Walk of Life

History

Mark Knopfler told Classic Rock in 2015 how the song came about: "I saw a photograph of a kid playing a guitar in a subway, turning his face to the wall to get a good reverb. When I started playing the guitar, because I didn't have an amplifier, I'd put the head of the guitar on the arm of a chair and put my head on the guitar to try and get into a loud noise. It kind of reminded me of that, I suppose."

Knopfler had not originally intended "Walk of Life" for the album, but rather as a B-side to one of the singles. Dire Straits manager Ed Bicknell heard it when it was being mixed and convinced Knopfler to include it on the album at the last minute.

A simple rock and roll rhythm is used, with chord changes limited to I, IV and V chords. The long introduction has become iconic in some circles, with an instantly recognisable riff played on a synthesizer-driven keyboard with hints of the blues. The singer mentioned in the lyrics, "Johnny", is said to perform "down in the tunnels, trying to make it pay", a reference to busking in the subway. The songs he plays are oldies, including "I Got a Woman", "Be-Bop-A-Lula", "What'd I Say", "My Sweet Lovin' Woman", and "Mack the Knife". He also plays talking blues.

Music videos

Two music videos were produced for "Walk of Life". One shows the band playing the song in concert while the character Johnny is playing 1950s songs in the Tyne cyclist and pedestrian tunnel; the other features the band playing interspersed with clips of sports bloopers.

Reception

Cash Box said the song recalls "the band's '50s rock infatuation first heard on 'Twisting by the Pool'", but that it "is a more profound but equally energetic effort". Cash Box later said that "a light sound is balanced by a meaningful lyric and wrapped in trademark Knopfler guitar accents". Billboard said that "Knopfler and friends bob out to a cajun/zydeco track that might have sounded weird if Rockin' Sidney hadn't broken the ice."

Use in media

"Walk of Life" has been used in the first scene of the first season and the final scene of the series finale of Young Sheldon. An instrumental version was featured in a British Gas advert in 2025.

Chart performance

Weekly charts

Year-end charts

Certifications

References

References

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