The 1983 Dire Straits song that makes Mark Knopfler feel blessed: “People go bananas”
Every band has that one song. The single track that the group comes to be known for and is so tied to its legacy that nothing else will ever surpass it. Dire Straits may be somewhat unique in that they have a handful of such tunes, but what’s interesting to think about is Mark Knopfler’s view on such a reputation and whether he would agree with the masses on their most quintessential songs of all time.
Knopfler was a major driving force of rock ‘n’ roll in the late 1970s. Entering the scene at a rather peculiar time post-Led Zeppelin, but prior to the mid-1980s new wave boom, Dire Straits achieved the seemingly unachievable: commercialised sounds that were ostensibly dead in the water, like the country sensibilities popularised by Willie Nelson and the jazz sounds of JJ Cale.
The debut single, the indisputably brilliant ‘Sultans of Swing’, catapulted the band into the spotlight from the get-go and continues to be heard through speakers in various spaces of modern-day life. Their other hits, like ‘Walk Of Life’ and ‘Lady Writer’, have a similar appeal, the kind that immediately draws in the listener, regardless of whether you’re familiar with it already or listening for the first time.
For most bands, that kind of recognition can feel like both a blessing and a burden. Having a song that follows you everywhere might cement your legacy, but it can also reduce an entire catalogue to a single moment in time. Knopfler, though, never seemed particularly interested in chasing that kind of definitive statement. His songwriting has always leaned more towards storytelling than spectacle, meaning that no one track was ever designed to carry the full weight of what Dire Straits represented.
It also speaks to the way he viewed success more broadly. While the charts and radio play might elevate certain songs above others in the public eye, the experience of playing music, especially live, operates on a completely different level. For Knopfler, the connection forged in those moments often had far more significance than whichever track happened to be the most recognisable, offering a reminder that a band’s identity is rarely as narrow as its biggest hit.
A particularly endearing trait of Knopfler’s among these hits and much of the band’s discography is that inspiration could strike at any time and create something that reverberates through the ages. ‘Walk Of Life’, for instance, stemmed from a conversation he overheard once in a kitchen shop when a delivery man began ranting about the artists they spotlighted on MTV, repeating the phrase: “That ain’t working!”
While these are all interesting contextual points from the listener’s perspective, the landscape looks very different from Knopfler’s point of view. Of course, being the leader of the band, there are many more twists and turns in the Dire Straits story than just a handful of well-played hits, and times when everything seemed much more introspective than you might believe.
At the end of sets, for instance, the instrumental track ‘Going Home’ would often be a significant signpost for many things, like a reminder of everything they achieved together. As Knopfler put it during an interview with Vulture, ‘Going Home’ became a staple for reasons distinctive from their crowd-pleasing “bangers”—mostly due to the spine-tingling moment of togetherness that it accrues, resulting in a completely unforgettable moment.
“Playing ‘Going Home’ at the end of a set, to a crowd anywhere in the world, people go bananas,” Knopfler explained. “It’s a fun thing for a band to experience. I suppose you get used to that happening, the big audience reactions and massive noises. It’s a thrill. ‘Wow, this is Madison Square Garden and people are going nuts.’ Surely, that’s what you’re doing here. Otherwise, go home. It doesn’t mean anything to you. You’re in the wrong place.”
Discussing the ways the song makes him become wistful about their journey, he added: “You become this little dragon slayer who’s got a nerve. Who do you think you are? You’re just a kid who doesn’t know anything, but without that, where would we be? I’m perfectly well aware that a lot of it is just blowing smoke. But you’re trying to figure out a way through. You stick around for long enough and after a while you get a bit more of an idea.”
Concluding: “I feel as though I’ve had a really blessed run with some great people. I wouldn’t ask for anything more than I’ve had.”
