 Both "Water of Love" and "Down to the Waterline," as well as "Sultans of Swing," were among the five songs included on Dire Straits' demo tape that the band sent to Charlie Gillett, who played the tape on his radio show leading to the band's first recording contract.It is one of four songs on side 1 of the "Dire Straits" album which deals with unhappy relationships, and author Michael Oldfield believes that the song is basically about the break-up of Mark Knopfler's marriage.Knofler described "Water of Love" as one of his songs that came entirely from inside himself rather than putting himself in someone else's shoes.