Brothers in Arms (song)

"Brothers in Arms"
Single by Dire Straits
from the album Brothers in Arms
B-side	Going Home (Theme From Local Hero)(Live) & Why Worry (Instrumental Segment)
Released	14 October, 1985
Format	7" vinyl
Recorded	December 1984
Genre	Rock ballad
Length	6:58 / 6:05 / 4:55
Label	Vertigo
Writer(s)	Mark Knopfler
Producer	Neil Dorfsman
Dire Straits singles chronology
"Money for Nothing" (1985) "Brothers in Arms" (1985) "Walk of Life" (1985) Brothers in Arms track listing One World (8) "Brothers in Arms" (9)

"Brothers in Arms" is a 1985 song by Dire Straits, appearing as the closing track on the album of the same name. It is in G# minor.

History

There are two studio recorded versions of this song: the album version which is 6:55 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, The Very Best of Dire Straits, is 4:55. The version featured on the live album On the Night contains an extra pedal steel guitar solo and is 8:55. The full-length, studio album version (6:55) was also included on the 2005 compilation The Best of Dire Straits & Mark Knopfler: Private Investigations.

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' 1992 "On Every Street" tour, Knopfler used his Pensa-Suhr MK1 for this song, like most of the others.

• The song is reported to be the first CD Single ever released^{[citation needed]}, it was released in the United Kingdom in 1985.

Music video

The music video uses rotoscoping and shows the band performing, overlaid with images of soldiers in battle.

Track listings

7" Single

1. Brothers In Arms - 6:04
2. Going Home (Theme of the Local Hero) (Live) - 4:45

Charts

Chart (1985/88)	Peak position
UK Singles Chart	16
Irish Singles Chart	10
Dutch Top 40	59
Australian Singles Chart	57
New Zealand Singles Chart	5

In popular culture

• The song was first used in the Miami Vice episode, "Out Where the Buses Don't Run".
• The song was notably used in The West Wing episode, Two Cathedrals.
• The song was prominently used in the Due South episode, "I Coulda Been a Defendant".
• The song was featured on the soundtrack of the 2008 Barry Levinson film What Just Happened.
• The song was also featured in the 2001 film "Spy Game."
• It was used as the theme tune to the 1992 Jason Isaacs TV series Civies.
• The song was covered live in concert by Metallica in 2007.
• It was also used prominently in Vince's death scene in A Mexican Fairytale
• It is the official song of Terrace Rowing
• The title of Andrzej Sapkowski's fantasy novel Baptism of Fire was apparently taken from the song's lyrics. The second stanza of "Brothers in Arms" is also the book's motto.

Cover versions

• Gregorian covered the song for their album, Masters of Chant, Chapter 1-3 (Jubiläumsedition)
• Folk singer Joan Baez covered the song for her 1987 album, Recently.
• Serbian rock band Galija covered the song, with lyrics in Serbian language, entitled "Kad me pogledaš" on their 1989 album Korak do slobode.
• Metallica covered the song on Bridge School Benefit 2007 (October 27 and 28th).
• The Finnish Symphonic power metal band Northern Kings covered the song on their album Reborn in 2007.
• Celtic Thunder: Ryan Kelly covered this song as part of their 2007 DVD and during the 2008 tour.
• Romanian rock band The Edge has covered this song live.
• The Finnish acapella band Club for Five covered the song on their album You're the Voice in 2009.
• Nina Persson (of The Cardigans) and Georg Wadenius on his album "Reconnection" in 2009