Rappers React To Dire Straits "Money For Nothing"!!!

[@metalguru85]

Mark Knopler (singer and guitarist) went to an appliance store and Motley Crue were playing MTV on a tv in store. The shop assistant used the F word to describe Motley Crue. The whole song is written from the perspective of the shop assistant. So Smokey was spot on apart from it being Motley Crue that were called the F word.

[@DJeMo]

In the times when tracks were written and told like a story or an event occurred or is occurring, defo some peak time humanity is these times, 70s 80s 90s music, today's artists are brutal compared to these times.... I guess it was more fun when more of us was asleep to the system....

[@teejohnson5531]

I always thought they were referring to George Michael.

[@jeff110373]

Wasnt Knoffler. Was someone who relayed this story of 2 men in the appliance store in New York moaning about work and what they Yes saw on the wall of tvs playing MTV. WHICH APPARENTLY USED TO BE A MUSIC VIDEO TV STATION (Who knew lmfao. Way to kill a station used to be good).

[@jeff110373]

@@DJeMo George Michael wasn't started with Wham or had Just Started. In 84/5

[@rekabyeroc1]

100% true Aerosmiths dude looks like a lady is about vince neil of motley crue as well

[@Pxtwny_chill]

Thank you smokey! First reactor I've seen to actually get the meaning of the lyrics instead of just getting hung up on the f****t part.

[@_barskii]

I know this is a year old comment, but Imma give my opinion about that "controversial" part of the song. I think that people who got offended by it didn't look into the actual lyrics, or background of the song and just started blasting it like it was going to blow up the Earth in the matter of days.

[@IDONTLIKEMONDAYS-w2h]

I get stuck on it 😂😂😂 I just love calling people that word. Sorry not sorry

[@ILoveMyPomeranian-p6l]

@@_barskii People need to remember that this song came out in 1985. Well before that word was considered offensive. I'm not excusing it but people need to remember that it was written in a different time.

[@ILoveMyPomeranian-p6l]

@@IDONTLIKEMONDAYS-w2h People need to remember that this song came out in 1985. Well before that word was considered offensive. I'm not excusing it but people need to remember that it was written in a different time.

[@GiosueMannino]

kids need coping skills and quit being home ohs

[@metalguru85]

The opening part IS Sting. Well played on picking up on his voice.

[@eloisepasteur]

Does it still count as stealing when you have the original singer perform your words to his (their?) tune in your song?

[@darrell680]

Sting n police wrote the tune but mark knopfler the singer n guitarist heard a person say the words and mark then wrote the words down and then put into a song. This was a huge song in 1985. Mark now say Mothaf.cker instead of the f word.

[@matthewdrake4385]

That vocal is a ripoff of Don't Stand So Close to Me

[@emmawhelan-galbraith6895]

Sting and the singer in dire straits grew up in similar areas of the North East of England.

[@matthewdrake4385]

Emma, didn't know that.

[@KeepCalmSoldierOn]

Bro Smokey UNDERSTOOD the lyrics. Insane he picked up on that on a first listen.

[@joseandrada264]

Right ,and how he linked Sting with Don"t stand so close to me Decades listening to Dire Straits and The Police and never realized the melodies are similar

[@eddiemurphyscouch3669]

why? It's blatantly obvious. Not exactly breaking down Shakespeare.

[@joseandrada264]

@@eddiemurphyscouch3669 Because as he never mentions that somebody else os sayinf those words, ot sounds at first that his singing in first person and those are not precisely the lyrics you would expect frome someome who plays his guitar on the MTV I guess

[@anntelford8647]

It's not money that's the root of all evil. It's "LOVE of money is the root of all evil". This is a song based on comments he heard from some employees while in a store that sold TVs, appliance store (like Best Buy). Sting is the background singer. Mark Knopfler is a treasure. He doesn't use a pick when playing guitar so he achieves a different sound.

[@spoonbendingspacemonkey]

"Wealth Addiction. The most dangerous drug on earth." -Jello Biafra from Werewolves of Wall Street

[@jasonmgomez]

may i suggest you check out "Girls are the root of all evil" mathematical equation. you may get a chuckle...

[@13chigrl]

Like Lindsey Buckingham ♥️

[@tootsie3612]

@@13chigrl Lindsey Buckingham definitely has his own sound. I saw Fleetwood Mac in August of 1980, my for fifteenth birthday. Mick Fleetwood goes crazy on the drums, I loved that. I have seen many many concerts since, and Fleetwood Mac was always one of the best in my opinion. Ted Nugent put on a great show. Saw him in 84 or 85 in Dallas. I also saw Peter Frampton in August of 79, that was definitely another awesome concert and birthday gift.

