Lady Writer

"Lady Writer"
Single by Dire Straits
from the album Communiqué
B-side "Where Do You Think You're Going?"
Released 13 July 1979
Genre Roots rock
Length 3:45
Label Vertigo
Writer(s) Mark Knopfler
Producer(s)
Dire Straits singles chronology
"Sultans of Swing"
(1978)		 "Lady Writer"
(1979)		 "Romeo and Juliet"
(1980)
Communiqué track listing
"Communiqué"
(4)		 "Lady Writer"
(5)		 "Angel of Mercy"
(6)

"Lady Writer" is a 1979 song by Dire Straits, which appears on the band's second album Communiqué. When asked what the song was about, Knopfler said that he was watching TV one day, and there was a lady writer on the TV, and that's basically where the idea for the song came from. Because the song says the writer is "talking about the Virgin Mary", some have speculated that the writer in question is Marina Warner, a view shared by Warner herself.[1]

In all countries in which "Lady Writer" was released as a single, it had a different cover; the UK version is shown here.

Chart performance

Chart (1979) Peak
position
Australia (Kent Music Report)[2] 95
Belgium (VRT Top 30 Flanders)[3] 29
Canada Top Singles (RPM)[4] 51
France (IFOP)[5] 34
Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)[6] 18
Netherlands (Single Top 100)[7] 18
New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[8] 39
Spain (AFE)[9] 26
UK Singles (Official Charts Company)[10] 51
US Billboard Hot 100[11] 45
US Cash Box[12] 63

References

  1. ↑ Gleick, Elizabeth (24 May 1999). "Books: Boo! (Scared Yet?)". Time. Retrieved 25 July 2014.
  2. ↑ "Forum – ARIA Charts: Special Occasion Charts – CHART POSITIONS PRE 1989". Australian-charts.com. Hung Medien. Retrieved 25 July 2014.
  3. ↑ "Radio 2 Top 30 : 1 september 1979" (in Dutch). Top 30. Retrieved 25 July 2014.
  4. ↑ "Top RPM Singles: Issue 4399b." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved 25 July 2014.
  5. ↑ "InfoDisc : Tous les Titres par Artiste" (in French). InfoDisc. Select "Dire Straits" from the artist drop-down menu. Retrieved 25 July 2014.
  6. ↑ "Nederlandse Top 40 – Dire Straits - Lady Writer search results" (in Dutch) Dutch Top 40. Retrieved 25 July 2014.
  7. ↑ "Dutchcharts.nl – Dire Straits – Lady Writer" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved 25 July 2014.
  8. ↑ "Charts.org.nz – Dire Straits – Lady Writer". Top 40 Singles. Retrieved 25 July 2014.
  9. ↑ Salaverri, Fernando (September 2005). Sólo éxitos: año a año, 1959–2002 (in Spanish) (1st ed.). Spain: Fundación Autor-SGAE. ISBN 84-8048-639-2.
  10. ↑ "Dire Straits: Artist Chart History" Official Charts Company. Retrieved 25 July 2014.
  11. ↑ "Communiqué – Awards". AllMusic. All Media Network. Retrieved 25 July 2014.
  12. ↑ CASH BOX Top 100 Singles – Week ending SEPTEMBER 1, 1979 at the Wayback Machine (archived 16 September 2011). Cash Box magazine.


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