There is no more iconic Dire Straits song. Released as a single in 1981, the track updates the classic Romeo and Juliet narrative, skipping over the death and destruction. It’s devastating nonetheless, as Knopfler catalogues the breakdown of a relationship brought about by bad timing. Thankfully, th...
[Verse 1]
A lovestruck Romeo sings a streetsuss serenade
Laying everybody low with a love song that he made
Finds a streetlight, steps out of the shade
Says something like, "You and me babe, how about it?"
Juliet says, "Hey, it's Romeo, you nearly gimme a heart attack"
He's underneath the window
She's singing, "Hey la, my boyfriend's back
You shouldn't come around here singing up at people like that
Anyway, what ya gonna do about it?"
[Chorus 1]
"Juliet, the dice was loaded from the start
And I bet, when you exploded into my heart
And I forget, I forget
The movie song
When you gonna realize it was just that the time was wrong?
Juliet"
[Bridge]
Come up on different streets, they both were streets of shame
Both dirty, both mean, yes and the dream was just the same
And I dreamed your dream for you, and now your dream is real
How can you look at me as I was just another one of your deals?
[Verse 2]
Well you can fall for chains of silver, you can fall for chains of gold
You can fall for pretty strangers and the promises they hold
You promised me everything
You promised me thick and thin, yeah
Now you just say, "Oh Romeo, yeah, you know I used to have a scene with him"
[Chorus 2]
"Juliet, when we made love you used to cry
You said I love you like the stars above, I'll love you till I die
There's a place for us
(You know the movie song)
When you gonna realize it was just that the time was wrong?
Juliet"
[Verse 3]
"I can't do the talk like they talk on the TV
And I can't do a love song like the way it's meant to be
I can't do everything, but I'd do anything for you
I can't do anything except be in love with you
And all I do is miss you, and the way we used to be
All I do is keep the beat and the bad company
And all I do is kiss you through the bars of a rhyme
Juliet, I'd do the stars with you any time"
[Chorus 2]
"Juliet, when we made love you used to cry
You said I love you like the stars above, I'll love you till I die
There's a place for us
(You know the movie song)
When you gonna realize it was just that the time was wrong?
Juliet"
[Outro]
And a lovestruck Romeo sings the streets a serenade
Laying everybody low with a love song that he made
Finds a convenient streetlight, steps out of the shade
Says something like, "You and me babe, how about it?"
"You and me babe, how about it?"
Romeo and Juliet was written by Mark Knopfler.
Romeo and Juliet was produced by Mark Knopfler & Jimmy Iovine.
Dire Straits released Romeo and Juliet on Fri Oct 17 1980.