[@13chigrl]

@@tootsie3612 I saw Fleetwood Mac in 90 in Arizona at Compton Terrace. One of the best shows I have ever been to!! And yes, Mick Fleetwood went berserk on drums & it was unbelievable!! ♥️

[@neildoucette5185]

According to Mark Knopfler of Dire Straits, the song's lyrics were inspired by the comments of a delivery man he met at an appliance store in New York. Knopfler stated that while he was at the back of the store, the deliveryman, whose job was to move appliances, was busy watching MTV on the TVs displayed at the store.

[@LadyIarConnacht]

I find this story very easy to believe. I used to work as a contractor for several of these stores and every damned time we went in the store, all the salespeople would be standing around by the "TV wall" watching MTV.

[@GreggOliverBass]

That's the story I heard...

[@efretheim]

It's apparently very close to verbatim word-for-word what he was saying. Or at least some of the lines were. And it was a delivery man talking to one of the shop workers, and Mark happened to be overhearing it.

[@Reani71]

You're not completely wrong, it WAS actually the first song ever played on MTV Europe while the first song ever played on the US version of MTV was of course 'Video Killed the Radio Star' by The Buggles. And you might want to check out the live version of this song from the famous Live Aid concert in 1985 in which they actually performed it with Sting singing the intro and the backing vocals.

[@russellhamilton2340]

In case it hasn't been said, Sting did the backup vocals - "I want my MTV", etc. and definitely took the melody directly from "Don't Stand so Close to me"

[@davidnorman4923]

Stings record company insisted on copyright songwriter credits!

[@faridelias]

Actually he doesn't do the "I want my MTV" part, but many other chorus parts like "money for nothing... Chicks for free". Dire Straits was recording this in Montserrat, where many bands went for inspiration and Sting was there at the same time and so he was part of the recording.

[@petravh4711]

@@davidnorman4923 Mark Knofler gave Sting co-writer credit from the get go, actually. Sting said he didn't mind but Mark insisted he be credited. It was Sting's bandmates (Police) who wanted to be credited, as well. Sting sang backing vocals on the studio recording and performed it live at Live Aid with Dire Straits, when he definitely sings the "I want my MTV" bit.

[@deelawson4551]

You were right about it sounding like Don`t Stand So Close To Me because that was Sting singing that part of I Want My MTV..good ear 😊 Keep On Rockin'

[@sandyhickey8236]

I love this song, this was done during the era when people weren't so easily offended by words. This is one of their number one songs. Us back in those days weren't offended by just a word. We had some awesome music back then that will never be known today because of those easily offended

[@Jamthecoolerator]

Well, it's hard not to get offended by that word. It was wrong then and it's wrong now.

[@sandyhickey8236]

@@Jamthecoolerator I never said the words were right but we didn't getting offended by the words like they do now

[@MrFroggyMan]

@@sandyhickey8236 many people were they just couldnt air their grievances like they can now without being crucified

[@sandyhickey8236]

@@MrFroggyMan let's face it, now a days people are too easily offended by everything. The world as we knew it is long gone, now some people way too soft and way too many wimpy people. I lived in that generation, we had fun, we joked around without being offended by everything. I'm sure there were some that may have been offended but nothing like today

[@nickcarroll5034]

@@Jamthecoolerator it meant cigarette or a bundle of sticks. You people are insane.

[@LemmyGibbler]

The opening guitar riff in this song is hard af. Probably top 5 for me and I’m huge into technical/death metal lol

[@blankmike4613]

Yeah, spent 2 years to play that intro. :)

[@PjRjHj]

The empitome of Mark making something so challenging look deceptively easy

[@LemmyGibbler]

@@PjRjHj I meant hard/heavy. It’s not hard to play

[@benhutzel1223]

I turn this up to 11 every time

[@MrFroggyMan]

@@LemmyGibbler you wanna play it right then it is

[@frankiefourfingers6717]

Sting was in Montserrat when dire straits were recorded the album. Mark said sting would be great for the intro and someone said he is here surf boarding on the island . They called sting and the rest is history

[@thumplife792]

Hollywood was right with his comparison. That was Sting singing the "I want my MTV" intro. This is written from an appliance store employee who was complaining about Motley Crue on the tv. The clerk use the slur word in his description. Mark wrote it from that employees perspective and left the slur in since it was during an era where people didn't get offended just by seeing their own reflection in the mirror.

[@Sarah83_loves_bass]

Born 1983 I grew up with my Dad listening to Dire Straits ❤️ Mark Knopfler is such an amazing guitarist... his guitar is singing along with him 👍🏻 39years old now and still listen to their songs 👍🏻 "Romeo and Juliet" is a brilliant one too, along with the one that gives me goosebumps and tears every time I hear it... "Brothers in arms" ❤️

[@jody-annesullivan4547]

Omg Romeo and Juliet…underrated. Used to play it full boar on the car stereo and sing along, didn’t care about others seeing that. Fantastic song. And this.

