“Setting Me Up” is a song written by Mark Knopfler and it was originally recorded by Dire Straits on their first and debut album in 1978. Ken Tucker for Rolling Stone Magazine described the song as a “heavenly number” combining humor with bitterness, despite having a typical messed-up romance theme.
Tucker noted that the song’s impact is enhanced by the growling tone in Knopfler’s singing voice and by the song’s country music-style guitar solo. Carly Darling in Billboard Magazine praised the song’s rockabilly guitar but criticized the lyrics.
This song is one of the five songs that Mark Knopfler’s publisher made country demos without the songwriter’s approval, leading to a number of country covers of this and other songs. In February of 1979 Albert Lee made another version of “Setting Me Up,” and a year later in 1980, he sang on the Eric Clapton’s 1980 double live album Just One Night as a lead vocal.
The other musicians which covered this song were Gail Davies in November 1983, Waylon Jennings in July 1984, Dennis Robbins in 1986. Although, the American country music group Highway 101 covered the song for their 1988 album Highway 101 and released it as the album’s third single in January 1989. The song reached No.7 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles chart in April 1989. As well as The Seldom Scene and Chris Jones & Steve Baker in 1988.
Lyrics
You say I’m the greatest bound for glory
Well the word is out and I learned
I got the latest side of the story
You’re pulling out before you get burned
Well your hands are squeezing me down to the bone
I never saw you breaking no law
Stands to reason I’ve got to leave you alone
What you take me for
You’re setting me up to put me down
You’re making me out to be your clown
You’re just setting me up to put me down
You better give it up
Quit your messing around
You think I care about your reaction
You think I don’t understand
All you wanted was a piece of the action
Now you talk about another man
You’re setting me up to put me down
You’re making me out to be your clown
You’re just setting me up to put me down
You better give it up
Quit your messing around
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