Romeo And Juliet

Read recently that this year marks the 50th anniversary of Zefferelli's movie version of Romeo & Juliet which got me thinking of the Dire Straits song.  Here is a recent version by Mark Knopfler (despite the YouTube title, Emmylou Harris does not make an appearance).  Because of travel I'm missing Knopfler's appearance in Phoenix on September 21 which I would have very much like to have seen.

While doing a little background research, I realized that when I saw Dire Straits play in Boston in 1979 it was the first show on their first US tour.

Here's Romeo & Juliet followed by Dire Straits playing Sultans of Swing in 1979.  I've never gotten tired of listening to that song.

A lovestruck Romeo sings the streets a 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 'bout it?"

Juliet says, "Hey, it's Romeo. You nearly give me 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 you gonna do about it?"

Juliet, the dice was loaded from the start
And I bet, then you exploded in my heart
And I forget, I forget the movie song
When you gonna realize it was just that the time was wrong, Juliet?

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 if I was just another one of your deals?

When 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."

Juliet, when we made love you used to cry
You said, "I love you like the stars above, I'll love you 'til 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?

I can't do the talks 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'll 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, the bad company
All I do is kiss you through the bars of a rhyme
Juliet, I'd do the stars with you any time