[@MrDekasOne]

Smokey hits the nail on the head with what the songs about, and yes that particular verse with the f words has been completely removed from the song now I was actually a little surprised this was the full original version of the song

[@Wilss]

The album version still has that verse in it, the single version never has.

[@mikeydevlino]

It came on in the supermarket the other day and I was pretty surprised they didn't bleep the hard F

[@joescott8877]

wow, first time ive heard THIS version in a looong time! AND it had it in WRITING, ha! Take THAT, cancel culture, lol! Not a fan of bigotry, but that was "real talk" back in the 80's, and Knofler was just reflecting that. Y'all's expressions were priceless! "How can they SAY that?!" Goes to show the double-standard that "ho's" and "bitches" (and , here, "chicks"!) gets said a million times in a thousand songs , but God forbid u ever use the "F word"...

[@VinPetrol420]

Fgt in this sense is from North East English dialect meaning someone who doesn't do much. Not the new appropriated meaning. We still use it in its traditional sense here where Mark grew up.

[@jadefire1814]

He's absolutely right. Remember when Poison came out with their album, "Look What the Cat Dragged In" and how all the guys were rating those "Poison" chicks as to which one they'd bang?

[@petervenkman69]

Yes it is the bit from "Don't Stand so Close to Me" by the Police, it is being sung by Sting (who was the lead singer/songwriter for the Police) and he has coi-credit for writing this song with Mark Knopfler (lead singer/lead guitar and song write for Dire Straits) Dire Straits were recording this in Monserrat and Mark said = "It would be really cool to get Sting to do something on this song" and someone said "Well he's on holiday here right now, just down the beach" ... so they asked him to do it and the rest is history. This was the first song played on MTV Europe. The first song played on MTV was "Video Killed the Radio Star." The story of the song itself: Mark was in an electrical appliance shop in New York and at the back of the shop there was a huge wall loaded with TV sets all tuned to MTV, and one of the delivery drivers was ranting about how he has these deliveries to do, while these guys get money for nothing and chicks for free... Mark went to the counter and asked for a pen and paper and basically listened in to what he was saying and wrote it down... While yes there are offensive words in it, Mark was basically making fun of the person saying them, as he was simply expressing his jealousy, but also in a way Mark was also making fun of himself, as he was the lead singer for one of the biggest bands in the world at time. There obviously has been a lot of debate over the lyrics... keep in mind that Mark is British and in the 80's that term was unknown over here, and so Mark likely hadn't realised quite how offensive it might be considered. in fact here it just referred to a meatball made of pig offal. The general consensus is that because of the way the lyrics were a quote which painted the person saying them in a poor light, that in the specific context it isn't offensive. It should be noted that in most live concerts he didn't use this word. One example is "That mother trucker is a millionaire" - I would suggest changing the lyric doesn't distract from the song, as people listen out to hear what substitution he uses, making it kind of fun. This was one of Dire Straits biggest songs, Mark has a very long solo career, he rarely performs the song, as he isn't that fond of it himself, but he did on his 2019 Tour. An version of it you might like to see simply because who was in it was the version for Monserrat Tribute: Mark Knopfler - Lead Vocals/Lead Guitar Sting - Backing Vocals Eric Clapton - Rhythm Guitar Phil Collins - Drums You can find it here: kzbin.info/www/bejne/kH2ViqJofMh_obM

[@waligerber9410]

He was in a store in New York and listened to an employee who was talking about the artists on mtv, he asked for a pencil and wrote the words he said!

[@flechette3782]

The "I want my MTV" refrain is literally what MTV advertised for their station. It was their lingo. Dire Straits put it right into their song. Free advertising for MTV.

[@LudvikM]

Smokey was on fire on this one. Well done, man!

[@JasonLevine1178]

I was waiting for Hollywood’s “Oh sh*t, we’re getting banned” face and I was not disappointed :D

[@mjames4709]

How times have changed. What a soft generation.

[@andretyroneii941]

@@mjames4709 I'm been shocked bout it. My native language is russian and f*ggt is super common here and been used like d*ckhead alot more often than in homophobic context

[@mjames4709]

@Squant Like hell they were. What country are you from???

[@Lnch4ALion]

I always felt it was written with empathy for the common man's plight.

[@robreesor5011]

He actually wrote the song while watching some movers complain about the jobs they had to do that day...some if not all of the words are direct quotes from what the movers were saying while he sat there listening to them.

