Dire Straits "Walk of Life"

My friend John had a grandmother named Florence or "Flo" as he called her. Flo lived with John and his mother in a two-story house about a block from where I lived. I didn't know much about Flo other than she wore bell-bottom pants and she would usually just put the phone down and forget to tell John whenever I called their house. One other thing about Flo -- she usually walked around and mumbled "Whoo. Whoo wee." I don't know why, but she did. Once John got his driver's license, he and I would cruise the streets of Northwest Indiana listening to the radio. When Dire Straits' "Walk of Life" came on the radio, John shared that he called it the "Flo Song" since the song's hook contained the lyrics "Whoo-hoo".

Tina Turner "Private Dancer"

A song told from the point-of-view of a prostitute originally was recorded by Dire Straits. Tina Turner later turned it into  Top 10 hit in 1984. 

Sting "Be Still My Beating Heart"

As a member of The Police, Sting was a rocker. He famously sang "I want my MTV" on Dire Straits signature tune "Money for Nothing". Yet, as a solo artist, Sting showed a more gentle side that could best be described as jazz and/or soft rock rock. Sting wrote and dedicated the jazzy soft rock tune "Be Still My Beating Heart" to his dying mother.

Dire Straits - "So Far Away"

I attended grade school at St. Joseph School -- a small Catholic school in the town of Dyer, Indiana.  I'm sure most people have a million memories of life in a Catholic school during the 1980s that include nuns, wearing uniforms, and singing "On Eagle's Wings".  While I certainly have memories like that, I'm also reminded of the response my teachers gave when I asked if I could go to the bathroom.  They would always ask, "Is it a dire emergency?".  For many years, I thought they were referring to the town of Dyer and asking if my needing to go to the bathroom was something that the town would consider an emergency.  Yep.  Apparently, you can't teach common sense...