Watch Dire Straits Put London On A Trip With “Money for Nothing” Live Performance

Heads up, Dire Straits enthusiasts! We recently discovered an incredible live recording of Dire Straits’ “Money for Nothing” in HD. The video was taken way back in 1985, inside the band’s Brothers In Arms Tour.

Mark Knopfler was inspired to write “Money for Nothing” after hearing a guy complain about the musicians that appeared in the 1980s. Moreover, The Police’s Sting sings on it and contributed to its composition (he and Knopfler are the credited writers). That’s him at the start, singing “I want my MTV.” Sting didn’t want a songwriting credit, but his record label wanted to since royalties would have been paid. As a result, when MTV Europe began airing, this was the first song played.

This song is about the extravagant lifestyle of a rock star and how simple it is in comparison to actual labor. It was written by Knopfler in response to hearing delivery workers whine about their employment while watching MTV in a New York department store. He composed the song while seated at a kitchen exhibit that had been set up in the shop. Many of the lyrics were genuine words they used.

Watch the amazing video below.