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Dire Straits — Industrial Disease
Album: Love Over Gold
Avg rating:
7.4

Your rating:
Total ratings: 2167









Released: 1982
Length: 5:43
Plays (last 30 days): 1
Warning lights are flashing down at Quality Control
Somebody threw a spanner and they threw him in the hole
There's rumors in the loading bay and anger in the town
Somebody blew the whistle and the walls came down
There's a meeting in the boardroom they're trying to trace the smell
There's leaking in the washroom there's sneak in personnel
Somewhere in the corridors someone was heard to sneeze
'Goodness me could this be Industrial Disease?'

The caretaker was crucified for sleeping at his post
They're refusing to be pacified it's him they blame the most
The watchdog's got rabies the foreman's got the fleas
And everyone's concerned about Industrial Disease
There's panic on the switchboard tongues are tied in knots
Some come out in sympathy some come out in spots
Some blame the management some the employees
And everybody knows it's the Industrial Disease

The work force is disgusted downs tools and walks
Innocence is injured experience just talks
Everyone seeks damages and everyone agrees
That these are 'classic symptoms of a monetary squeeze'
On ITV and BBC they talk about the curse
Philosophy is useless; theology is worse
History boils over there's an economics freeze
Sociologists invent words that mean 'Industrial Disease'

Doctor Parkinson declared 'I'm not surprised to see you here
You've got smokers cough from smoking brewer's droop from drinking beer
I don't know how you came to get the Bette Davis knees
But worst of all young man you've got Industrial Disease'
He wrote me a prescription he said 'you are depressed
But I'm glad you came to see me to get this off your chest
Come back and see me later - next patient please
Send in another victim of Industrial Disease'

I go down to Speaker's Corner I'm thunderstruck
They got free speech, tourists, police in trucks
Two men say they're Jesus, one of them must be wrong
There's a protest singer singing a protest song - he says
'They wanna have a war to keep their factories
They wanna have a war to keep us on our knees
They wanna have a war to stop us buying Japanese
They wanna have a war to stop Industrial Disease

They're pointing out the enemy to keep you deaf and blind
They wanna sap your energy incarcerate your mind
They give you Rule Brittania, gassy beer, page three
Two weeks in Espana and Sunday striptease'
Meanwhile the first Jesus says 'I'll cure it soon
Abolish Monday mornings and Friday afternoons'
The other one's out on hunger striker he's dying by degrees
How come Jesus gets Industrial Disease?
Comments (206)add comment
 aneal300 wrote:
Knoffler rocks!



Needs a 'p' in his name dude ๐Ÿ˜Ž
So love these guys, they can do no wrong.

Whatever you play is just fine by me.

๐Ÿ˜Ž
always loved this song. the lyrics are so awesome.
 aneal300 wrote:
Knoffler rocks!



two men say they're Knopfler, one of them must be wrong...
 1jerry wrote:


they're, their.  One of 'em must be wrong.


Mark applying his genius to rock and roll was genius!
 DeemerDave wrote:

Two men say their President. One of 'em must be wrong!



they're, their.  One of 'em must be wrong.
 joejennings wrote:



SAME HERE!   ...WE aged well too!!  



obviously Iยดm not old enough :-)
Yes! So far ahead of its time, in its effects, sentiments, and resonances. It's fun and funny as could be, and I still love and worship it dearly! 
 pcjimioj189 wrote:
I hated this album when it came out.
Now I love it.  Aged very very well.
                     
                                 



SAME HERE!   ...WE aged well too!!  
I can't believe I actually like this :)
 pcjimioj189 wrote:
I hated this album when it came out.
Now I love it.  Aged very very well.
                     
                                 


you or the album?
Knoffler rocks!

Industrial Disease. Has it ever been more applicable than now?
Saw a number of local bands at the Duke pub Deptford , but never these guys.
Perfect technic song
Two men say their President. One of 'em must be wrong!
A 7.3.  ?  Ears are deficient. 
"splendid"
THE PERFECT CORONAVIRUS SINGALONG TRACK. 
 ench wrote:

I prefer the term "brewers droop" to "whiskey dick", like so much of UK slang versus 'Merican.
 
