‘Romeo and Juliet’ is a rock song by the British rock band Dire Straits, written by frontman Mark Knopfler. It first appeared on the 1980 album Making Movies and was released as a single in 1981. This Shakespearian song is about a couple who are in love, but can't find a way to stay together. The guy in the song is particularly heartbroken, trying to make sense of how it all went wrong. His conclusion: It's just that the time was wrong. He knows he'll always love her.
The song was written by Dire Straits frontman Mark Knopfler and inspired by his broken romance with Holly Vincent, leader of the band Holly And The Italians. Some of the lyrics indicate that Knopfler felt she used him to boost her career: “How can you look at me as if I was just another one of your deals.” The line, "Now you just say, oh Romeo, yeah, you know I used to have a scene with him," came from an interview where Holly Vincent was quoted as saying: "What happened was that I had a scene with Mark Knopfler and it got to the point where he couldn't handle it and we split up."
The lyrics of the song describe the experience of the two lovers of the title, hinting at a situation that saw the "Juliet" figure abandon her "Romeo" after finding fame and moving on from the rough neighborhood where they first encountered each other. In addition to the reference to William Shakespeare's play of the same title, the song makes playful allusion to other works involving young love, including the songs ‘Somewhere’ – from West Side Story, which is itself based on the Shakespeare play – and ‘My Boyfriend's Back’.
Record World called it a "compelling performance that's both beautiful and forceful," praising Knopfler's guitar playing and the "Dylanesque" vocals. Ultimate Classic Rock critic Michael Gallucci rated ‘Romeo and Juliet’ as Dire Straits' 3rd best song, saying that it "bridges Shakespeare, West Side Story and a modern rock 'n' roll love story where fame, not family, is keeping the young lovers apart." Classic Rock critic Paul Rees rated it to be Dire Straits' 4th greatest song, saying that most of it is "spine-tingling" and praising the "heart-tugging" refrain.
Label – Vertigo
Songwriter – Mark Knopfler
Producers – Mark Knopfler, Jimmy Iovine
SONG LYRICS
[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?"