[@michellehawk282]

One of my dad's favorite songs ever. He still plays it regularly at home, which is how i got to know it. I love watching him dance around the house to it. Such a fun melody.

[@grimreaper-qh2zn]

It was Sting doing the "I want my MTV" vocal. He was in Montserrat when Dire Straits were recording the Album and Mark asked Sting to sing what was a Police rift. The song is about a Bozo delivery guy who was working his boots off and in the shop all the TV's were tuned to MTV and Mark listened to the Guy coming out with the comments. Probably one of the most successful releases by DS.

[@StevenQ74]

There's also a great version of the song with Mark playing this song live wit Eric Clapton, Sting and Phil Collins on drums kzbin.info/www/bejne/bHSlaoKofL9qY8U

[@jamesbraun9842]

The lyrics were copied word for word in a conversation between two men in a store.

[@Jdwdogg]

I have found memories of this jam as a child in the backseat of my dads truck playing the air guitar. I also love the fat bass line on it. What a gem

[@PjRjHj]

John Ilsley was using Wal Basses at the time. They have an unbeatable tone.

[@chriswood1054]

I suggest you watch their video for this... it's cutting edge---- for the day, and will help you understand. When the song first came out, it got a lot of airplay unedited!! Eventually, the cut that verse... but not for a while.

[@damienbuzz]

It is hard to explain how big/good this song /band where at that time…..here in Australia…they played 6 concerts over 10 nights in Sydney alone……world tour went 2 years…

[@peterlansdowne5367]

It’s sounds like the Police because that’s the lead singer of the Police singing background vocals 😅😂😂😂😂

[@Mudflap1974]

Classic song, good reaction! Definitely a relic from an era when people weren't so easily offended by words. That particular f-word flew out of many people's mouths in the 80s and early 90s with extreme frequency, right up there with "dude" and referring to scenarios/mishaps as "gay" etc. I was in high school from 88-92 and I'll tell you that in my adult life I've had to forcibly try and remove those words, because they were SO ingrained in pop culture speech of the day during my childhood. All of my friends from back in the day talked like that (Gen X). I will say that seldom was any malice intended, just figures of speech in a time of different sensibilities.

[@StephenGallaherNZ]

The version played on the radio in 1985 edited out the verses with the derogatory word. That word was considered an obscenity by the FCC and radio stations would be fined if they played it. The full version was only on the album cut.

[@paulf4802]

@@StephenGallaherNZ I remember hearing the unedited song on the radio every day in Philadelphia when it was released.

[@golden.lights.twinkle2329]

I'm really old, so I can remember when 'gay' meant happy and carefree. You can still hear it in that context in old movies or books.

[@GenXstacker]

Same here. I rarely use them except when I'm playing video games. Then I use them a LOT 😂 Hey I'm north of 50 and it's part of my vocab. Can't help it. I rented a room from a gay guy for a while and we became friends. I have nothing against gay people. But the word is impossible to remove from my lingo. At certain times it just comes out.

[@chrismcdonagh688]

Love Dire Straits, Romeo & Juliet, Tunnel of Love, Sultans of Swing....great tunes. Mark Knopfler is a great and unique guitarist, instantly recognizable and he has done some good collaborations with several artists. Check out It's Money That Matters with Randy Newman and Kings Call with Phil Lynott.

[@emmawhelan-galbraith6895]

Add in the song about Spanish City which was a very popular amusement park in the North East.

[@dennybrown3010]

If you can't move to this song , you're dead ! I'm 68 still rockin to this song !!

[@aaronm4782]

They are in an appliance store in the TV section and MTV is on all the display TVs, this is the conversation between the customers and the appliance movers. Sting sings in the song, yes

[@tonybrandt8850]

You aren't wrong, this song was in heavy rotation on early MTV. The video was absolutely ground breaking. It paved the wat for Peter Gabriel and Michael Jackson to take it to the next level and establish video as an essential component for musical success. Oh, and they did switch the 'gay person' word to 'queenie' in later performances. They never intended it to be offensive, just social commentary as in he's laughing all the way to the bank.

[@danrudnick5252]

Love how Smokey gets it, and Hollywood is half listening for the rest of the song while trying to figure out what they're going to do now since the channel is obviously gonna get demonetized. 😂

[@GrumpyOldGuyPlaysGames]

When they play this song today, they entirely remove that verse. And the meaning of the song doesn't change. Smokey caught it right. This song was written after Mark Knopfler encountered a couple of appliance store workers who were talking shit about Motley Crue, who were playing on MTV. The "faggot" lines were an exact quote of what he heard. The resemblance to "Don't Stand So Close To Me" is intentional. The guy doing the high notes on the Intro and Outro (singing "I Want My MTV") was Sting from the Police, who of course was the guy who sang "Don't Stand So Close to Me", one of the biggest hits during MTV's early days.

