Brothers in Arms (song)

Infobox Single
Name = Brothers in Arms


Artist = Dire Straits
from Album = Brothers in Arms
Released = 1985
Format =
Recorded = December 1984
Genre = Rock
Length = 6:58 / 6:05 / 4:55
Label = Vertigo
Writer = Mark Knopfler
Producer =
Certification =
Last single = "Money for Nothing"
(1985)
This single = "Brothers in Arms"
(1985)
Next single = "Walk of Life"
(1985)"Brothers in Arms" is a 1985 song by Dire Straits, appearing as the last track on the album of the same name. It is in G# minor. It peaked at #16 in the UK.

There are actually two studio recorded versions of this song: the album version which is 6:58 seconds, and the shorter version which is 6:05 seconds and features slightly different (and shorter) solos at the beginning and end of the song. The version that appears on Dire Straits' greatest hits album, , is 4:55. The On The Night-version contains an extra slide guitar-solo and is 8:55 seconds.

Mark Knopfler usually played the song on a Gibson Les Paul guitar, rather than his usual Schecter "Stratocaster", and a Les Paul appears in the distinctive promo video, which is in the style of a charcoal drawing, interspersing scenes of the band playing with scenes of war. During Dire Straits' tour On Every Street 1992, Mark used his Pensa Suhr MK1 for this song, like most of the others.

Usage of song in television and films

"Brothers in Arms" has been extensively used as background music in television and films.
* The 25th episode of "Miami Vice", called "Out Where the Buses Don't Run"; virtually the entire song was used.
* The war drama "McBain", about Colombia, begins with the song.
* The Season 3 episode "I Coulda Been a Defendant" of the Canadian comedy-drama "Due South", playing at the end during a thunderstorm.
* The season finale of the second (2000-2001) season of the American political drama "The West Wing" (episode title: "Two Cathedrals"). The song played through the final few minutes of the episode as President Bartlet was about to reveal to the public whether he would seek re-election. A thunderstorm was again in the background.
* The 2001 movie "Spy Game", starring Brad Pitt and Robert Redford. The song is played during the scene in which Pitt's character gets off a train in Germany and meets Redford's character and his wife. The weather in the scene is wet and melancholy, true to the feelings the song generates.
* During the Croatian War of Independence, one of the most famous pieces of video footage of the war was "Banijska ratna praskozorja" ("Banija war dawns"), featuring the "Brothers in Arms" melody in the background. The footage, which is very melancholic and largely shown in slow motion, was made by a famous TV journalist, Gordan Lederer and shows a dawn patrol of Croatian soldiers in the morning mist. Shortly after, Lederer was shot and killed by a Serbian sniper. [ [http://www.ezgeta.com/arms.html Brothers In Arms - Dire Straits] Retrieved July 17, 2007.]
* In an Australian TV show commemorating Shane Warne; first part of the song was used as an introduction.
* On 30th May 2007 the song was re-released for download from online music stores in memory of those who died and in tribute to those who fought during the 1982 Falklands War, during the 25th Anniversary year of the conflict. All the royalties are ringfenced for funding pilgrimages to the Falklands.
* The song has been used on New Zealand television to promote the work of The Salvation Army.
* The soundtrack to a video made by the Israeli Defense Force.

Covers

* Gregorian covered the song for their album, Masters of Chant, Chapter 1-3 (Jubiläumsedition)
* Folk legend Joan Baez covered the song for her 1987 album of the same name.
* Serbian rock band Galija recorded a version of the song with lyrics in Serbian language entitled "Kad me pogledaš" on their 1989 album "Korak do slobode" (One Step Towards Freedom).
* Metallica covered the song on Bridge School Benefit 2007 (October 27th and 28th).
* The Finnish Symphonic Power Metal band Northern Kings covered the song on their album called "Reborn" in 2007.
* Celtic Thunder - The Show - Ryan Kelly covered this song as part of their 2007 DVD and during the 2008 Tour

References