Ride Across the River

In "Ride Across the River", Dire Straits steps away from their usual sound to explore rhythms that evoke the Caribbean and the use of flutes. The lyrics of this piece, which lasts 6 minutes and 58 seconds, address the theme of wars from two opposing perspectives: that of those who participate in guerrilla conflicts and that of those who engage in mercenary activities. It is the fourth longest song on the album Brothers in Arms and occupied the start of side B on the original vinyl.

The recording of Brothers in Arms, released in May 1985, featured production by Mark Knopfler and Neil Dorfsman. The latter had already worked with the band on the 1982 album Love over Gold and on the soundtrack Local Hero by Knopfler in 1983. Sound engineering was handled by Neil Dorfsman, while the mixing was done by Dave Greenberg and Bruce Lampcov. The album had a significant impact, being the first to surpass one million copies sold in CD format. It reached the top spot on major charts such as the UK Albums Chart for 14 non-consecutive weeks and the Billboard 200 in the United States for nine weeks. The song "Ride Across the River" appeared in episodes of series like Miami Vice and The Last Ship.