Setting Me Up

{{Short description|1978 song by Dire Straits}}

{{Use mdy dates|date=August 2017}}

{{Infobox song

| name = Setting Me Up

| cover =

| alt =

| type =

| artist = Dire Straits

| album = Dire Straits

| released = 7 October 1978

| format =

| recorded =

| studio =

| venue =

| genre = {{hlist|Roots rock|country rock}}

| length = 3:18

| label = Vertigo

| writer = Mark Knopfler

| producer = Muff Winwood

}}

{{Infobox song

| name = Setting Me Up

| cover = Setting Me Up single label.jpg

| alt =

| type = single

| artist = Highway 101

| album = 101²

| B-side = Long Way Down

| released = January 1989

| format =

| recorded =

| studio =

| venue =

| genre = Country

| length = 3:49

| label = Warner Bros.

| writer = Mark Knopfler

| producer = Paul Worley
Ed Seay

| prev_title = All the Reasons Why

| prev_year = 1988

| next_title = Honky Tonk Heart

| next_year = 1989

}}

"Setting Me Up" is a song written by Mark Knopfler. It was originally recorded by British rock group Dire Straits on their self-titled debut album but not released as a single. Ken Tucker in Rolling Stone described the song as a "heavenly number" combining humor with bitterness, despite having a typical messed-up romance theme.{{cite web|title=Dire Straits Review|author=Tucker, K.|author-link=Ken Tucker|date=January 25, 1979|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/albumreviews/dire-straits-19790125|website=Rollingstone.com|access-date=2011-08-17}} Tucker noted that the song's impact is enhanced by the growling tone in Knopfler's singing voice and by the song's country music-style guitar solo. Carly Darling in Billboard Magazine praised the song's rockabilly guitar but criticizes the lyrics.{{cite magazine|title=Closeup|author=Darling, C.|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=JSUEAAAAMBAJ&q=%22down+to+the+waterline%22+%22dire+straits%22&pg=PT135|date=January 27, 1979|magazine=Billboard Magazine}}

The song appeared on Eric Clapton's 1980 double live album Just One Night, with Albert Lee singing lead vocals.{{cite web|title=Just One Night|author=Erlewine, S. T.|author-link=Stephen Thomas Erlewine|url=http://www.allmusic.com/album/just-one-night-r4042|website=Allmusic|access-date=August 17, 2011}} Albert Lee also covered the song on his album Hiding, with backing harmonies sung by Don Everly.{{cite web|title=Hiding|url=http://www.allmusic.com/album/hiding-r11472/review|author=Planer, L.|website=Allmusic|access-date=August 17, 2011}}

"Setting Me Up" is one of five songs that Knopfler's publisher made country demos of without the songwriter's approval, leading to a number of country covers of this and other songs.{{cite book|title=Make Me a Star: Industry Insiders Reveal How to Make It in Music|author1=Brown, A. |author2=Mansfield, B. |name-list-style=amp |page=161|year=2008|publisher=Thomas Nelson, Inc.|isbn=978-1-4016-0404-2}} American country music group Highway 101 covered the song for their 1988 album 101² and released it as the album's third single in January 1989. The song reached {{abbr|No.|number}} 7 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles chart in April 1989.[{{BillboardURLbyName|artist=highway 101|chart=all}} Highway 101 Hot Country Songs Chart History], Billboard.com Their version features a shared lead vocal by Paulette Carlson and bassist Curtis Stone.{{Cite web|url=https://people.com/archive/picks-and-pans-review-highway-1012-vol-30-no-12/|title=Picks and Pans Review: Highway 101/2|website=People.com|access-date=June 1, 2021}}