Thanks to Jim Adams, for hosting Song Lyric Sunday. I’m going to skip the Casa Cuckoo update again. There’s too Too much, and I just can’t even. I am doing okay except for being exhausted. So, let’s listen to a great song, shall we?
The prompt for this week – Songs that mention a musical instrument
As usual, several songs popped into my head. I passed on Let There Be Rock, and other obvious choices. I thought about using Spoonman, but while the video makes it obvious it’s about playing spoons as an instrument, the lyrics are a little vague. Ultimately I decided to go with a song I really like, Sultans Of Swing performed by Dire Straits, and written by singer/guitarist Mark Knopfler.
According to Wiki they recorded a demo of the song in July 1977 and BBC Radio London put it into rotation, which brought it to the attention of the Suits in the recording industry. They signed with Phonogram Records, re-recorded the song and released it as part of their self-titled debut album in May 1978 in UK, and January 1979 in US. Songfacts also has some interesting tidbits about the song if you’re interested.
I chose an audio only version of the song. There are a couple of videos that show the band performing but they omit the fifth verse, and I like the fifth verse.
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 that 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
Oh, but the horns, they’re blowing 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 wanna make it cry or sing
Left-handed 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
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 ‘n’ 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.”
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Are you a fan of Dire Straits? What song pops into your mind for this prompt? Thanks for stopping by and I’ll see you next Sunday, if not sooner.
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HUGS!
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King Ben's Grandma 
Ah, great song! 🎶🖤
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I forget about it, then thoroughly enjoy it whenever I hear it🤪🎶💃🏼
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I was denied the pleasure of watching this song by the cryptic message; video unavailable in your country.
I hope life for you slows down and gives you a chance to catch up. Hugs.
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I updated and added a link to one of the videos that omits the fifth verse. I wonder if your country objects to the word Sultan 🤔🤷🏼♀️ Who knows anymore, right??
It seems like a lot of people I know have been having out of the blue, intense drama lately. There’s astrology that explains it, but there’s also world events and the ongoing Kootie Saga…
Ben has Spring Break the last week of March, so I’m hoping that April starts a new, easier chapter for me🤞🤞
How are you and yours doing? Hopefully the weird drama hasn’t affected any of you… just the normal stuff🤪😂
🤗🥰
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It’s not anything specific that is banned but generally they don’t let us play the video in our WP reader. Even the videos I post myself!!!
We all are good. Thankfully no drama here, except political. And I ignore that. I hope the spring break goes uneventfully. Take care, hugs.
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It’s a good song. I just checked to see if I know any other Dire Straits besides this and Money for Nothing. I don’t. Are you a fan of the band or just the song? As a spin instructor, I used to use Money for Nothing all the time until I read the lyrics one day…
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I need to see if I know any of their songs besides those two😂 Mostly I love this song. The guitar is great and I like songs that tell a story. It’s one of the reasons I love Jim Croce.
I’d forgotten about the word in Money For Nothing. Green Day uses the same word in American Idiot. The radio stations bleep it, which I hate. I hate censorship. But that’s another Soap Box for another time😉😂
No song suggestion?? You usually have some cool song I’ve never heard.
Completely unrelated,, I heard a song recently and thought “I wonder if Jeff knows this song” it’s by King Missile called “Detachable Penis” it made me laugh. There’s even a video..
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Why yes. I do know detachable penis. If you can believe it, that song got a lot of airplay in DC. 😂 It’s a good one. Eli told me he knows it too.
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I do believe it would be difficult to stump you on Music unless it was a new west coast band.😂
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I’ve got gigantic holes in my music knowledge. The one that shows up most often is 80s metal bands.
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I wasn’t a huge fan of the 80s Heavy Metal. I knew some Iron Maiden, Judas Priest, Metallica but I was more into the mor glam stuff like Skid Row, Poison, Motley Crue… Hair Bands… pretty boys😉😂😂😂
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Excellent choice Angie. The “Guitar George” and “Harry” who are mentioned in the lyrics are George Young and Harry Vanda, who were guitarists in the band The Easybeats. George Young is Angus Young’s older brother, and Harry and George helped get AC/DC recorded.
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Yep. I read about that. And the Sultans Of Swing were a real band. Not a good one😂😂😂
I love Mark Knopfler’s guitar playing on this song.
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As many times as I’ve heard this great song, I’ve never read the lyrics or known the story. It gives it even more charm although I feel badly now for Knopfler having his own ‘Cherry Pie’ song. 😉. Spoonman was new to me so thanks for that one too! 🎶💃🎸🥄🤗
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Unfortunately Spoonman doesn’t get much play, not with all of Soundgarden’s other songs. I’m glad you liked it!🎶🥳💃🏼
I forget about Sultans Of Swing until I hear it, then I want to listen to it several times😂 It’s just a groovy song!!
💕🦋🧚♀️💫🤗🥰🌻
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Dire Straits absolutely brilliant, Sultans of Swing great … excellent choice 💜🇺🇦💜
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Thank you! I’m glad you liked it🥳🎶💃🏼💕
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I did 😁😁
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Good song! The other Dire Straits song that I like is So Far Away. I like the guitar in that one. The first line that came to my mind was from Bruce Springsteen’s Thunder Road – “I got this guitar and I learned how to make it talk.” Or I guess Billy Joel’s Piano Man – but I bet a lot of people picked that one. Well, hope all is well and you have a good week!
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I actually didn’t see either, but I didn’t look at all of them. I think we all stay away from the obvious ones😂😂
I forgot about So Far Away. So now I can tell Jeff I know at least THREE Dire Straits songs😂
Thank you for checking in Robyn! Insure I speak for Jeff as well when I say we miss you!!🤗🥰 (He might not agree with the emojis😂)
But I totally get that you have a LOT on your plate right now.
You know where to find me… I’ve been there, done that, got the tee shirt etc… 😉 and the drama has been other people’s but I get pulled in. It’s exhausting to a HSP Empath, but personally I’m still good.💕
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I saw Dire Straits back in the 90s. It was there home town gig. Fantastic. Love that song. He is such a great story teller in his songs. Many of the places he writes about are places from my childhood as well. ♥️♥️♥️
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Oh, that’s cool! I wonder if he’s another anti rhubarb rebel??😂😂
💌💌💌
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Excellent song.
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I’m glad you liked it 🎶💃🏼🥳
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