# all I want is my mtv. (song question) **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [December 1, 2003, 9:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/all-i-want-is-my-mtv-song-question/216233 "2003-12-01T09:01:24Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![the\_duke\_69](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/48db29/32.png) [@the\_duke\_69](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/the_duke_69)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2003, 9:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/all-i-want-is-my-mtv-song-question/216233/1 "2003-12-01T09:01:24Z")
What is the name of the song that this line comes from and who sings it? thanks to all for the help. ---
**Author:** ![Cugel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cugel/32/1199_2.png) [@Cugel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cugel)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2003, 9:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/all-i-want-is-my-mtv-song-question/216233/2 "2003-12-01T09:23:37Z")
If you mean “I want my MTV” … Dire Straits - Money For Nothing ---
**Author:** ![BrandyFine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrandyFine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrandyFine)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2003, 9:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/all-i-want-is-my-mtv-song-question/216233/3 "2003-12-01T09:24:06Z")
I want my MTV ‘comes from’ Dire Straits’ “Money for Nothing.” Sting sings it in the song. However it predates the song by a year or two at least, when - and I remember this quite clearly from the time - MTV ran an ad campaign urging us to call our local cable companies and demand that they start carrying MTV. Apparently in a lot of places you would have cable and its accompanying 2 or 3 extra stations (HBO and one or two other things) but not get MTV as well. Sting was on those commercials urging us to demand our MTV - "Call your cable company and say ‘I want my MTV!’ " Most people didn’t have cable at that time. Yep. A year or two later Dire Straits came out with their song but by then everyone had heard the commercials so many damn times it was more of a cliche and a joke. At least that’s how I saw it. ---
**Author:** ![eli\_the\_fanatic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ccd318/32.png) [@eli\_the\_fanatic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eli_the_fanatic)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2003, 12:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/all-i-want-is-my-mtv-song-question/216233/4 "2003-12-01T12:05:22Z")
Sting also played the part of the barking dog in that song. ---
**Author:** ![Grrr](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/grrr/32/146_2.png) [@Grrr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grrr)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2003, 12:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/all-i-want-is-my-mtv-song-question/216233/5 "2003-12-01T12:23:10Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by BrandyFine \* > \*\*I want my MTV ‘comes from’ Dire Straits’ “Money for Nothing.” > > Sting sings it in the song. > > However it predates the song by a year or two at least, when - and I remember this quite clearly from the time - MTV ran an ad campaign urging us to call our local cable companies and demand that they start carrying MTV. Apparently in a lot of places you would have cable and its accompanying 2 or 3 extra stations (HBO and one or two other things) but not get MTV as well. Sting was on those commercials urging us to demand our MTV - "Call your cable company and say ‘I want my MTV!’ " Most people didn’t have cable at that time. > > Yep. A year or two later Dire Straits came out with their song but by then everyone had heard the commercials so many damn times it was more of a cliche and a joke. At least that’s how I saw it. \*\* [sighs] Yep I remember that too. I can slowly but surely feel my mortality creeping in… [sighs again] ---
**Author:** ![doctordoowop](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ecc23a/32.png) [@doctordoowop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/doctordoowop)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2003, 3:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/all-i-want-is-my-mtv-song-question/216233/6 "2003-12-01T15:24:13Z")
There was no WHO song, but Townshend was a spokesman too,as I recall. ---
**Author:** ![slu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/74df32/32.png) [@slu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/slu)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2003, 4:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/all-i-want-is-my-mtv-song-question/216233/7 "2003-12-01T16:10:28Z")
As I recall, this occurred becasue Sting was on Monserrat (the island where the song was recorded) and Dire Straits thought it would be fun to get him in the studio. I have no cite however and could be making this up. But I think it is the case.