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"Romeo and Juliet" is a song by the British rock band Dire Straits, recorded in 1980. It first appeared on the album Making Movies and then on the live albums Alchemy and On the Night. It was released as a single in 1981.
The song also is featured in the 1995 movie Empire Records (though it did not make the cut for the official Empire Records soundtrack album).
The song was written by Dire Straits singer and lead guitarist Mark Knopfler.
The song opens on an arpeggiated resonator guitar part played by Knopfler, who also sings the lead vocal. The instrumentation remains simple during the verses and moves to a full-on rock arrangement in the chorus sections.
There is a good 10:05 live version here too : live version
The lyrics of the song comprise a description of a conversation between the two lovers of the title.
In addition to the obvious reference to William Shakespeare's play of the same title, the song makes playful allusion to other works involving young love, including the songs "My Boyfriend's Back" and "Somewhere" from West Side Story (which is itself based on the Shakespeare play).
This song was inspired by Mark Knopfler's broken romance with Holly Vincent, leader of the band Holly and the Italians.
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