A top 10 hit in the UK in 1981, Romeo And Juliet is one of Dire Straits’ greatest songs, in which the writer, guitarist/vocalist Mark Knopfler, reimagined the Shakespearean tragedy and put a new twist on how the story unfolds.
The lyrics were inspired by Knopfler’s split from American musician Holly Beth Vincent, who moved over to London to focus on her new group Holly And The Italians. Their relationship came to an end when Vincent broke up with him on the phone and the lyrics to Knopfler’s song are based on a failing romance that’s ultimately doomed.