Also the name of one of Mark's early bands. btw, 'merkin' means something else this side of the water. I refrain from saying if it is appropriate, but there may be some mileage comparing it with POTUS's hairpiece 
I hated this album when it came out.
Now I love it.  Aged very very well.
                     
                                 
What a great song - superb arrangement, complex (love the syncopation!), yet still has loads of energy and still sounds like rock 'n' roll!
Long Live                                                                                                                                      Radio Paradise
My rating is                                                                                                                          9 -OUTSTANDING

I hate the dancing bananas below












 {#Dancingbanana_2}{#Bananajam}{#Bananapiano}{#Bananasplit}{#Bananajumprope}{#Dancingbanana} {#Dancingbanana_2}{#Bananajam}{#Bananapiano}{#Bananasplit}{#Bananajumprope}{#Dancingbanana} {#Dancingbanana_2}{#Bananajam}{#Bananapiano}{#Bananasplit}{#Bananajumprope}{#Dancingbanana} {#Dancingbanana_2}{#Bananajam}{#Bananapiano}{#Bananasplit}{#Bananajumprope}{#Dancingbanana} {#Dancingbanana_2}{#Bananajam}{#Bananapiano}{#Bananasplit}{#Bananajumprope}{#Dancingbanana} {#Dancingbanana_2}{#Bananajam}{#Bananapiano}{#Bananasplit}{#Bananajumprope}{#Dancingbanana} {#Dancingbanana_2}{#Bananajam}{#Bananapiano}{#Bananasplit}{#Bananajumprope}{#Dancingbanana} {#Dancingbanana_2}{#Bananajam}{#Bananapiano}{#Bananasplit}{#Bananajumprope}{#Dancingbanana} {#Dancingbanana_2}{#Bananajam}{#Bananapiano}{#Bananasplit}{#Bananajumprope}{#Dancingbanana} {#Dancingbanana_2}{#Bananajam}{#Bananapiano}{#Bananasplit}{#Bananajumprope}{#Dancingbanana} {#Dancingbanana_2}{#Bananajam}{#Bananapiano}{#Bananasplit}{#Bananajumprope}{#Dancingbanana} {#Dancingbanana_2}{#Bananajam}{#Bananapiano}{#Bananasplit}{#Bananajumprope}{#Dancingbanana} {#Dancingbanana_2}{#Bananajam}{#Bananapiano}{#Bananasplit}{#Bananajumprope}{#Dancingbanana} {#Dancingbanana_2}{#Bananajam}{#Bananapiano}{#Bananasplit}{#Bananajumprope}{#Dancingbanana} {#Dancingbanana_2}{#Bananajam}{#Bananapiano}{#Bananasplit}{#Bananajumprope}{#Dancingbanana} {#Dancingbanana_2}{#Bananajam}{#Bananapiano}{#Bananasplit}{#Bananajumprope}{#Dancingbanana}
Alastair wrote:

Jeez, what's with the dancing bananas?  Animated GIFs were probably never a good idea but FFS this is 2017.  

 

{#Drummer}Dire Straits - Great - great - great{#Bananajam} 
Best Dire Straits album EVER
 Alastair wrote:

Jeez, what's with the dancing bananas?  Animated GIFs were probably never a good idea but FFS this is 2017.  

 
You must be a new comer to this board.  Just be thankful that the vomit gif seems to have been retired.
 gregskrtic wrote:
Best song on this great album!

{#Bananajam}{#Bananapiano}{#Dancingbanana_2} 

 
Jeez, what's with the dancing bananas?  Animated GIFs were probably never a good idea but FFS this is 2017.  
 gregskrtic wrote:
Best song on this great album!

{#Bananajam}{#Bananapiano}{#Dancingbanana_2} 

 
I would vote for Telegraph Road.
Best song on this great album!

