Dire Straits – Sultans Of Swing

About The Song

“Sultans of Swing” is a song by the British rock band Dire Straits. It was written by lead vocalist Mark Knopfler. The demo of the song was recorded in July 1977 at Pathway Studios in North London. The track quickly gained popularity after being played on BBC Radio London. The song features a distinctive guitar riff and showcases Knopfler’s intricate fingerpicking technique. The lyrics evoke a vivid scene: a rainy night in London, where a jazz band plays in a dimly lit club. The protagonist observes the band, including Guitar George, who “knows all the chords.” The chorus declares, “We are the Sultans of Swing” as the band wraps up their performance.

Video

Lyrics

You get a shiver in the dark
It’s 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 to hear the jazz go down
Competition in other places
Ah, but the horns, they’re blowing that sound
Way on down south
Way on down south, London town

Check out guitar George
He knows all the chords
Mind, it’s strictly rhythm
He doesn’t wanna make it cry or sing
Yes and 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
Saving it up for Friday night
With the Sultans
With the Sultans of Swing
Yeah

And a crowd of young boys
They’re fooling 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-playing band
It ain’t what they call “Rock and Roll”
And 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”
Then he makes it fast with one more thing
“We are the Sultans—
We are the Sultans of Swing”