My 100 Favorite Charted Pop Songs: Walk of Life

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Sometimes I can be obvious. This is one of those times. I’ve mentioned this one a hundred times before, and how my dear mother of blessed memory even loved it. It’s no surprise that it shows up on the list of my 100 favorites. I’d even say this one might be top ten…but definitely top 20. Dance along. Walk of Life - Dire Straits There are a boatload of songs in this world where I liked the follow-up much better than the big hit. This is one of those instances. It’s not that I dislike “Money for Nothing,” which went to #1 (I don’t dislike anything on that album!), but this song is so much more fun. And, like I said, that infectious beat grabbed my mom, too. (My dear mother had NO rhythm to speak of. I once told her she was “so white.” She later saw the Steve Martin film The Jerk and understood what I meant when she saw him clapping on one and three…and she called me, in tears from laughing. ) I’ve linked the rarely-seen-in-this-country UK version of the video, which follows the storyline of the lyrics (a street musician playing for pennies in the subway) more than the sports bloopers in the US version. I realize this is from the 80s, and the video generation, but a video is so unnecessary for this classic tune. Walk of Life Written by Mark Knopfler Recorded by Dire Straits From Brothers in Arms, 1985 Peak chart position: #7 Today’s country song: “Whose Shoulder Will You Cry On” And after all the violence and double-talk: