The protagonist of the text is a fragile, inconsistent and standoffish female figure.[5] Musically, the song has an elegant jazz-influenced arrangement, built around the dialogue between Knopfler's guitar and the Mike Mainieri's vibraphone.[5][6]Rolling Stone describes "Love over Gold" as "a whispery ballad that plays the jazzy tingle of vibes against an almost classical piano air and the violinlike pluck of a synthesizer to heighten its images of a casual, even cavalier, sex life."[7]
The tune of the first and third verses are used as the verse and chorus for Private Dancer also written by Mark Knopfler and recorded by Tina Turner in 1984.
Chart performance
"Love over Gold" reached its highest position in France (No. 15),[6] while peaking at No. 29 in New Zealand, No. 43 in the Netherlands[8] and No. 50 in the band's native United Kingdom.[9]
