Sultans Of Swing by Dire Straits
Ranked #4,325 in Music, #121,130 overall
Dire Straits
Sultans Of Swing was the first hit single by Dire Straits from their self titled first album, Dire Straits.
Dire Straits were a great English rock band, formed by Mark Knopfler in 1977 and best known for their hits Sultans Of Swing and Money For Nothing. As well as Mark Knopfler, the band comprised also his brother David Knopfler (guitar), John Illsley (bass), and Pick Withers (drums).
Although the band was formed in an era when punk rock ruled the charts, their unique style of Rock Music, simpler than the Classic Rock of the 1970's, woowed new audiences quickly.
Their first single Sultan's Of Swing immediately put them into the spotlight. By the time their most famous album, Brothers In Arms was released, with the single Money For Nothing which of course was recorded at Live Aid they had reached the top.
This song, Sultans Of Swing is a great song from their first album, Dire Straits.

Song Lyrics: Sultans Of Swing by Dire Straits
Written by: Mark Knopfler from the Album: "Dire Straits" - 1978
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
You step inside but you don't see too many faces
Coming in out of the rain to hear the jazz go down
Too much competition too many other places
But not too many horns can make that sound
Way on downsouth way on downsouth London town
You check out Guitar George he knows all the chords
Mind he's strictly rhythm he doesn't want to make it cry or sing
And an 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 honky tonk just 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
The don't give a damn about any trumpet playing band
It ain't what they call rock and roll
And the Sultans played Creole
And then the man he steps right up to the microphone
And says at last just as the time bell rings
'Thank you goodnight now it's time to go home'
and he makes it fast whith one more thing
'We are the Sultans of Swing'
Dire Straits CD's from Amazon
Treat yourself and add a Dire Straits CD to your collection today. Their debut album Dire Straits is an excellent choice, almost every track could be a single.
Dire Straits MP3 Downloads from Amazon
Dire Straits DVD's from Amazon
How about catching a Dire Straits concert in your living room? All you need to do is get your hands on one of these great DIre Straits DVD's from Amazon.
Dire Straits Memorabilia on eBay
Grab yourself something cool, maybe a rare t-short or a concert program, or even just a bargain price on a Dire Straits CD or DVD. eBay has it all, and it's different every day.
Sultans Of Swing In The News
- News Update: Wednesday, Jan. 25 Sultans of Swing Singer Heads to American Idol
- Last summer she ruled Edgartown, singing weekly gigs at the Wharf and the Atlantic, while also headlining Jerry Bennett's Sultans of Swing group. The Sultans play just about every fund-raiser and wedding on the Island that does not include Johnny Hoy.
- Mystic marimba: Erin Jorgensen's 'Redemption'
- Fans of The French Project, Erin Jorgensen's zanily poker-faced cabaret combo that Gallicizes everything in the pop-song repertoire from "The Sultans of Swing" to "Nights in White Satin" will want to readjust their expectations for Jorgensen's new show ...
- Session A9, Sultans of String and The Quebe Sisters Band, Glasgow Royal ...
- With their Anderson sisters-style harmony singing and western swing-driven three-fiddle attack, Texas's Quebe sisters are both a throwback and a scary prospect. They already play with dexterity, the fiddling equivalent of a blazing, fiendishly mobile ...
- Champian Fulton Quartet continues “Feel the Heat” tour at the Columbia
- After working with jazz legends such as Jimmy Cobb, Frank Wess, Lou Donaldson and Louis Hayes, she recorded her self-titled debut album, "Champian", in 2007, with David Berger and The Sultans of Swing. Since her debut, she has recorded two more ...
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JoeCinocca
Nov 25, 2011 @ 2:59 am | delete
- I've actually got this Old Grey Whistle Test video in my bookmarks! Knopfler just shreds on this thing and it's so fun to see him play the intricate parts while singing. It's as if he's bored! #lovethisband
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MAMellott
Oct 8, 2011 @ 2:58 am | delete
- Thanks once again for sharing!
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Blessedmombygrace
Jul 7, 2011 @ 10:06 pm | delete
- Man this takes me back. Now it's playing in my head.
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TapIn2U Jun 21, 2011 @ 9:14 am | delete
- A sweet trip down memory lane. Thanks for sharing this. It's been a while. Sundae ;-)
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poddys
May 4, 2009 @ 3:06 pm | in reply to AndyPo | delete
- I still have all my old LP's, packed away but in good condition. My turntable has been in storage for 4 years though, as has my home theatre system. Probably all now ruined with the humidity. I don't have anywhere to put it here, nor a need for the cassette or cd decks really. Now if I could plug in my USB drive... I ought to sell it all really, only worth a fraction of what I paid for it, such a shame.
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AndyPo
May 4, 2009 @ 1:51 pm | delete
- Excellent lens and choice of song. I found this on vinyl in a second-hand record shop in Brighton recently for just 50p (10 records for a fiver)
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K_Linda
Apr 14, 2009 @ 8:23 am | delete
- OOOH! Wonderful flashback! Love this lens...5*.
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daria369
Mar 8, 2009 @ 4:00 pm | delete
- Always loved to listen to the Dire Straits' music so this lens came as a great memory refresher to me, thank you!! :)
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paperfacets Jul 28, 2008 @ 11:06 pm | delete
- I did not know Dire Straits was English! The lyrics to their songs made me assume they were a U.S group. The one about the telegraph road as an ex. Who does all the fabulous guitar work? Exciting lens.
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