{#Bananajam}{#Bananapiano}{#Dancingbanana_2} 
 Chinto wrote:
1st album on CD

 
I worked in a record store back then, and the owner had one of the first CD players, which I think he bought for around $1,000.00.

I remember this being one of his first discs:

 Frida - Something's Going On (1982).jpg
 Elroweho wrote:
After listening to this song several times I had to find out what the line"you got brewers droop from drinking too much beer" meant. My first thought was it was the UK's version of declaring a beer belly. Boy was I wrong! It is actually a slang for a guy not able to - well -"perform" since he drank too much alcohol! Man I get a kick out of UK/Aussie slang!

 
like
 
1st album on CD
I've known this song for decades. Never really listened to the lyrics until Bill played it. Brilliant! Thanks RP!
                   Might be a tad late, If  realization comes at 'How come Jesus gets Industrial Disease'?
Only think I am complaining is kids sitting on Doctor Parkinson couch,  and wait  for their turn to be psychoanalized for industrial disease.
                                                                          I never seen a sicko kid.
A 7.1 score. Rats. This song floats high in the stratosphere for satire, imagery, knife-sharp comment and plain ingenious fun. Get with the program. 
One of my fav D.S. songs
Lyrics below are slightly incorrect: 

"they wanna have a war to keep us on our knees
They wanna have a war to keep their factories
They wanna have a war to stop the spying Japanese
They wanna have a war to stop industrial disease
Corrected: 

They wanna have a war to keep their factories
They wanna have a war to keep us on our knees
They wanna have a war to stop us buying Japanese
They wanna have a war to stop industrial disease 
 coloradojohn wrote:
I echo the craving to hear Telegraph Road from this record; Superb Stuff, yeah!  I love the way he used the effect but RESTRAINED it.

 
yes to hearing it here
I echo the craving to hear Telegraph Road from this record; Superb Stuff, yeah!  I love the way he used the effect but RESTRAINED it.
 Gregorama wrote:

Give it 20 years. :)
 
Oops-hadn't read the earlier post.  I thought it was beer belly, too.  D'oh!
 Elroweho wrote:
Happy to say I drink beer but do not have "Brewers Droop"! {#Kiss}

 
Give it 20 years. :)
It would be splendid indeed to hear Telegraph Road, its cousin song from the same album. A one of a kind epic.  
Happy to say I drink beer but do not have "Brewers Droop"! {#Kiss}
 Elroweho wrote:
After listening to this song several times I had to find out what the line"you got brewers droop from drinking too much beer" meant. My first thought was it was the UK's version of declaring a beer belly. Boy was I wrong! It is actually a slang for a guy not able to - well -"perform" since he drank too much alcohol! Man I get a kick out of UK/Aussie slang!

 
I prefer the term "brewers droop" to "whiskey dick", like so much of UK slang versus 'Merican.
In addition to some great lines, many British references and some damn fine humour, That gated Flanged strat sound is great, I've often tried but without really expensive effects I just end up with a big speaker making ssshssshshhhhshhhhhhhhhhshsssssssss noises.
"Next patient please !!!!!!!!!!!"

Class Warfare in a five minute pop song.
I think this is a transitional song in the Dire Straits cannon, unfortunately the transition was from fine guitar tunes with a bit of extras to bombastic overly produced conventionality (for much that came thereafter). This particular song seems to have too much of the new Dire Straits already.
After listening to this song several times I had to find out what the line"you got brewers droop from drinking too much beer" meant. My first thought was it was the UK's version of declaring a beer belly. Boy was I wrong! It is actually a slang for a guy not able to - well -"perform" since he drank too much alcohol! Man I get a kick out of UK/Aussie slang!
 nagsheadlocal wrote:
"Two men say they're Jesus - one of them must be wrong"

One of my all-time favorite rock lyrics . . .  

