112. Rock Goes The Gospel - Dire Straits "Walk Of Life"

Mark Knopfler wrote this song to celebrate the street buskers of London, hence the references to "Be-Bop-a-Lula" and "What'd I Say," two standards that might be part of a singer's repertoire in the mid-'80s. The music video shown in America took a different approach: it showed sports bloopers. Stephen R. Johnson, a recent graduate of USC Film School, was the director. It was Mark Knopfler's idea to put sports in it, which was intercut with live footage. Knopfler's other directive was to avoid shooting him from the side to avoid the full effect of his nose. This video did very well on MTV, but it was not the original. The first version of the clip, which was shown outside the US, was more true to the song, with footage of a busker in a subway (or as they call it in England, the tube). The sports-themed video was specifically aimed at American audiences, with footage of American teams. This was the fourth single released from Brothers In Arms. It benefited from a catchy keyboard sound (played by Alan Clark) and from the album's second single, "Money For Nothing," which established the band on MTV and on Top 40 radio in America.

Here comes Johnny singing oldies, goldies
Be-Bop-A-Lua, Baby What I Say
Here comes Johnny singing I Gotta Woman
Down in the tunnels, trying to make it pay
He got the action, he got the motion
Yeah, the boy can play
Dedication devotion
Turning all the night time into the day

He do the song about the sweet lovin' woman
He do the song about the knife
He do the walk, he do the walk of life

Here comes Johnny and he'll tell you the story
Hand me down mu walkin' shoes
Here come Johnny with the power and the glory
Backbeat the talkin' blues
He got the action, he got the motion
Yeah, the boy can play
Dedication devotion
Turning all the night time into the day

He do the song about the sweet lovin' woman
He do the song about the knife
He do the walk, he do the walk of life

Here comes Johnny singing oldies, goldies
Be-Bop-A-Lula, Baby What I Say
Here comes Johnny singing I Gotta Woman
Down in the tunnels, trying to make it pay
He got the action, he got the motion
Yeah the boy can play
Decidation devotion
Turning all the night time into the day

And after all the violence and double talk
There's just a song in the trouble and the strife
You do the walk, you do the walk of life

The song has in the lyrics "Dedication, Devotion"...........You do the walk, you do the walk of life" This song is about the determination to carry on, to move forward. More than that it is about a devotion to music, to performing, to playing. This is a devotion that drives everything else in life. Devotion that propels the person to doing nothing else. It is single eyed devotion. This kind of devotion is called out in Acts 2.

Passionate disciples are people who regularly devote themselves “to the apostles’ teaching” (the Bible), to “fellowship” with other like-minded believers, to the celebration of communion in “the breaking of bread,” and to “prayer.” But don’t overlook what else that verse says. The Holy Spirit makes a point to tell us those early Christians were “continually devoting themselves” to these activities. Did you catch that?You see, no one had to motivate the early church toward worship, discipleship, or godliness. They were “devoting themselves” to these spiritual activities and were “continually” doing so. The word devote can also be translated "obstinate" in other words they refused to give in, give up, give away, or give out. The continued, they were "Obstinately Devoted"

They were passionate about their walk with God, their communion with Christ, and their devotion to one another. The early church’s discipleship was one of thorough regularity and radical devotion to their God and one another.  Their Christianity was not just a Sunday morning gig. “Day by day continuing with one mind in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they were taking their meals together with gladness and sincerity of heart, praising God and having favour with all the people” (Acts 2:46-47).

Do you ever wonder sometimes if today’s church just doesn't get it? Like we’re missing something utterly important? A single eyed vision of Jesus and his world. Let me ask you a hard question. Have you been “continually devoting” yourself to the passionate worship of the Triune God, or has something else been hoarding your time and attention?  To what exactly have you been devoting yourself lately?