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The song's title is a
British term for work-related illness or disease, a frequent subject in British news media at the time. The significance of the phrase was obscure to listeners in the United States, where the term
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is used instead. There is a double meaning in that, at the time, "industrial disease" referred to both an occupational illness and the decline of
British industry.
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itself as the real culprit of society's malaise. About halfway through the song, the narrator goes to the doctor, only to be told his own illness is diagnosed as
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A reference to "brewer's droop" as a medical condition is an in-joke, using a
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The background and subject matter of the lyrics was ostensibly the decline of the
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530:"'Industrial Disease': Dire Straits Work Up A Rock Radio Hit"
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48:. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed.
784:Sultans of Swing: The Very Best of Dire Straits
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320:. The song was released as a single in the
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1150:Song recordings produced by Mark Knopfler
108:Learn how and when to remove this message
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314:. It appeared on the band's 1982 album
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168:"Badges, Posters, Stickers, T-Shirts"
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46:adding citations to reliable sources
1088:. You can help Knowledge (XXG) by
407:had played prior to Dire Straits.
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528:Sexton, Paul (8 January 2021).
501:Strong, Martin Charles (1995).
356:in the early 1980s, describing
33:needs additional citations for
1145:Songs written by Mark Knopfler
354:British manufacturing industry
57:"Industrial Disease" song
1:
568:"Dire Straits Chart History"
120:1982 single by Dire Straits
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504:The Great Rock Discography
332:" on cassette tape in the
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548:"Mainstream Rock Airplay"
399:band in which songwriter
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444:Mainstream Rock Airplay
1160:Vertigo Records singles
1036:The Notting Hillbillies
1084:–related article is a
887:Private Investigations
378:C. Northcote Parkinson
330:Private Investigations
264:Private Investigations
1165:1980s rock song stubs
995:Brothers in Arms Tour
845:Down to the Waterline
1000:On Every Street Tour
901:Twisting by the Pool
389:erectile dysfunction
347:occupational disease
282:Twisting by the Pool
207:5:48 (album version)
126:"Industrial Disease"
42:improve this article
978:You and Your Friend
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366:economic depression
1140:Dire Straits songs
894:Industrial Disease
556:. 4 December 1982.
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374:industrial disease
298:Industrial Disease
273:Industrial Disease
253:singles chronology
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943:Your Latest Trick
922:Money for Nothing
777:Money for Nothing
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859:Romeo and Juliet
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809:ExtendedancEPlay
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507:. p. 227.
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432:Peak Position
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401:Mark Knopfler
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393:Brewers Droop
391:to allude to
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310:, written by
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226:Songwriter(s)
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176:November 1982
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98:November 2006
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53:Find sources:
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31:This article
29:
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1135:1982 singles
1090:expanding it
1079:
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1021:Band members
936:Walk of Life
893:
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807:
789:
782:
775:
769:Compilations
757:
752:On the Night
750:
743:
725:
718:
711:
704:
697:
692:Dire Straits
690:
670:Guy Fletcher
645:Pick Withers
640:John Illsley
622:Dire Straits
575:. Retrieved
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405:Pick Withers
403:and drummer
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370:nine-to-five
351:
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308:Dire Straits
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251:Dire Straits
152:
145:Dire Straits
104:
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52:
40:Please help
35:verification
32:
15:
1080:This 1980s
1031:Chris White
1016:Discography
915:So Far Away
852:Lady Writer
737:Live albums
240:Producer(s)
1155:1982 songs
1129:Categories
1026:Omar Hakim
957:Heavy Fuel
699:Communiqué
675:Jack Sonni
660:Hal Lindes
655:Alan Clark
488:References
423:Peak Date
395:, a 1970s
68:newspapers
1082:rock song
866:Skateaway
572:Billboard
553:Billboard
465:Billboard
441:Billboard
305:rock band
1054:Category
397:pub rock
362:clinical
173:Released
971:The Bug
826:Singles
816:Encores
745:Alchemy
577:20 June
467:Hot 100
358:strikes
340:Meaning
302:British
286:(1983)
277:(1982)
268:(1982)
82:scholar
511:
420:Chart
411:Charts
326:B-side
193:Length
163:B-side
141:Single
84:
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988:Tours
843:" / "
213:Label
182:Genre
89:JSTOR
75:books
1086:stub
579:2021
509:ISBN
384:.
364:and
328:to "
187:Rock
61:news
801:EPs
462:US
438:US
143:by
44:by
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