 
Mine, too! This song is chock full of great lines.
Dire Straits usually threw one or two pop songs on each album to get attention in the US.  This is that song for this album.  IMO, it's the weakest song on an otherwise great album.
 BazH wrote:
I used to like them in the early 80s but find all their stuff Boring now.

 
I would definitely not go that far - some of their stuff is pretty good (particularly Sultans of Swing album), but I totally agree that is dull and lazy, with throwaway instrumentation supporting a simple melody. Probably written as an album filler at the time? A musically accomplished band could probably churn something like this out in an hour in a studio. 
Never found them boring, because I listen to the lyrics and admire the technical expertise on display when he plays.  This is one of my favorite anthems of post-WWII western civilization.

Hello!?!?  This is boring?
 
I'm not surprised to see you here.
You've got smokers cough from smoking,
brewer's droop from drinking beer.
I don't know how you came to get the Bette Davis knees,
But worst of all young man you've got Industrial Disease!

 I used to find them boring in the 80's and still find them boring - added with a tinge of irritation now. This is what we were served up as  guitar based rock in those bad old days.

Not sure why we still get to hear them...Dull



itaish wrote:

I actually used to find their stuff boring during the 80's but learn to like them more and more now :)



 


 itaish wrote:
The older I get the more I appreciate Dire Straits music (that's a complement...)

 
Compliment maybe?
 BazH wrote:
I used to like them in the early 80s but find all their stuff Boring now.

  I actually used to find their stuff boring during the 80's but learn to like them more and more now :)


I used to like them in the early 80s but find all their stuff Boring now.
Ah, yes...This made me pull over to listen when it first came out...I was driving along PCH near Huntington Beach with a tasty buzz on...sat there and laughed till I almost cried...Surely some of the funnest lyrics ever!
One of the very finest sing along and timely and spot-on songs ever. Brilliant!  A rock solid 10. 
Don't konw how did MK manage to do, so that Dire Straits songs never felt to be as lenghty as they really are.
The older I get the more I appreciate Dire Straits music (that's a compliment...)
"Two men say they're Jesus - one of them must be wrong"

One of my all-time favorite rock lyrics . . .  

 fredriley wrote:
The verse about war is a direct reference to the Falklands/Malvinas war in 1982 - I don't know if this song was written before, during or after this nasty little pointless war, 

Hydrocarbons have now been found in reasonable quality offshore. . . 
 Frater_Kork wrote:
Farfisa!
 

Indeed! Great sound.

Good all the way around.

{#Dancingbanana_2}


Farfisa!
Ahh my youth.
 Cynaera wrote:
I love this song - so delightfully cynical and snarky...  Not vouching for the lyrics, but couldn't find anything totally accurate...

 
Did you transcribe the lyrics? You must have a lot of time on your hands ;)

The lyrics take me back a couple of decades as they obliquely reference the state of the UK back in the Thatcherite 80s when the Tories were actively carrying out class war against the labour movement, and the movement was trying to fight back, with economy and society as 'collateral damage' (as they say these days). The verse about war is a direct reference to the Falklands/Malvinas war in 1982 - I don't know if this song was written before, during or after this nasty little pointless war, but Thatcher soon after 'victory' (at the cost of 2000 lives) talked freely of "the enemy within" by which she clearly meant striking workers. The war cemented her regime's power and led to its eventual victory in the class war it had started. This isn't so much a song as a piece of social history.

Nice proof that Mark's also quite a poet... {#Clap}
I love this song - so delightfully cynical and snarky...  Not vouching for the lyrics, but couldn't find anything totally accurate...
Warning lights are flashing down at quality control
Somebody threw a spanner and they threw him in the hole
There's rumors in the loading bay and anger in the town
Somebody blew the whistle and the walls came down
There's a meeting in the boardroom they're trying to trace the smell
There's leaking in the washroom there's a stinkin personnel
Somewhere in the corridors someone was heard to sneeze
Goodness me, could this be industrial disease?

