The journey continues with many questions, plenty of food for thought, and very little certainty or rather, a healthy dose of skepticism toward the people I mentioned to you last week. There are signs of a possible reconciliation, but life often teaches us that words count for very little nowadays; people tend to forget their promises, especially when money is involved. It’s a shame one can’t just pull a Gary Oldman from the movie Léon.

Today, I’d like to pivot to lighter topics, mostly because I’m mentally and physically exhausted. I remember as a kid, late at night on certain local TV channels, they’d show highlights of the Roma and Lazio strikers of the era. I’m talking about the 90s, so I’m talking about guys like Signori, Balbo, Casiraghi, Bokšić, Delvecchio, Montella, a young Totti… and more often than not, the background music was Springsteen’s “Born in the U.S.A.” or that other magnetic track, “Sultans of Swing” by Dire Straits! Sometimes they even used “Walk of Life.”

Those were the two songs that pushed me toward Mark Knopfler’s band around the year 2000. From there, I began discovering their discography, and as often happens, I soon set aside the aforementioned hits to bond emotionally with tracks like “Lady Writer,” “Tunnel of Love,” “Telegraph Road,” “Your Latest Trick,” “Local Hero/Wild Theme,” “Solid Rock,” “Calling Elvis,” “The Man’s Too Strong,” “So Far Away,” and “Iron Hand.” In short, a lot of songs—and very different ones at that though they are all linked by a veil of disillusionment that also characterizes some of my own music.

I must say, I’ve always loved the keyboard arrangements in Dire Straits; they are essential for adding color and body to tracks like “Industrial Disease.” On the flip side, there are 3 or 4 songs I’ve always detested simply because I never vibed with them: “Romeo and Juliet,” “Twisting by the Pool,” “Money for Nothing,” and “Ticket to Heaven.” I just couldn’t listen to them. Even “Heavy Fuel” was borderline for me, though I did end up liking the main riff.

Even though I consider myself just a casual fan of the band, it pisses me off to hear people claim, “If you’ve heard three of their songs, you’ve heard them all!” Nothing could be further from the truth. It’s better to just say you only like three of their songs rather than coming off as ignorant or like someone who doesn’t know jack shit, right?

Anyway, they’ve been very useful to me with their energetic yet gentle rock, a sound that almost never feels intrusive. Sometimes it’s even reflective, because as the saying goes, you can’t live life at 100 mph unless you have some kind of cognitive disorder—which, incidentally, seems to be the target audience for current Japanese music producers. Dire Straits are truly for those people who are fed up with today’s frantic pace and just want to stop for a moment to look at the world from their balcony or stroll through the park with calm, tranquility, and irony.

To me, their music helps you put a brave face on a bad situation, letting go of pointless arguments or fights that are inherently fruitless. Their tracks help you walk away from what’s toxic to your enjoyment of life, allowing you to save your energy for what you’re truly passionate about something I always recommend you do, whether you listen to Dire Straits or not.

Talk soon.