[@jenx4115]

I always hear it with the verse included but the word bleeped out.

[@ejb5034]

Back in the "old days" the word "faggot" was used differently in many cases and did not denote homosexuality necessarily. George Carlin did a bit on that word in, perhaps, his "Occupation Fool" LP.

[@PhoenixRisen63]

I typically hear the verse with just 3 blank spaces, LOL.

[@PhoenixRisen63]

​@@ejb5034 Yeah, wasn't really about sexual orientation as much as disdain for particular lifestyles.

[@lwrefrigeratedexpress5698]

I wouldn't remove it

[@waynephillips6779]

Great reaction, loved the look on hollywoods face 😂😂 This is one of their biggest songs yes, along with walk life, and Romeo and Juliet. Keep rocking guys, and and others have said, it was sing at the start lol

[@jackiewright8583]

I love you boys so much!... Keep me the good work and I will keep listening... Peace

[@Hollywood6IX]

We ain't going anywhere. Much love 🙏🙏🙏

[@Anna_M96]

His voice matches their sound so well!

[@Anna_M96]

This song is such a banger 😂 Listen to Korn- Freak On A Leash if you haven’t already 😊😊😊

[@hazi5961]

Quote from Mark Knopfler: "I got an objection from the editor of a gay newspaper in London - he actually said it was below the belt. Apart from the fact that there are stupid gay people as well as stupid other people, it suggests that maybe you can't let it have so many meanings - you have to be direct. In fact, I'm still in two minds as to whether it's a good idea to write songs that aren't in the first person, to take on other characters. The singer in "Money for Nothing" is a real ignoramus, hard hat mentality - somebody who sees everything in financial terms. I mean, this guy has a grudging respect for rock stars. He sees it in terms of, well, that's not working and yet the guy's rich: that's a good scam. He isn't sneering."

[@it-really-hurts2092]

As a kid in the 80s one of my best friends dad's had a really expensive sound system. My friend and I would blast the intro of this song over and over. I think of those good times and grin every time I hear this song.

[@matthewdrake4385]

Money for Nothing came out about 5 years after MTV was out. That is indeed Sting( not the wrestler) doing background vocals. The whole catchphrase of " I Want my MTV" was to get more customers to get cable television, so we could watch MTV and HBO. Can you imagine there was a time when you only had the three network channels? ABC, CBS and NBC, though Fox would come out in the late 80s. Now everything has a channel.

[@dragonballbw3]

I remember one of my favorite "independent" TV stations changing to a Fox station when they started up. I also remember when "The Simpsons" was just a cartoon "short" on the Tracy Ullman show. (yeah, I'm old too) 😆

[@lucydog3376]

Fun fact Sting (the musician) actually pays royalties to Sting (the wrestler) in order to keep using the name "Sting". It's actually more of a formality thing and it's not like anybody sued anybody, I believe he actually only pays him like literally $1 a year.

[@matthewdrake4385]

Never knew that. Sting ( the singer) used the nickname first, going back to the mid or late 70’s. Sting ( the wrestler) didn’t start going under that name until about a decade later.

[@Vladimyra85]

This was one of my and my mom's favorite songs. I remember sitting in front of the TV when I was little and watching MTV, and seeing the video to this song. I thought the video was so cool. They had part animation for the delivery workers and part live action for the band playing this song. The 80's and 90's were wild. Lmao. I LOVED this song so much growing up, and my mom worked at Walmart for 25+ years while I was growing up, and she started on 3rd shift unloading trucks, and they would listen to music while unloading trucks, and this was the first song on their playlist. Lol. Now, if y'all wanna hear a REALLY good song, my FAVORITE song growing up, that according to my mom I would try to sing along to and "dance" in the car seat when I was little, was Wild, Wild West by The Escape Club. Thank y'all for reacting to this song. My mom recently died in June, and this song is REALLY making me smile. ♥

[@TheLastGarou]

Yep, as others have said, the Official Video clears a lot of things up on this one.

[@kimw200blaze4]

This song exploded in popularity across the planet in 85/86. Dire Straits toured the world, and played in massive stadiums, that were completely sold out. Also when Mark Knopfler performs the song live these days he sings "that little cowboy with the earring and the makeup ".

[@TF-lk6co]

First time I've seen a reactor get the meaning of the song correct (without watching the video). Nice one Smokey.

[@emmaseager1006]

Mark Knopfler wrote the music & lyrics. This was in the 80s sting & he are friends

[@keithwatkins7908]

FYI - The Buggles - Video Killed the Radio Star was the first music video on MTV. Trevor Horn and Geoff Downes from the Buggles, later joined Yes and did the excellent Drama album.