Caretaker was crucified for sleeping at his post
They're refusing to be pacified it's him they blame the most
The watchdog's got rabies the foreman's got fleas
Everyone's concerned about industrial disease
There's panic on the switchboard tongues are ties in knots
Some come out in sympathy some come out in spots
Some blame the management some the employees
And everybody knows it's the industrial disease

The work force is disgusted downs tools and walks
Innocence is injured experience just talks
Everyone seeks damages and everyone agrees
That these are classic symptoms of a monetary squeeze
On ITV and BBC they talk about the curse
Philosophy is useless theology is worse
History boils over there's an economics freeze
Sociologists invent words that mean 'industrial disease'

Doctor Parkinson declared "I'm not surprised to see you here
You've got smokers cough from smoking, brewer's droop from drinking beer
I don't know how you came to get those Betty Davis knees
But worst of all young man you've got industrial disease"
He wrote me a prescription he said "you're not depressed
But I'm glad you came to see me to get this off your chest
Come back and see me later - next patient please
Send in another victim of industrial disease"

I go down to speaker's corner I'm thunderstruck
They got free speech, tourists, police in trucks
Two men say they're Jesus - one of them must be wrong
There's a protest singer singing a protest song - he says
"they wanna have a war to keep us on our knees
They wanna have a war to keep their factories
They wanna have a war to stop the spying Japanese
They wanna have a war to stop industrial disease
They're pointing out the enemy to keep you deaf and blind
They wanna sap your energy incarcerate your mind
They give you rule Brittania, gassy beer, page three
Two weeks in España and Sunday striptease"
Meanwhile the first Jesus says "I'd cure it soon
Abolish Monday mornings and Friday afternoons"
The other one's out on hunger strike he's dying by degrees
How come Jesus gets industrial disease


Nice tune from a GREAT album.
 gregr79 wrote:
2 men say they're Jesus  -  One of them must be wrong Notworthy

Porto Rico is full of Jesus's 


Nice, reminds me of Dylan's Highway 61.

 gregr79 wrote:
2 men say they're Jesus  -  One of them must be wrong Notworthy

 

Meanwhile the first jesus says Id cure it soon
Abolish monday mornings and friday afternoons
The other one's on a hunger strike he's dying by degrees
How come jesus gets industrial disease

{#Notworthy}

 jjbix wrote:
 there is a reason no one plays it, it sucks, album filler tune

 
This is a great, fun song. Amazing album.

 echoes wrote:
Always dug this groovy little diddy
 
agreed!    DS and Knopfler don't do much for me anymore but this is still fun..

2 men say they're Jesus  -  One of them must be wrong Notworthy

Always dug this groovy little diddy
The organ playing in this sounds like Question Mark and the Mysterions' "Ninety-six Tears," doesn't it?
HAha love it Bill, got this album first time around , I think I was only about 11!!!
"innocence is injured, experience just talks"

GREAT SONG!!!
Next patient please !!
 cirruss wrote:
cannot stand Dire Straits
 

But you award multiple 9s to Talking Heads tracks??????

Go figure.
 there is a reason no one plays it, it sucks, album filler tune
 

rmh3 wrote:
I love this song and no one ever seems to play it.  Thanks, Bill.



I love this song and no one ever seems to play it.  Thanks, Bill.

My favorite Dire Straits tune....



 jagdriver wrote:


In memory of General Motors....
 
Neil Young sure hopes so.

 amoreena wrote:

Maybe not the strongest Dire Straits cut but the lyrics sure hit home in the current economic/political mess here in the US.  Rock on, Mark, and keep us smiling through the pain.


 

In memory of General Motors....
Had this been any other song from Love Over Gold it would have gotten at least an eight without even thinking.  Alas this one only gets a three.

Maybe not the strongest Dire Straits cut but the lyrics sure hit home in the current economic/political mess here in the US.  Rock on, Mark, and keep us smiling through the pain.


OUCH, BILL!!!  How appropriate!
 Laptopdog wrote:
Not my favorite Dire Straits song by any means. 
Still, it's nice to hear it again after all these years.

