So Far Away

So Far Away (Dire Straits song)

"So Far Away" is a 1985 rock song by Dire Straits. It appears on the album Brothers in Arms. It became the band's fourth top 20 hit on the Billboard charts, peaking at #19. The original studio version of the track appeared on the 2005 compilation The Best of Dire Straits & Mark Knopfler: Private

Single release

"So Far Away" was the lead single from Brothers in Arms in the UK and Europe on 8 April 1985. The song charted at #20 in the UK, but also reached the Top 5 in Norway (#4), Top 10 in Switzerland (#6) and Sweden (#7) and Top 40 in Italy (#33). The single was also released in Australia and peaked at #22.

After the song climbed to #29 on the Billboard Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks chart in 1985, "So Far Away" was released a year later as the album's third single in North America, where it peaked at #3 on the Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks chart and #19 on the Billboard Hot 100, giving Dire Straits a third consecutive Top 20 hit from Brothers in Arms on the Hot 100.

B-side

The 1985 European releases of "So Far Away" featured another track from Brothers in Arms, "Walk of Life". This song would itself be released as the fourth official single from the album in Europe (second in North America) in late 1985 reaching #7 on the Hot 100 and #2 in the UK - the band's highest ever charted single in their homeland.

In the United States, the song used for the B-side was "If I Had You", from Dire Straits' 1983 EP ExtendedancEPlayIn Canada, a Limited Edition double Vinyl featuring an extended version of "So Far Away" was released, along with live renditions of "Going Home" and "Sultans of Swing", the instrumental section of "Why Worry" and a Mark Knopfler solo effort, "Fear and Hatred"

]Charts

Chart (1985)	Peak Position
Australia Kent Music Report	22
Canadian RPM Singles Chart	24
Dutch Top 40	23
Irish Singles Chart	14
Italian Singles Chart	33
New Zealand Singles Chart	25
Norwegian Singles Chart	4
Swedish Singles Chart	7
Swiss Music Charts	6
UK Singles Chart	20
US Billboard Hot 100	19
US Hot Adult Contemporary	3
US Top Rock Tracks	29