[@laurentholsters2062]

Fwiw Money for nothing was the first one on MTV Europe

[@andymcgill354]

Yes the narrative came from guys in a shop .All the TV's were tuned to MTV and the shop workers were watching the TV's and making comments about "that ain't work" etc etc.Sting does backing vocals

[@williambreese8377]

Sting does the intro. Mark Knopfler is the singer and lead guitarist

[@1rexrex]

"I Want My MTV" is from a series of commercials that were played on MTV. Bunch of different people from the bands in the videos they showed doing cameos. They just would be sitting somewhere, and say "I want my MTV" to the camera. This song came later, making fun of MTV. Mostly you saw this video on VH1 or heard it on the radio.

[@1rexrex]

Ironically, cuz you mentioned it. Sting from the Police is singing at the end.

[@1rexrex]

And if you think of yourself as an audiophile. You need to own Dire Staits on vinyl and cd. Great mastering.

[@JD_Slacker]

Smokey nailed it.

[@mikechiarelli6895]

The song is written from the perspective of workers in a store watching to rock stars on tv sets in the store. Knopler actually overheard guys using the words to describe the performers & jotted them down lol - then crafted this epic song.

[@p-slipknotfreak]

Dire Straights is legendary. I loved watching you guys react to this. Much love my dudes.

[@Harpadzo]

"Don't Stand so close to me" and "I want my MTV" are BOTH Sting!! Sting guested on this song. MTV was born in the 80's. Weird Al did a hilarous copy of the video version animation with his "Beverly Hillbillies."

[@hazi5961]

Tripping on that line like Eminem didn't say the same shit back in the early 2000s, lmao.

[@amandalamb5724]

TRUTH!

[@shannonroche1182]

Yea this is so awesome ...dire straits captured how we look at musicians sometimes ...how easy it looks and how they have everything for just banging a drum lol ..its a total classic !!!! The video is absolute perfection.

[@gdmiller26]

This was soooooooo good. I loved that you guys are really tuned into the voice of the artist on this one. You knew it was Sting with out knowing it was Sting 🖤🖤🖤

[@HemlockRidge]

The first song played on MTV was "Video Killed the Radio Star" by the Buggles. Check it out. "I Want My MTV" was the original Tag Line from MTV.

[@thegoatchild3545]

Well done for spotting the same vocal melody in this and Don't stand so close to me, Hollywood! 👍 If you guys want to hear what this band was capable of, check out "Telegraph Road" and "Private Investigations"! Fun fact: The video for this song was the first computer generated video ever. Keep on rockin', boys. 👍👍🤘🤘

[@TheGreenfoot]

There is no money for nothing album. This song was on Brothers in Arms, which was the first released on CD.

[@thegoatchild3545]

@@TheGreenfoot Oops....you’re absolutely right, I was thinking one thing and wrote another. Thanks for correcting me.🍺👍

[@TheGreenfoot]

@@thegoatchild3545 No problem. The only reason it bugged me is because I made the same mistake for like six years after I bought the album.

[@thegoatchild3545]

@@TheGreenfoot Hehe....I’ve been listening to them for over 30 years, so.....😁

[@TheGreenfoot]

@@thegoatchild3545 I bought Brothers in Arms when it was released and only because I got a CD player for my birthday. I had never listened to them before that, but I turned into a lifelong fan.

[@neilmartin99]

I see your confusion. So much to unwrap here. First off "I want my MTV" was the advertising slogan for MTV back in the day. And yes, that was Sting singing I want my MTV using the same cadence as Don't Stand So Close To Me. The song is sung from the perspective of an appliance delivery person who was talking crap about the musicians on MTV. As the story goes, the writer of the song overheard these two appliance deliverymen who were watching MTV in the store they worked for while on a lunch break. It's quite brilliant actually.

[@nathanclarke2777]

Love Smokey! He is smart (at least he knows lots of trivia!)

[@kevingardner4319]

Probably one of the best reactions I've ever watched.You guys really listened to the lyrics and also picked up on the musical hints that were linked to STING who did some of the vocals. Well done. Best bit for me was listening to how you discussed the errr 'f ' word and how it is perceived by todays generation. Great vid guys,keep them coming.

[@AmberPearcy]

I remember seeing the video for this on MTV and it was one of the cooler ones back then , like Peter Gabriel’s “Sledgehammer”. So that originally drew me to the song as a kid. Then growing up and hearing it on the radio I loved it because who doesn’t love to sing about microwaves and refrigerators? I always sing something different during the f-word part though. Great reaction, guys!

[@cmiles97x38]

You should of done the video with 80s animation. Off the charts greatness. It would have helped with his confusion on the lyrics as the appliance workers were shown.

