# Heavy Fuel
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> Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Heavy_Fuel.md
> Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heavy_Fuel
> Source revision: 1356600887
> License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/)
{{Short description|1991 single by Dire Straits}}
{{Use British English|date=December 2012}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=November 2021}}
{{Infobox song
| name = Heavy Fuel
| cover = Dire Straits Heavy Fuel single cover.jpg
| alt =
| type = single
| artist = [Dire Straits](/source/Dire_Straits)
| album = [On Every Street](/source/On_Every_Street)
| B-side =
*"Planet of New Orleans"
*"Kingdom Come"
| released = {{start date|1991|10|21|df=y}}
| recorded =
| studio =
| genre = [Rock](/source/Rock_music)[{{cite web | url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/on-every-street-mw0000675218 | title=On Every Street - Dire Straits | Album | AllMusic | website=[AllMusic](/source/AllMusic) }}]
| length =
* 4:57 (album version)
* 4:03 (single version)
| label = [Vertigo](/source/Vertigo_Records)
| writer = [Mark Knopfler](/source/Mark_Knopfler)
| producer =
* Mark Knopfler
* [Alan Clark](/source/Alan_Clark_(keyboardist))
| prev_title = [Calling Elvis](/source/Calling_Elvis)
| prev_year = 1991
| next_title = [On Every Street](/source/On_Every_Street_(song))
| next_year = 1992
| misc = {{External music video|{{YouTube|EExahMsBoWM&pp|"Heavy Fuel"}}}}
}}
"'''Heavy Fuel'''" is a song by British rock band [Dire Straits](/source/Dire_Straits), released in October 1991 by [Vertigo Records](/source/Vertigo_Records) as the second single from their sixth and final album, ''[On Every Street](/source/On_Every_Street)'' (1991). The song reached {{abbr|No.|Number}} 1 on the US ''[Billboard](/source/Billboard_(magazine))'' [Album Rock Tracks](/source/Mainstream_Rock_(chart)) chart, making it the band's second song to do so.
==Lyrical content==
In "Heavy Fuel", [Mark Knopfler](/source/Mark_Knopfler) ironically extols the virtues of such vices as [cigarette](/source/cigarette)s, [hamburger](/source/hamburger)s, [Scotch](/source/Scotch_whisky), lust, money and violence. The phrase "You got to run on heavy fuel" is from the novel ''[Money](/source/Money_(novel))'' by [Martin Amis](/source/Martin_Amis), on which Knopfler based his lyric.[{{cite web|first= Susan |last= Dagostino |title= Mark Knopfler's Song Inspirations |date= 25 May 2006 |publisher= Ezinearticles.com}}]
==Music video==
The song's music video features American actor-comedian [Randy Quaid](/source/Randy_Quaid) who plays as the band's roadie messing around the venues where the band performs and even fantasizes himself as the band's singer Mark Knopfler.
==Track listings==
#"Heavy Fuel"
#"Planet of New Orleans"
#"Kingdom Come"
==Charts==
{{col-begin}}
{{col-2}}
===Weekly charts===
{|class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center"
|+Weekly chart performance for "Heavy Fuel"
!Chart (1990–1992)
!Peak
position
|-
{{single chart|Australia|26|artist=Dire Straits|song=Heavy Fuel|rowheader=true|access-date=10 June 2014|refname="AUS"}}
|-
{{single chart|Flanders|19|artist=Dire Straits|song=Heavy Fuel|rowheader=true|access-date=10 June 2014}}
|-
{{single chart|Canadatopsingles|17|chartid=2042|rowheader=true|access-date=10 June 2014}}
|-
!scope="row"|Europe ([European Hit Radio](/source/European_Hit_Radio_(chart)))[{{cite magazine|url=https://www.worldradiohistory.com/UK/Music-and-Media/90s/1991/MM-1991-12-07.pdf|title=European Hit Radio|magazine=[Music & Media](/source/Music_%26_Media)|issue=49|volume=8|date=7 December 1991|page=35|access-date=17 November 2025}}]
| 13
|-
{{single chart|France|32|artist=Dire Straits|song=Heavy Fuel|rowheader=true|access-date=10 June 2014}}
|-
{{single chart|Germany|48|artist=Dire Straits|song=Heavy Fuel|songid=6596|rowheader=true|access-date=10 June 2014}}
|-
!scope="row"|Luxembourg ([Radio Luxembourg](/source/Radio_Luxembourg))[[http://www.umdmusic.com/default.asp?Lang=English&Chart=F&ChDate=19911110&ChMode=N Radio Luxembourg Singles. 17 November 1991.]]
| 10
|-
{{single chart|Dutch40|24|artist=Dire Straits|song=Heavy Fuel|rowheader=true|access-date=10 June 2014}}
|-
{{single chart|Dutch100|25|artist=Dire Straits|song=Heavy Fuel|rowheader=true|access-date=10 June 2014}}
|-
{{single chart|New Zealand|34|artist=Dire Straits|song=Heavy Fuel|rowheader=true|access-date=10 June 2014}}
|-
{{single chart|UK|55|date=19911027|rowheader=true|access-date=10 June 2014}}
|-
!scope="row"|UK Airplay (''[Music Week](/source/Music_Week)'')[{{cite magazine|url=https://www.worldradiohistory.com/UK/Music-Week/1991/MW-1991-11-09.pdf|title=Top 50 Airplay Chart|magazine=[Music Week](/source/Music_Week)|date=9 November 1991|page=16|access-date=17 October 2025}}]
| 9
|-
{{single chart|Billboardalternativesongs|22|artist=Dire Straits|rowheader=true|access-date=30 March 2025}}
|-
{{single chart|Billboardmainstreamrock|1|artist=Dire Straits|rowheader=true|access-date=30 March 2025}}
|}
{{col-2}}
===Year-end charts===
{|class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center"
|+Annual chart rankings for "Heavy Fuel"
!Chart (1991)
!Position
|-
!scope="row"|Italy (''Musica e dischi'')[{{cite book|last=Racca|first=Guido|title=musica e dischi Top 100 Year-End 1960 - 2018|language=it|isbn=9781980329121|chapter=1991|pp=89–92}}]
|100
|}
{|class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center"
!Chart (1992)
!Position
|-
!scope="row"|US Album Rock Tracks (''Billboard'')[{{cite magazine|title=The Year in Music: Top Album Rock Tracks|magazine=[Billboard](/source/Billboard_(magazine))|volume=104|issue=52|page=YE-42|date=26 December 1992}}]
| 15
|}
{{col-end}}
==Release history==
{|class="wikitable plainrowheaders"
!scope="col"|Region
!scope="col"|Date
!scope="col"|Format(s)
!scope="col"|Label(s)
!scope="col"|{{abbr|Ref.|Reference}}
|-
!scope="row"|United Kingdom
|21 October 1991
|{{hlist|7-inch vinyl|12-inch vinyl|CD|cassette}}
|rowspan="3"|[Vertigo](/source/Vertigo_Records)
|[{{cite magazine|title= New Releases: Singles |magazine= [Music Week](/source/Music_Week) |page= 19 |date= 19 October 1991}}]
|-
!scope="row"|Australia
|4 November 1991
|{{hlist|CD|cassette}}
|[{{cite magazine|title= New Release Summary – Product Available from : 04/11/91: Singles |magazine= [The ARIA Report](/source/The_ARIA_Report) |issue= 93 |page= 19 |date= 3 November 1991}}]
|-
!scope="row"|Japan
|5 December 1991
|Mini-CD
|[{{cite web|title= ダイアー・ストレイツ {{!}} ヘビー・フュエル |trans-title= Dire Straits {{!}} Heavy Fuel |publisher= [Oricon](/source/Oricon) |access-date= 19 September 2025 |url= https://www.oricon.co.jp/prof/101417/products/188002/1/ |language= ja}}]
|}
==See also==
*[List of ''Billboard'' Mainstream Rock number-one songs of the 1990s](/source/List_of_Billboard_Mainstream_Rock_number-one_songs_of_the_1990s)
==References==
{{Reflist}}
{{Dire Straits}}
{{Authority control}}
Category:1991 singles
Category:1991 songs
Category:Dire Straits songs
Category:Music videos directed by Steve Barron
Category:Song recordings produced by Mark Knopfler
Category:Songs written by Mark Knopfler
Category:Vertigo Records singles
Category:Warner Records singles
{{1990s-rock-song-stub}}
---
Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Heavy Fuel](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heavy_Fuel) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heavy_Fuel?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.