Romeo And Juliet

Album: Making Movies (1980)
Charted: 8
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Songfacts®:

  • This Shakespearian song is about a couple who are in love, but can't find a way to stay together. The guy in the song is particularly heartbroken, trying to make sense of how it all went wrong. His conclusion: It's just that the time was wrong. He knows he'll always love her.

    The song was written by Dire Straits frontman Mark Knopfler and inspired by his broken romance with Holly Vincent, leader of the band Holly And The Italians. Some of the lyrics indicate that Knopfler felt she used him to boost her career:

    How can you look at me as if I was just another one of your deals
  • Running an even six-minutes long, "Romeo And Juliet" was the second single (following "Skateaway") from the third Dire Straits album, Making Movies. The album was recorded at The Power Station in New York City with producer Jimmy Iovine, who had been engineer/mixer on Bruce Springsteen's Born To Run and producer on Patti Smith's Easter.
  • The line, "Now you just say, oh Romeo, yeah, you know I used to have a scene with him," came from an interview where Holly Vincent was quoted as saying: "What happened was that I had a scene with Mark Knopfler and it got to the point where he couldn't handle it and we split up."
  • Mark Knopfler's younger brother David, who was rhythm guitarist in Dire Straits, left the band during the album sessions. Having two brothers in the same band caused tension and arguments. Said David: "I left because it was no longer possible for Mark and I to work in the same band. We'd be walking around in the studio with eyes averted to the floor. We no longer had a communicating relationship."

    To help fill out the sound, Roy Bittan from Bruce Springsteen's E Street Band played keyboards on the album. >>
    Suggestion credit:
    Christian - Copenhagen, Denmark
  • Dire Straits made a video for this song along with two others from the album: "Skateaway" and "Tunnel Of Love." All three were directed by Lester Bookbinder and sold on VHS as a compilation called Making Movies. MTV went on the air a year later, but didn't play them - they were too long, slow, and cerebral for their audience. Dire Straits got plenty of airtime on the network a few years later for their acclaimed CGI video for "Money For Nothing."
  • The line, "He's underneath the window she's singing, 'hey la my boyfriend's back'" references the Angels' 1963 hit "My Boyfriend's Back."
  • This is played in the movie Empire Records, although it does not appear on the soundtrack.
  • Dire Straits recorded a popular live version for their album On The Night. >>
    Suggestion credit:
    Bertrand - Paris, France
  • The Killers covered this on their 2007 B-sides, covers and rarities compilation Sawdust. In an interview with Q magazine January 2008, the band's drummer Ronnie Vannucci explained why they chose this song: "We've covered 'Romeo And Juliet' because it's a great song - Brandon was really into it. The original idea was to do the song with Johnny Borrell (Vocalist of British band Razorlight) though, but he got really sick and couldn't do it." Frontman Brandon Flowers added: "We're not overly anxious about Dire Straits, though. We're not ashamed of covering 'Romeo And Juliet,' either. It's one of the finest songs ever. Brilliant melodies."

Comments: 37

  • Jp Zingher from UsaWho is the girl who plays Juliet?
  • Knopflerfan from MaI agree with Christopher of Ireland though I don't have the lyrics published originally with record dust cover. According to website phys.org "orion bar" is an astronomical term referring to a bright and nearby Photon Disassociated Region (PDR) of interstellar gas observable in the Orion constellation. Very poetic and visual metaphor. Depending on which site you use for looking up lyrics, you will see " ...Orion" or "......Rhyme". Care to settle the dispute Mr. Knopfler?
  • Sean The lyric i think is "bars of orion".. i think he means that the bars are distance that separates them, and im sure if anyone has ever missed anyone and experienced this grief they know when they look at the stars the thought that the other person may be also looking at them at great distance through the "bars of orion"...i may be wrong but i like to think thats it.
  • Andy from England'A lovestruck Romeo, sing the streets a serenade' is the first line
  • George102r2 from New YorkR&J is a beautiful song. Lyrics are very powerful - DIRE STRAITS RULES :)
  • Brad from West TexasI'm pretty sure it's "through the bars of a rhyme." And yes, they're perfect. And the first line is "sings a street suss serenade."
  • Christopher from IrelandIt's 'bars of Orion', not 'not bars of a rhythm', and the reason this is correct is due to the next line 'I'll do the stars with you baby, anytime'. Orion is a constellation of stars in the solar system and they're joined together into a pattern by imaginary lines or bars joining them. What he basically means is he misses her so much that he'll meet her or find her anywhere, even in the extremes of space.
  • Steve from Ottawa"And all I do is kiss you, through the bars of a rhyme...." Perfect lyrics.
  • Steve from Warneet AustraliaTakes me back to 1965 and a girl I loved very much. Who the hell are The Killers?
  • Benton Fraser from Toronto, OnLove this song. I also like the Killers version.
  • Linda from Nyc, NyActually, I stand corrected. Jules from Asheville is correct, the title of the song from the movie/stage version is "Somewhere." I am quoting the lyrics from the song.
  • Linda from Nyc, NySo, people, I don't think his lyric "There's a Place For Us" refers to the movie song "A Time for Us" from the movie "Romeo and Juliet".
    He is directly referring to the song "There's a Place For Us" from the movie "West Side Story", a 1960's musical version of Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare (or the movie version of that, if you prefer).
    "West Side Story" is about 2 rival gangs in NYC at that time, the Puerto Ricans (the Sharks) vs the local white boys (the Jets).
    Maria and Tony, star-crossed lovers fated to be together for only a short time. In this version, though, Tony gets killed and Maria lives.
  • Jasper from Nieuwegein, NetherlandsBy the way, Alberto (from Carpi, Italy), I listened to the song "Jungleland" and you are very, very right. However, from all of the interviews I've seen with Mark Knopfler (dozens of them), including his bio-documentary "A Life in Songs" from just a couple of years ago, he keeps saying he was just fiddling around on his guitar when he found the notes and made that beautiful sound. So maybe he just accidentaly found the same notes, maybe it was a tribute to the great Bruce Springsteen. We'll probably never know...
  • Jasper from Nieuwegein, NetherlandsWhen I hear this song, it always makes me very sad and very happy at the same time... If a song can do that to people, it shows how ingeniously great the song is written. In my opinion this is the best and most beautiful song ever.
  • Jules from Asheville, NcI don't like to correct anyone, but "There's a Place for Us" is the first line of the (movie and stage) song "Somewhere" from "West Side Story." This musical is a remake of the Romeo and Juliet Story set in New York in the 1950s.