 
Came here to say this.  Great album, great band.

BAD AM radio
very dated bubble gum sound.
Not my favorite Dire Straits song by any means. 
Still, it's nice to hear it again after all these years.

cannot stand Dire Straits
This reminds me when I was a teenager! I bought the cassette of this album and played all day long: this was my favourite track. In fact it is not one of their best... Thank you Bill!
Great song off of one of Dire Straits' greatest albums.
Two men say they're jesus, one of them must be wrong Meanwhile, the first jesus says "I'd cure it soon. Abolish monday mornings and friday afternoons" The other one is on a hunger strike. He's dying by degrees. How come jesus gets industrial disease? Lirically, unbeatable. Musically, it is a bit Walk of Life before Walk of Life. Plus, there is no guitar solo. The only nice thing are the two guitars playing together. Just a 7
lyrics ring true today... Theres a protest singer singing a protest song - he says they wanna have a war to keep us on our knees They wanna have a war to keep their factories They wanna have a war to stop us buying japanese They wanna have a war to stop industrial disease
Mark Knopfler is one of the best guitarists ever
Maybe not their best. But I like it. Lots of energy.
Yae!
i love dire straits.. but this song bothers me. the keyboard sounds really dated and annoying.
please........not again ...1
Great album; but perhaps the weakest song on it. This is AM Radio material now, Bill!
I'm with bcorcoran and the others who think this is very lightweight fair indeed. Sultans of Swing is by far the best Dire Straits album, mainly because of its sublety in comparison to the rest of their output. This is just about the worst track of all, overly jaunty with a childish melody. It's the type of track that "older" people like because it's "such fun!". By older I don't mean in age, but the type of people who normally say they don't think popular/modern music is proper music...
This whole album is genius from start to finish. It was the first CD I ever bought.
At first I didn't get all the bitching about Dire Straits being overplayed... Now I do. Please, less. Call me superficial, but I'd rather hear "Sultans of Swing" instead of this if you're going to play them at all. 2.
physicsgenius wrote:
Oct 18, 2006 Umm....these two songs, plus "Sultan of Swing", is all Dire Straits is. Expostulate all you want about the OMGENIOUS of Mark Knopfler, but every one of his songs just sounds like Dire Straits, which is to say the depths of 1977.
In 44 days, I will be celebrating the 1 year anniversary of this post.
"Two men say they're Jesus, one of them must be wrong." Love the lyric, and the Farfisa is outstanding.
carnival, bubble gum, merry-go-round drivel, and I like dire straights . . . 9/18: this is on AM & TV & taking up time on RP from some special under-heard song. :(
SmilinJimmy wrote:
One more.
And one more..
Imkirok wrote:
Add my vote to the "please upload Telegraph Road" list. For me, Telegraph Road was the first song that told a story I could picture in my head. It changed the way I listened to music forever.
One more.
I like this song, and 'Money for Nothing', because they take shots at modern culture (the lack thereof). No, it's not their best work musically, but it's fun and makes a point. I'm in 100% agreement that both songs are grossly misplaced on their respective albums. I'd rather them be together on a separate disc. But to be fair, once upon a time albums didn't always have an overriding 'theme', they were just a batch of songs. Personally I prefer the former, where the album tends to paint an overall picture. Willie Nelson's 'Red-Headed Stranger', The Who's 'Tommy', Elton John's 'Tumbleweed Connection', come to mind. c.
Pure songwriting genius. Love the little bell before the Dr. says, "next patient please!" Class struggle captured in a six minute diddy. "They want to have to keep us on their knees..."
MORE FARFISA!
Imkirok wrote:
Add my vote to the "please upload Telegraph Road" list. For me, Telegraph Road was the first song that told a story I could picture in my head. It changed the way I listened to music forever.
Amazing! Here I was thinking I was the only one with that sentiment. I suddenly feel a bit less misunderstood.
I've definitely got Industrial Dis-ease