Meaning of “Brothers in Arms” by Dire Straits
“Brothers in Arms” happens to be one of the most famous songs by the British rock band Dire Straits. The lyrics of “Brothers in Arms” were purely inspired by the Falklands War of 1982.
Falklands War
The Falklands War was a major war between the United Kingdom and Argentina. This war saw both nations fighting over ownership of the Falkland Islands as well as South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands. The war lasted from 2nd April to 14th June, 1982 and claimed the lives of 258 British soldiers.
The events of the war were what inspired the lyrics of this tune, which sees the narrator/singer (Mark Knopfler) singing from the point of view of a severely injured soldier who is about to die on the battlefield. His comrades stay by his side as he prepares to depart the earth. In bidding his fellow soldiers farewell, he tells them not to worry, for “every man has to die”. In his final words, he tells them how foolish “we” are “to make war on our brothers in arms”. By this, he means they should never have fought the opposing soldiers, who he considers their “brothers”. In his eyes, the war was pointless.
The term brother-in-arms
But what is the meaning of the term brother-in-arm? We hear you ask. It is a term often used by soldiers to refer to their fellow soldiers.
All in all, this is an anti-war song that centers around the pointlessness and silliness of war while shedding light on the plights of soldiers on the battlefield.
Speaking to the BBC, Mark Knopfler (lead singer of Dire Straits), said although we humans have only “one world”, we have decided to “live in different ones”. According to him, it is very “foolish” for us to participate in “anybody’s war”.
Facts about “Brothers in Arms”
- This piece was written solely by Mark Knopfler.
- Knopfler produced this song along with Grammy Award-winning American record producer/sound engineer Neil Dorfsman. The latter is famous for his collaborations with such greats as Paul McCartney, Dire Straits, Sting and Bruce Hornsby.
- Knopfler got the song’s famous title from his father. According to him, he was having a chat with his father regarding the Falklands War and somewhere during the discussion, his father described both factions as “Brothers In Arms”.
- “Brothers in Arms” was released in 1985 as one of the singles from Dire Strait’s best-selling album “Brothers in Arms”. The album not only sold over 30 million copies around the globe but also went on to become one of the greatest albums of all time. It was the recipient of 2 Grammy Awards in 1986. The album also features the hit single “Money for Nothing“.
- “Brothers in Arms” is widely regarded as the first single in the entire history of music to be released on a CD.
- On the UK Singles Chart, this piece peaked at number 16. It also reached the top 10 in both Ireland and New Zealand.
- In 2007, on the 25th anniversary of the 1982 Falkland War, Knopfler brought out a new version of this track. The profits from this version were donated to a program that helped British veterans who fought in the Falklands War.
Did “Brothers in Arms” ever win a Grammy Award?
Yes. At the 29th Annual Grammy Awards in 1987, the music video of the tune won a Grammy in the category of the Best Music Video.
Which films and TV series has “Brothers in Arms” appeared in?
A lot! For example, it appeared in the 2001 American spy film Spy Game starring Brad Pitt and Robert Redford. It also appears in the episode “Out Where the Buses Don’t Run” from the second season of the popular American TV series Miami Vice.
Which artists have covered “Brothers in Arms”?
Since this tune came out in 1985, it has been covered by various musical acts ranging from the American heavy metal band Metallica to American singer Joan Baez to the German band Gregorian.
Brothers in Arms is probably my favorite songs. I play it probably everyday back to back. The song brings tears to my eyes. I served in the army during the Vietnam conflict in the early 70’s. I was stationed in Bangkok, Thailand. I put in for a transfer to Vietnam but the army denied my request. So I never saw battlefield action. When I hear this song, I think that it pertains to all wars past and present.On Veterans Day I am going to call some radio stations to dedicate this song to all that have served in the military. Brothers in Arms was beautifully written and produced. The organ and guitar are blended perfectly to the words. Again, it makes me cry when I listen to the song. I also sing the words. I can’t say enough about this song, so if it seems as if I’m repeating myself – good.
It really is a beautiful song. Thanks for sharing your experience, and thank you for your service.
Rick, my feelings are as yours to a T. Thank you for writing brother and also thank you for your service.
Brothers in Arms is one of my all-time favorites too. It is one of the very few songs that I won’t turn off when I hear it on the radio, regardless of what is going on around me. I’ve sat in the driveway till it ended, and even missed my bus stop to hear it finish. I did not serve, but my father did, and I appreciate the sacrifices made by veterans. This song is a poignant reminder of that sacrifice and how it should be avoided if at all humanly possible.
Brings tears to my eyes, as a ex- soldier.
A song most appropriate for today.
I think there’s something Freudian going on in Brothers in Arms. Recall Mark K was and English Lit grad and his lyrics have more than a hint of Samuel Taylor Coleridge about them.
Brings tears to my eyes, as a ex- soldier. a brotherhood youll find no were else……
i cant listen to it with out tears coming to my eyes as an ex soldier i think of all soldiers no matter what country
as brothers in arms
When the memories make me scream myself awake and I can’t go back to sleep I sit and listen to this over and over
War is initiated by the rich & powerful. It’s a fool’s errand for us common folks. Pointless, yet millions die, to further advance the rich & powerful, while further dividing us as a species. If we are to have a future on this planet, we must awaken & evolve our thinking.
Yes, if only lif only large numbers of humankind were brothers in arms against injustice, planetary destruction, unbridled greed and the like. To paraphrase Peter Gabriel “I grieve for us”. I so so so hope Im wrong but time is fast running out.
You nailed it. My sentiments exactly…
My father told me often about the horrors of WWII and actually believing at the time that catching a German bullet would have been preferable than the insufferable cold of that winter in the Ardennes forest during the Battle of the Bulge. I remember growing up watching Walter Cronkite on the evening news reporting from Viet Nam and the tears in my father’s eyes seeing all that death and destruction.
Brothers in arms was used to great emotional effect in the American TV show the West Wing. But in that context, it did not show that the two sides (political parties) were brothers, but instead the brotherhood of the good guys facing a tremendous challenge.
In the days of “The West Wing” , the two political parties were never brothers. It is hard to say when that brotherhood was lost, if it ever existed, but it was certainly gone well before the American Civil War. In Australia, maybe that’s a different story.
Mesmerizing guitar…
As a musician(lead guitar) I had to look up the meaning of “Brothers in Arms”, It’s a beautiful composition, well written and always sounds great when performed by Dire Straits. As a Viet Nam Veteran I have mixed emotions as I agree that “some” wars are not worth the massive loss of lives and the impact on families of soldiers, however I take excepetion to including WWII which had to be fought to maintain Freedom around the world. Also the Viet Nam war being(still) a very complex and divisive war did have a solid purpose of containing Communism, unfortunately our powers to be made the horible decision to pull out, leaving the common people of south Viet Nam in a very bad way….And in case anyone actually believes that Ho Chi Minh wanted to unite the North and the South of Viet Nam for the betterment of its’ people, you might brush up your history. I digress….in the Viet Nam war we American soldiers(and allied soldiers) were indeed Brothers in Arms and remain so to this day, we had each others’ backs. Unfortunately there was NO brotherhood between us and the Viet Cong or the NVA because their fight was purely about a communist take over…never about PEACE.