    This is such a gorgeous song. Another beautiful version of it is the one sung a cappella by the Brown Derbies.
  • Ty from Denver, CoIsn't this song by the killers?
  • Ny from Canberra, Australiaone of the cutest songs around - always pulls at the old heart strings. the lyrics make me think that they possibly were together or had a 'thing' which ended for external or comlicated life reasons and resulted in him leaving town/ her. anyway time goes by and they both still pine for eachother she probably thinks he is never coming back but then ' a love-strucken romeo' realises where he wants to be and its with her so he turns up out of the blue and hes like "you and me babe how about it?" its like lets give it a good go this time? and she is hesitant i am guessing as he has hurt her before so is off perhaps with rich men trying to forget 'romeo' hence the fall for chains of silver and gold. and perhaps hes not got much to offer her except for his love - and maybe as she is hesitant because she maybe doesnt trust him anymore etc etc and he says " when you gonna realise it was just that the time was wrong?" so its like it wasnt you that was the problem its just the timing didnt work but now it does? so how bout it? - very cute im sure if we are honest timing has affected our relationships or potential ones and we have all probably got someone we wish would turn up and say how bout it? lol!!
  • Alberto from Carpi, ItalyAwesome song. But am I the only one to hear a strong assonance with Jungleland by Bruce Springsteen?
    -The opening theme is more or less the same;
    -they share the same plot (Jungleland also is a R&J-like story transposed to modern times, even if this is even more clear in another Boss song, Incident on 57th street);
    -a part of Springsteen personnel (Iovine and Bittan) also appears on DS's album...

    I'm not blaming Knopfler for copying, I rather think of this as a tribute to the Boss... they are two masterpieces anyway!
  • Karl from Minnesota, MnThe line "There's a place for us. You know the movie song. When you gonna realize it was just that the time was wrong" refers to the song "A Time For Us" from the 1968 movie Romeo and Juliet.
  • Llyle from London, United KingdomIt's a pretty melancholy song if you ask me
  • Bill from Madison, WiTry the Monte montgomery version of of his Live New and Approved CD. Its my favorite of the bunch. Remarkable guitar work and sooo so soulful and heartfelt.
  • Leah from Wa, AustraliaThis is one of my fav song of all time, heard it for the first time while watching 'Empire Records' and couldn't get it out of my head. Great music, lyrics, singing. This song just has that extra something about it!
  • Allie from Pine Knob, MiSuch an awesome love song!!! Knopfler adds a bit of comedy with the way he sings it!!! May be one of the greatest love songs
  • Hannah from Madison, WiThe Indigo Girls sing this with so much passion. Normally I don't like covers but I confess I like their version MUCH more than the Dire Strait's.
  • Tyler from Auburn, NhI personally think Matt Nathanson's version of this song on his live CD "At The Point" is the best and most emotional I've heard.
  • Brian from Portage, MiI like the Killers version, not necessarily better, but I still like it.
  • Bubba Zanetti from Austin, TxOne of the greatest love songs of all time. Moves from joy to pathos and all the emotions in between. When Mark is singing "You and me babe, how bout it?" in the end like he knows it's over yet doesn't want to admit it: priceless.
  • Gerry Walsh from Melbourne, AustraliaThey dont make um like this anymore!
  • Joycemorrison from Phthis was used in the 1998 movie, "Can't Hardly Wait". twas a very nice touch for the scene.
  • Vera from Lisbon, Portugalits one of my favourite songs...it reminds me of the best and at the same time the worse in life and in love.
  • Sarah from Leesburg, OhMy all-time favorite song. This song is pure poetry. Just the way Knopfler words his emotions is amazing--it's very rare in music. I was on Youtube.com, and found out that The Killers covered this song. I really don't think their is any comparison between that one and the original. This is just a great song.
  • Rick from London, EnglandThis song is filled with genuine emotions -- hard to put across in todays music.
  • Paul from Marysville, WaThis is a very powerful song. It's makes to references to West Side Story-- which was based on Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet.
  • Apb from Farmington, CtDire Straits' best song. Knopfler's voice hits every note with such passion that I never get tired of this fine arrangement. Also note that the Romeo and Juliet on this song on the balcony are having a strained relationship, while Shakespeare's R + J are on the balcony at the beginning of their relationship. All in all, a great song.
  • James from Westchester, EnglandThe live version of this has a great feel.
  • Katie from Melbourne, AustraliaIndigo Girls did a great cover of this song on their 1992 album Rites of Passage. The vocals by Amy Ray are amazing - full of passion.
  • Vivac from Wuhan, Chinalight sadness felt when hear this song.
    word and vocal are good as other DireStraits song
see more comments

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