Walk of Life - Dire Straits
Song Lyrics / Chart History / Artist Information

  • Written by Mark Knopfler
  • Originally performed by the British rock band Dire Straits
  • Included on the band's most successful album, the 1985 release "Brothers in Arms"
  • Brothers in Arms went on to become the biggest selling  album of 1985 in the UK, although it didn't quite make that in the US owing to the continued phenomenal success of Michael Jackson's "Thriller"
  •  The album reached #1 on the Billboard Magazine Top 200 Albums Chart the week of August 31, 1985
  • The lyrics reference several very popular oldies, including "Be Bop A Lua" by Gene Vincent, "What I Say" and "I Got A Woman" by Ray Charles, and "Mack The Knife" by Bobby Darrin
  • The single for Walk of Life reached #7 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, #6 on the Mainstream Rock Chart, and #4 on the Adult Contemporary Chart

Here's a video of Oracle performing this song at the 2009 Laurel Independence Day concert in Laurel Maryland


Oracle Band MP3 / RealAudio Samples

An excerpt from a live Oracle Band performance of this song is available as both a streaming RealAudio format, or as a higher quality downloadable MP3.  Select the version you'd prefer.

Streaming RealAudio

Download MP3



Song Lyrics - Walk of Life

Oooh whoo
Here comes Johnny singing oldies, goldies
Be-Bop-A-Lua, baby What I Say
Here comes Johnny singing I Got A Woman,
Down in the tunnels, trying to make it pay
He got the action he got the motion,
Yeah, the boy can play,
Dedication, devotion,
Turning all the night time into the day

He do the song about the sweet lovin' woman
He do the song about the knife.
He do the walk,
He do the walk of life,
Yeah he do the walk of life

Here comes Johnny and he'll tell you the story
Hand me down my walkin' shoes
Here come Johnny with the power and the glory
Backbeat the talkin' blues
He got the action he got the motion,
Yeah, the boy can play
Dedication, devotion,
Turning all the night time into the day

He do the song about the sweet lovin' woman
He do the song about the knife
He do the walk,
He do the walk of life,
Yeah he do the walk of life

Here comes Johnny singing oldies, goldies
Be-Bop-A-Lula, baby What I Say
Here comes Johnny singing I Got A Woman
Down in the tunnels, trying to make it pay
He got the action, he got the motion,
Yeah the boy can play
Dedication, devotion,
Turning all the night time into the day

And after all the violence and double talk
There's just a song in the trouble and the strife,
You do the walk,
You do the walk of life,
Ooh you do the walk of life.


Note that the lyrics posted here are those as interpreted and performed by The Oracle Band. In a few cases we have taken some liberties with the lyrics to make them more appropriate for tasteful gatherings. Their use here is intended as an aid for people in selecting music for their wedding reception or private party, and may not be reproduced for any commercial, for-profit use.



Brothers In Arms
Dire Straits

This is the best selling album of the Dire Straits catalog.  In addition to "Walk Of Life", it also includes:

Money For Nothing
Brothers In Arms
...and 6 more songs, all at a great price from Amazon.com





Walk Of Life
Dire Straits
MP3 Download

Download this classic Dire Straits song in MP3 format quickly & easily (and legally) from Amazon.com!



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