Lyrics for singles by Dire Straits

Sultans Of Swing

You get a shiver in the dark
it's a 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 the music ring

Well now you step inside but you don't see too many faces
Coming in out of the rain they hear the jazz go down
Competition in other places
Uh but the horns they blowin' that sound
Way on downsouth
Way on downsouth
London town

Check out guitar george, he knows-all the chords
Mind he's strictly rhythm he doesn't wanna make them cry or sing
They said 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 the honky tonk like anything
Savin' it up, for friday night
With the Sultans
We're the Sultans of Swing

Then a crowd a young boys they're a foolin' 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 playin' band
It ain't what they call rock and roll
Then 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
and he makes it fast with one more thing
We are the Sultans
We are the Sultans of Swing

Skateaway

I seen a girl on a one way corridor
stealing down a wrong way street
for all the world like an urban toreador
she had wheels on on her feet
well the cars do the usual dances
same old cruise and the kerbside crawl
but the rollergirl she's taking chances
they just love to see her take them all
no fears alone at night she's sailing through the crowd
in her ears the phones are tight and the music's playing loud
hallelujah here she comes queen rollerball
enchante what can I say don't care at all
you know she used to have to wait around
she used to be the lonely one
but now that she can skate around town
she's the only one
no fears alone at night she's sailing through the crowd
in her ears the phones are tight and the music's playing loud
she gets rock n roll a rock n roll station
and a rock n roll dream
she's making movies on location
she don't know what it means
but the music make her wanna be the story
and the story was whatever was the song what it was
rollergirl don't worry
d.j. play the movies all night long
she tortures taxi drivers just for fun
she like to read their lips
says toro toro taxi see ya tomorrow my son
I swear she let a big truck grease her hip
she got her own world in the city
you can't intrude on her
she got her own world in the city
cos the city's benn so rude to her
no fears alone at night she's sailing through the crowd
in her ears the phones are tight and the music's playing loud
she gets rock n roll a rock n roll station
and a rock n roll dream
she's making movies on location
she don't know what it means
but the music make her wanna be the story
and the story was whatever was the song what it was
rollergirl don't worry
d.j. play the movies all night long
come slippin and slidin
life's roller ball
slippin and a slidin
skateaway that's all
shala shalay hey hey skateaway
she's going sining shala shalay hey hey
skateaway

So Far Away

Here I am again in this mean old town
And you're so far away from me
And where are you when the sun goes down
You're so far away from me

So far away from me
So far i just cant see
So far away from me
You're so far away from me

I'm tired of being in love and being all alone
When you're so far away from me
I'm tired of making out on the telephone
And you're so far away from me

[chorus]

I get so tired of having to explain
When you're so far away from me
See you've been in the sun and I've been in the rain
And you're so far away from me

[chorus]

Money For Nothing

Now look at them yo-yo's that's the way you do it
You play the guitar on the MTV
That ain't workin' that's the way you do it
Money for nothin' and chicks for free
Now that ain't workin' that's the way you do it
Lemme tell ya them guys ain't dumb
Maybe get a blister on your little finger
Maybe get a blister on your thumb

We gotta install microwave ovens
Custom kitchen deliveries
We gotta move these refrigerators
We gotta move these colour TV's

See the little faggot with the earring and the makeup
Yeah buddy that's his own hair
That little faggot got his own jet airplane
That little faggot he's a millionaire

We gotta install microwave ovesns
Custom kitchens deliveries
We gotta move these refrigerators
We gotta move these colour TV's

I shoulda learned to play the guitar
I shoulda learned to play them drums
Look at that mama, she got it stickin' in the camera
Man we could have some fun
And he's up there, what's that? Hawaiian noises?
Bangin' on the bongoes like a chimpanzee
That ain't workin' that's the way you do it
Get your money for nothin' get your chicks for free

Walk of Life

Here comes Johnny singing oldies, goldies
Be-Bop-A-Lula, Baby What I Say
Here comes Johnny singing I Gotta Woman
Down in the tunnels trying to make it pay
He got the action, he got the motion
Yeah the boy can play
Dedication devotion
Turning all the night time into the day

He do the song about the sweet loving woman
He do the song about the knife
He do the walk, he do the walk of life

Here comes Johnny and he'll tell you the story
Hand me down my walking shoes
Here comes Johnny with the power and glory
Backbeat the talkin' blues
He got the action, he got the motion
Yeah the boy can play
Dedication devotion
Turning all the night time into the day

[chorus]

And after all the violence and double talk
There's just a song in all the trouble and the strife
You do the walk, you do the walk of life