Number 5: Dire Straits- Walk Of Life

Often at discos or parties I can be heard saying 'I hate this song- it's one of my five least favourite songs'. People often feign interest and ask 'what else is in your top 5?' As I am not usually in the right frame of mind to put the required thought into the answer I feign thinking and wait for the next song. Thus this list is born.

I regrettably kick of my official 'Top 5: Worst Songs' (or should it simply be 'Worst 5: Songs'?) with a great band. I love Dire Straits…except this travesty. The sound of its horrendously cheerful ‘doo-doo de-de-doo-de-doo doo-doo’ organ backing track instantly gets my back up. Its general cheesiness really grinds my gears- it doesn’t fit in with the general ambience of Brothers In Arms (an otherwise great album).



Then there’s the video. I’m not a great fan of Dire Straits videos at the best of times (the video for ‘Romeo & Juliet’ is a particularly unimaginative and uninspiring and I suspect ‘Money For Nothing’ was how the record company described the video for the song of the same name when they saw it) but ‘Walk Of Life’ really takes the biscuit. The band in terrible 80’s clothes (with the possible exception of Mark Knopfler) intertwined with sports bloopers that remind me of Lisa Riley era ‘You’ve Been Framed’. For a start none of the clips are remotely amusing. The fact they are all American sports shows it is clearly aimed at an American audience. The Geordies should’ve looked closer to home - Gazza, Beardsley and Glenn ‘Leather Jacket’ Roeder were all playing for Newcastle United at the time for crying out loud.

Whenever I hear the song I just wish I was listening to ‘Sultans Of Swing’, ‘Money For Nothing’ or ‘Romeo & Juliet’.

Dire Straits - Walk Of Life
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