[@spunterage]

Smoky hit it out of the park with the analysis.

[@markt8086]

Smokey was spot on. To go a little further, this was at a time when MTV was just starting out and cable was not widespread. The only way you could get MTV (and see the videos) was to get cable. Hence, the slogan "I want my MTV." Also, Sting (lead vocal of The Police) sang "Don't Stand So Close To Me" was a vocalist in this song.

[@MexicanHeadbanger95]

The ska band Reel Big Fish has an album titled "Monkeys for Nothing, and Chimps for Free"

[@ajruther67]

Sting, the singer of The Police, is singing the intro and yes it was from Don't Stand So Close to Me by The Police. As for the first song played on MTV on August 1, 1981 was Video Killed the Radio Star by The Buggles. Here is the official video kzbin.info/www/bejne/jWnVXqeOh7GUsNU When videos started being made, people thought music videos would kill listening to the radio.

[@imacmanx8562]

Yes, the opening and some of the ending parts (high voice) in the song were sung by Sting. Some other great DS songs to consider are "Six Blade Knife", "Southbound Again", "Walk of Life", "Water of Love" and "Wild West End"

[@neilmartin99]

It's so much better when played with the official video. Also, if you gotta replace the f word then do it with another two syllable word. Weasel immediately comes to mind.

[@phxhoney1632]

Epic reaction to this song! It stopped you both in your tracks!😄♥️

[@davidbeach4682]

This song has such a backstory. The lyrics were from a conversation overheard by Mark Knopfler, the lead guitarist/singer/song writer for Dire Straits. He came up with the music and used the conversation as the lyrics. The "I want my MTV" is a reflection of the time (1985) when MTV played actual music videos and was one of the sought after channels to get on cable TV, as at that time cable TV was finally reaching its saturation point all across the country and surpassing broadcast TV over the open air. This was at the end of the era when people were ditching antennas for cable. Sting of the Police was providing the backing vocals and singing the "I want my MTV" chorus. This was the advertising jingle that MTV used in the mid-80's as they were selling themselves as a desired channel and reason for switching to cable TV.

[@rpane2513]

Good job Smoke, you nailed it

[@dalebrennan7615]

Guitar master hes one of the best ever dire straits have been around since 1978

[@SirWrecksy]

ah the good old days when people weren't afraid of the thought police

[@evaetterer6000]

I love this song from the begining, when I go every morning to my job, i hear it in my Walkman ! And when i go home after my work i hear it too ! At home again and again ! Greatings and love from germany ❤️ ❤️ ❤️ ❤️ ❤️ ❤️

[@clivebattersby931]

Spot on.

[@mannyb7949]

7:38, welcome to the 80s ladies and gentlemen, nobody minced words back then. Knopfler just did a play by play of what he heard at this NY appliance store.

[@Notric]

This one is much easier to understand if you watch the official video.

[@jjc5407]

True, but in all honesty it's not that difficult to understand simply by listening to the lyrics!

[@loveit7484]

Oh you should have watched it with the video! Its out standing!

[@TollGateAB]

Hi. Thanx for your reaction! You should have a look at the video too. It was groundbreaking in 1985 and it helps catch the meaning of the song. And it’s ironic and funny. Concerning Don’t Stand So Close To Me : to make it short, Mark Knopfler, who wrote the song after hearing two delivery guys insulting rock stars before a wall of TV’s in a store tuned to MTV, asked Sting from The Police to sing the « I Want My MTV » lines to the tune of Don’t Stand, coz The Police, at the time, were one of the bands chanting that MTV slogan on the TV channel as a commercial. The F word is used at the expense of those two prejudiced guys (Mark Knopfler calls them meat heads).

[@catrionamackenzie4933]

I listen to this album a lot in the car with this loud. One of the best guitar tracks. Yes it's Sting singing backing vocals. He didn't want any acknowledgement for Lyrics as he used the same tune as you noticed. I know it's "chicks for free", but I always used to sing cheques for free as a kid 😂

[@docdarlin5491]

constantly impressed by Smokey's casual intelligence - he's a deepthinking dude, would love to smoke one with him & chill

[@devox3291]

you HAVE to watch the official video!!!! one of the greatest in history.

[@artflores6603]

The rapper talking about copying. Thats pretty funny. Smokey gets it as usual

[@stanstan7426]

Used in the opening sequence of Kingsmen good film.

[@garyblair3251]

Well played hearing sting in there ..straits are the shit ..superb as usual lads 👍

[@billc.5861]

For god sakes that’s Sting singing from the Police along with Mark Knopler And the first MRV song was “Video killed the Radio Star” from the Buggles

[@ianwood9771]

What up what up its ur boy I to the A to the N. Still lookin for that next track from my boys Fear Factory!!! That track is Collapse!!!! Let's bring it to ur listeners and the masses. Lets go fellas!!!!

