Saturday 9: Sultans of Swing

Saturday 9: Sultans of Swing (1978)

Unfamiliar with this week's song? Hear it here.

(Great song! One of my favorites.)
 
1) The song begins by mentioning how it feels to shiver on a rainy night. As you answer these questions, is it chilly ... or rainy ... or dark?

A. It is daybreak on Saturday morning. I can make out the dim outline of trees through dark and fog. I believe it is raining. However, I noticed the thermometer said 50 degrees, which is warm for this part of the nation at this time of year.

2) The lyrics describe a bar at closing time, when the owner announces, "Goodnight, now, it's time to go home." Can you recall a time when you lingered until you closed the joint?

A. I have not done this since I was a teenager.

3) This song was written years before it was recorded, back in the days before Dire Straits was a success. Composer/lead singer/lead guitarist Mark Knopfler recalls that, when he was working on "Sultans of Swing," he was worried about paying his gas bill. Is anything troubling you this Saturday?

A. My husband's ankle hurt him in the night. He's out of the cast but in a walking boot and he's supposed to be wearing compression stuff. His skin is flaking all over the house. I feel like I'm breathing him in with every breathe. I just had my cleaning help in earlier in the week, too. Sigh. Plus I am way behind on my bookkeeping for our various businesses and I need to get that done because of the taxes but I seem to be spending more time taking care of him - and trying to get over some upper respiratory crap myself - and the bookwork is not getting done.

4) When this song was popular, Sam often played it on the jukebox because, well, who doesn't like Dire Straits? 40 years later, both that  jukebox and the bar it was in are gone. Have you recently been in a restaurant or bar that has a jukebox?

A. No. I don't think I have seen a jukebox since the 1980s.

5) In 1978, the year "Sultans of Swing" topped the charts, Garfield first appeared in newspapers all around the United States. Over the years, it was revealed that the cartoon cat loved lasagna and hated raisins. What's a food you love? What's one that you hate?

A. I love chocolate. I strongly dislike coconut.

6) One of People magazine's top-selling issues of 1978 featured Carrie Fisher and Darth Vader on the cover. The article celebrated the theatrical re-release of Star Wars and announced that the cast was on board for a sequel. How many Star Wars movies have you seen?

A. I have seen 8 of them, I think. I haven't seen the one that is out now.

7) The most popular movie of 1978 was Grease. What's your favorite song from the Grease soundtrack?

A. Hopelessly Devoted To You

8) In 1978, Yves St. Laurent made fashion news by putting his female runway models in menswear-inspired suits, complete with neckties and pocket squares. Do you know how to tie a windsor knot? Can you fold a handkerchief into a pocket square?

A. No and no. I'm afraid fashion is something that is beyond me. I wear jeans and a nice t-shirt with white sneakers pretty much all the time.

9) Random question: You're visiting a friend. He graciously offers you the use of his super-expensive, brand-new luxury sedan for the duration of your stay. Do you take him up on it? Or do you rent a car instead?

A. Odds are I would have a rented car anyway, if I flew there. Otherwise I would be there in my own vehicle. I doubt I would take him up on it unless circumstances were such that it was my only choice.

 ______________
I encourage you to visit other participants in Saturday 9 posts and leave a comment. Because there are no rules, it is your choice. Saturday 9 players hate rules. We love memes, however.