen to the live version from " Alchemy "....mind blowing, especially the drumming
I have owned ALchemy for years. When I first got it, I listened to it once and shelved it where it has been gathering dust ever since. Due to the hoo-rah of MK/DS fans, I will drag it down and give it a thoughtful listen. Thanks! - JD
Have you guys considered widening your listening beyond Dire Straits to Mark Knopfler's solo work? It would be interesting to see Literalist's Dave's take on songs like Boom Like That, Song for Sonny Liston, Privateering and If This Is Goodbye (with Emmylou Harris).
Again, I had 3 MK tunes on the list, none of which you mention, thus you added 4 more to the list. I have never once heard a Knopfler solo tune on the radio. Some Reaction channels require a song to have 10 million spotify or youtube streams before they will consider it. We don't work that way, however, to get votes from others, you need to focus on the top of the top. However, I listen to every suggestion I am unfamiliar with to look for those diamonds I missed. ultimately, I alone choose what songs I present to Dave, however I have set up a way for viewers to weigh in and carry significant influence on selection. Hope this helps.- JD
As a Dire Straits fan, I like how you react to the music and interpret the lyrics. For me the best song of Dire Straits is "Tunnel of Love".
Vote counted! - JD
@@LiteralistReactions Upvoted!
If you want to hear Mark Knopfler and James Taylor tell an American story then you absolutely have to listen to 'Sailing to Philadelphia'
One of my favorite Dire Straights songs.
Not sure if it is in your style, but I have always loved Rhyme of the Ancient Mariner by Iron Maiden. First heard it live, front row on the floor and it made a lasting impression.
Suggestion added to our list, thanks! - JD
It's the Mark Knopfler Solos that tickles the nerve endings that make this song so popular.
Great reaction!
My only difference of interpretation is that I always assumed, given the narrator's personal knowledge of the various musicians, that he was part of the band. He was lamenting that that style of music was waning in popularity, forcing, say, Harry, to get a daytime job. The melancholy tone of the song seemed to fit in that scenario.
And definitely "Skateaway"!
Vote counted! - JD
John, “He’s saving it up for Friday night.” Friday night is when he is playing with the band…” he’s got a daytime job. He’s doing all right” therefore, he’s playing at night “with the Sultans, we’re the Sultans Of Swing”. Thanks for doing this song.
Yes. Please do Skateaway!
Vote counted, thanks! - JD
It was a Pub. Mark said that when the Announcer says "We are the Sultans of Swing" he commented that they weren't like the Sultans of anything. Next to nobody was in the bar "You don't see too many faces" It really has nothing to do about Jazz just about a band that were crap.
Great reaction to a great song! Now, you have to do Dire Straits “Tunnel of Love”. Strongly recommend the album version, the lyrics are clearer and the outro solo is the most poignant guitar solo ever.
The lyrics are based on an actual event that happened to Mark Knopfler when he was a teenager hanging out at a nearby amusement park, The Spanish City.
Dave, the bridge has a pun that I know you will catch…think amusement park (hint: the song was recorded in New York City).
Added and got a fast super vote! - JD
Mark Knopfler and the Dire Straits top all of my lists. BTW, my name is Sultanik 😂
Hilarious. Will be part of our Handles/Names convo in next Q&A #8. - JD
Sorry for the comment barrage. I've only recently found your channel and am falling in love with it. hehe.
Have you guys heard the band Tropical F*** Storm yet?
4 piece from Australia, two men/two women, that sound like Leonard Coen on Quaaludes.
A newer musical 'hipster' enjoyed band.
I do like their cover of Stayin' Alive and their unique sound. Dave, however, will not like this. He's no fan of discordant music. Thanks, and welcome to the channel! - JD
Hey guys... awesome as usual. Try out, Twisting by the pool - Dire Straits. Please. Oh and I second, Rime of the ancient mariner by Iron Maiden. Cheers 🍻🍻🤘🤘🤘🤘🤘
Twistin is destined for a livestream as it doesn't fit our goals for Full Reaction vids. I have always loved the song and used to play it when I DJ'd poolside parties. - JD
As a complete off topic, think you guys should react to some Warren Zevon classics. Excitable Boy, Lawyers Guns and Money, Tenderness on the Block and Werewolves of London being my suggestions.
Later edit - I saw reaction to Excitable Boy but many other great Zevon hits are out there ready for reaction. Particularly Werewolves during the Halloween season.
Your suggestions were either added or voted, thanks! - JD
He is in fact talking about London England. Dire Straits are from England and London is in the south of the country.