[@jaycordner3890]

This was one of the first videos made for the NEW MTV JUST LAUNCHED when mtv was just music.

[@tobytaylor5321]

Hahaha your reaction to the "the little f@#&ot" line was my reaction a few years ago when I first heard it. Asked my mum what the hell was going on and her explanation was just "that's just how they talked back then." 😂 I admit it's a bit jarring at first.

[@trevorwalsh9205]

Yeah, not saying it's a great thing but f****t was (mostly) a generic insult then. This would possibly be directed to the effeminate dress of the hair metallers, or even Prince/Boy George

[@Frank75288]

its not as shocking in the uk , its just another insult

[@andym9571]

The original meaning of a 'faggot' in Britain was a ' meatball ' in gravy. Rather delicious actually.

[@ianscholes3049]

@@Frank75288 Exactly. America is too PC.

[@nickcarroll5034]

@@andym9571 thought it was a bundle of sticks

[@curseofkazar4539]

Mark Knopfler from Dire Straits intentionally wanted Sting to sing "I Want My MTV" to the same tune as "Don't Stand So Close To Me". Dire Straits were recording the Brothers in Arms album in Montserrat at the time and could imagine Sting singing the line. It just so happened that Sting was holidaying in Montserrat so they invited him into the studio.

[@redcorsair14]

Try one of the live versions of "Brothers in Arms" by them. Its absolutely amazing. Another note, when Wierd Al did his version of this song, Mark Knopler's only requirement for Weird Al to use it was he got to play the guitar. Note the F word wasnt a derogatory word back then. Hell the British still use that word to refer to cigarettes, I cant tell you how many times my friend has said "Im going to go smoke a F--", which always raises hackles on people around us who only know it as derogatory.

[@seattleogre]

Bwahahaha yeah smoke a f** in US sounds like your intention is to kill a gay man not have a cigarette. Two people's speaking a common language and divided by slang.

[@se7eun472]

Hahahaha, you guys had me rolling on the reactions. Please keep that shit up!

[@PhoenixRisen63]

OMG.....your reactions were priceless! Yeeeeeah, we've come a long way since the 80s. "Politically correct" was NOT yet a thing. And your final interpretation was spot on...it was about envious people talking smack while they get poor working their asses off.

[@katherineschell6160]

The first song played on MTV was Video Killed the Radio Star by The Buggles. I was just a little kid when it aired, but I can still remember.

[@kezzzz2010]

I'm new to your channel 💜. I'm an Aussie Nana who was brought up with music in my blood. I've passed my love on to 4 generation's. My grandparents, my parents my children and grandchildren. Love watching your reactions to old school music. I'd love to watch you guy's to watch ac/do For Those About To Rock live or Elton John live Funeral for a friend. Aussie Hip Hop band, Hill Top Hoods or Bliss and Esso💜🤘🇦🇺💜.

[@Hollywood6IX]

Glad to have you aboard!!!

[@kristaspecht]

Awesome!!

[@Drivestort]

This was one of the earliest songs that was an MTV hit, but it was a few years later. That was actually Sting singing the "I want my MTV" line, he was friends with the band and decided to add that to their song, and the backing vocals, while hanging out with them and listening to what they were working on. Also, they don't use the F word any more when playing it live, stopped doing it before the album was out for an entire year.

[@jjc5407]

Yeah, Sting was on holiday on Montserrat when Dire Straits were recording the album there. Mark Knopfler had the idea of Sting singing those MTV lines and found out by coincidence that he was nearby, so he invited him over to the studio. He gave him a co-writing credit too for the use of his Don't Stand So Close To Me melody. I don't think I've ever heard a live performance of the song with the 'F word'.

[@jasonmarquis3027]

Mark Knopfler can make a guitar sing like an angel. The next song of theirs that you should check out is 'Heavy Fuel'

[@leroyrs]

May I just mention how brilliant the sound quality is. It sounds cleaner and not so compressed like modern charts songs.

[@QuentinRichardson-supersnail]

I love watching you "young ones" buzzing on my generation's music. Yes I saw Led Zeppelin and the Floyd live. Now it seems to me that there are a lot of reaction channels that are all reacting to the same music (and bands). So if you want the advice from an old hippy rocker check out Uriah Heep or Robin Trower or Free. One track from each: Uriah Heep "Love machine", Robin Trower "A little bit of sympathy", Free "I'm A Mover". All late 60s - mid 70s. All British bands.

[@lauraanderson5905]

I love Dire Straits. Walk of Life is my favourite song of theirs!! They are brilliant!!