With due respect to all the other posters here, one cannot ignore the fact that the band is staking a claim as a genuine band, truer to the roots of rock than the bands being mocked, in the words of the movers. While I do not recall the exact order of bands becoming big, I do remember that the music industry was being overrun at the time by performers with big hair, theatrical presentation, and music that often was lacking.
Dire Straits in this song, even if speaking through some ignorant movers, are staking a claim to the blue collar music fans by showing how the glam and theatrics do not speak to real fans. Dire Straits is separating themselves from the pop acts of the time. If you watch the video, the scenes of the band playing in the beginning, with the radical colorizing day-glow bright special effects on the base black and white film of the band, seem to mock the need to be something more than a solid band with a good sound to get MTV airplay.
Those are my thoughts on the song. Oh, and I agree that the song has a sound that was cutting edge at the time and has retained its edge two decades later.
With due respect to all the other posters here, one cannot ignore the fact that the band is staking a claim as a genuine band, truer to the roots of rock than the bands being mocked, in the words of the movers. While I do not recall the exact order of bands becoming big, I do remember that the music industry was being overrun at the time by performers with big hair, theatrical presentation, and music that often was lacking.
Dire Straits in this song, even if speaking through some ignorant movers, are staking a claim to the blue collar music fans by showing how the glam and theatrics do not speak to real fans. Dire Straits is separating themselves from the pop acts of the time. If you watch the video, the scenes of the band playing in the beginning, with the radical colorizing day-glow bright special effects on the base black and white film of the band, seem to mock the need to be something more than a solid band with a good sound to get MTV airplay.
Those are my thoughts on the song. Oh, and I agree that the song has a sound that was cutting edge at the time and has retained its edge two decades later.
good interpretation
good interpretation