More specifically, he’s talking about Greenwich (Meantime). They’re playing at 0 degrees longitude.
@@rtwbikerider Is that eluded to specifically in the lyrics?
In an interview posted by another comment on this video, Knopfler says the story is true, he was a fly on the wall, not in the band, and that it occurred in "Deptford or Greenwich" which are both located just south of the Thames in London. - JD
He was living in Deptford at the time he wrote it, also the location of 'The Duke' jazz pub, claimed as the actual pub by some fans.
@@DrNothing23 I believe he mentioned Meantime in the first verse. I’m a Yank, and have only been in Greenwich once. I think that it has been a fun place since Henry VIII made it his stomping grounds.
You should have played the live version, this one is a bit tame by comparison !
From Mark himself. ua-cam.com/users/shortsoa-Lo8wQ9jE?feature=share
Also, Mark did the soundtrack to The Princess Bride movie.
I know this is a real tangent, but the song Broadsword by Jethro Tull is one of my favorite JT songs. Put it on the list, although, I kind of doubt it will get many votes...
Isn't that the album that got Jethro Tull the very first Grammy Award for "Heavy Metal"? I remember laughing when I heard that. Anywho, it's a strange mix between native American and Celtic or Viking-sounding, don't ya think? It's added to the list. - JD
@@LiteralistReactions Yup.... Heavy metal, eh? LOL Thanx for adding the song!
They are from the North of England so London is in the South
Song suggestion that might be funny/interesting in light of the point of this channel; interpreting the lyrics literally.
Ween's "Marble Tulip Juicy Tree".
90's band formed by two Jr. High best friends from New Hope, Pennsylvania.
If you're not familiar, they basically parody music itself and their lyrics are either unfathomably oblique or just nonsensical.
Genius band.
Jeff, clearly you prefer to traverse the rough edges of music, and for that I applaud you! At my age, it's difficult to make those kinds of musical choices, but when I was younger and listening to Devo and Yes in the same sitting, people thought the same of me. Both of your recent suggestions have been listened to and enjoyed by me, that's for sure. I don't see returning to those wells unless prompted, so keep prompting! Thanks! - JD
Absolutely one of my top 5 from the 80's!
Amazing piece.
EDIT: Another lyric I THINK they might have misinterpreted is "Comin' in out of the rain to hear the Jazz *POUR* down", but might be wrong.
That's how I've always heard it and it seems more poetically lyrical.
EDIT EDIT: The backbeat on the high hat drives this thing like a German Watch and the drum fill at 9:28 is geniusly simple but DISGUSTING!
EDIT EDIT EDIT: Rock and Roll's etymology is a mixture of Texas Blues, Country and Old Timey Gospel. ;)
You're right, that fill is sick. - JD
If you want to hear the story, Mark Knopfler explained it in an interview he had with Brian Johnson(the singer of ACDC)
ua-cam.com/video/ExFQqt5t34o/v-deo.html
That was awesome, thanks! - JD
Water of love would be a great next listen!
Your song has been added to our list, thanks! - JD
I had a great comment for you guys and forgot it. Hydrocephalus sucks man!
Tim, sorry, if you're a sufferer of that. Since we're sharing, I have a rare neurological issue also, Transient Global Amnesia. Life is fun when you wake up and you're not sure your day is going to go as planned. - JD
That sucks, Tim :P
My only ailment is Luposlipaphobia.
The fear of being chased by a pack of wolves around a small kitchen table on a new linoleum floor wearing only my socks.
And that explains why I occasionally suffer from Gelotophobia. - JD
Great little jam!
But no social justice talking points?
I'm surprised the garden gnome king didn't bring up cultural appropriation of the word Sultan.
...and thus it begins. I assume that one was over our bow as a warning of more fire to come? LOL - JD
@@LiteralistReactions yeah, I'm pacing myself. I don't want to make him cry on day one. 🥃
The true story is he went into the club to get out of the rain and the band were terrible.
The lyrics shown on the screen are consistently wrong, and it's not even hard to capture the lyrics correctly.
Hello, fellow humans. Iconic tune. It blows my mind that Dave hasn't heard this, at least while shopping. Another good one is Making Movies
Making Movies is added to the list. - JD
@@LiteralistReactions Making Movies isn't the name of a Dire Straits song. It's the name of the album that includes Tunnel of Love, Romeo and Juliet, and Skateaway. It's a phrase mentioned in the lyrics of Skateway so perhaps that's the one Cygnus means?