Sting — Mad About You
Album: The Soul CagesAvg rating:
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Length: 3:51
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A stone's throw from Jerusalem
I walked a lonely mile in the moonlight
And thogh a million stars were shining
My heart was lost on a distant planet
that whirls around the April moon
whirling in an arc of sadness,
I'm lost without you, lost without you!
Though all my kingdoms turn to sand
and fall into the sea...
I'm mad about you, mad about you,.
And from the dark, secluded valleys
I heard the ancient songs of sadness
But every step I thoght of you
Every footstep only you...
And every star a grain of sand
The leavings of a dried-up ocean
Tell me, How much longer, how much longer?
They say a city in the dessert lies
The vanity of an ancient king
But the city lies in broken pieces
Where the wind howls and the vultures sing
These are the works of man
This is the sum of our ambition
It would make a prison of my life
If you became another's wife
With every prison blown to dust
My enemies walk free...
A stone's throw from Jerusalem...
I walked a lonely mile in the moonlight
And thogh a million stars were shining
My heart was lost on a distant planet
that whirls around the April moon
whirling in an arc of sadness,
I'm lost without you, lost without you!
Though all my kingdoms turn to sand
and fall into the sea...
I'm mad about you, mad about you,.
And from the dark, secluded valleys
I heard the ancient songs of sadness
But every step I thoght of you
Every footstep only you...
And every star a grain of sand
The leavings of a dried-up ocean
Tell me, How much longer, how much longer?
They say a city in the dessert lies
The vanity of an ancient king
But the city lies in broken pieces
Where the wind howls and the vultures sing
These are the works of man
This is the sum of our ambition
It would make a prison of my life
If you became another's wife
With every prison blown to dust
My enemies walk free...
A stone's throw from Jerusalem...
Comments (265)add comment
Trivia: he sang it in Italian, too,, with an acceptable pronunciation. He told that when he had to say "asciutto" (dry in Italian), he thought of Franca Sciuto, an Italian Amnesty activist he knew personally
I LOVE Sting's lyrics.
memories from another life....this always moved me.
Mr. Repitition.
Edweirdo wrote:
I sort of get what you mean - it was overused, but nothing like as much as the bloody Yamaha DX7
Yep! DX7 was overused big time in those days!
I sort of get what you mean - it was overused, but nothing like as much as the bloody Yamaha DX7
Yep! DX7 was overused big time in those days!
Excellent!
planet_lizard wrote:
It may be, and he's an incredible musician, but the soprano sax timbre does get slightly tiresome in a way that the alto and tenor never seem to. I've always felt Sting/Branford did overuse it in these early solo albums.
I sort of get what you mean - it was overused, but nothing like as much as the bloody Yamaha DX7
It may be, and he's an incredible musician, but the soprano sax timbre does get slightly tiresome in a way that the alto and tenor never seem to. I've always felt Sting/Branford did overuse it in these early solo albums.
I sort of get what you mean - it was overused, but nothing like as much as the bloody Yamaha DX7
Edweirdo wrote:
That's Branford Marsalis, you tin-eared fool.
It may be, and he's an incredible musician, but the soprano sax timbre does get slightly tiresome in a way that the alto and tenor never seem to. I've always felt Sting/Branford did overuse it in these early solo albums.
That's Branford Marsalis, you tin-eared fool.
It may be, and he's an incredible musician, but the soprano sax timbre does get slightly tiresome in a way that the alto and tenor never seem to. I've always felt Sting/Branford did overuse it in these early solo albums.
Sometimes I remember that Sting won the Grammy for best Reggae Album in 2019(!) and I have to have a drink and lie down.
never marry he says if you marry hell for you guarantie divorse urgently
The lyrics need a bit of editing ... 
Sting = SKIP. I can't stand his affected style of Rasta-Bedouin, quasi-spiritual claptrap that is somehow mistaken for something profound. It ain't. Boudoir Muzak is more fitting, methinks.
thewiseking wrote:
That's Branford Marsalis, you tin-eared fool.
oy, here comes the whiny Kenny G.esque tenor sax
That's Branford Marsalis, you tin-eared fool.
Legendary song!
junebaby65 wrote:
Solo work is one long snooze, IMHO. Love the Police, one of my fave ever. Great live, too. Stewart Copeland one of the most underrated drummers around.
Stewart Copeland is an incredibly talented drummer, and is #10 in Rolling Stones top 100 drummers of all time: https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-lists/100-greatest-drummers-of-all-time-77933/christian-vander-30083/
"Underrated"? Maybe not :-)
Solo work is one long snooze, IMHO. Love the Police, one of my fave ever. Great live, too. Stewart Copeland one of the most underrated drummers around.
Stewart Copeland is an incredibly talented drummer, and is #10 in Rolling Stones top 100 drummers of all time: https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-lists/100-greatest-drummers-of-all-time-77933/christian-vander-30083/
"Underrated"? Maybe not :-)
TJOpootertoot wrote:
Kenny G played an alto sax...
And that's Branford Marsalis (also on alto) so, respect.
Also, this song is great.
True.
"Branford Marsalis once stated in an interview with Jazziz magazine. 'When all these jazz guys get in a tizzy over Kenny G, they need to leave Kenny alone. He's not stealing jazz. The audience he has wouldn't be caught dead at a real jazz concert or club. It's not like some guy says, 'You know, I used to listen to Miles, Trane and Ornette. And then I heard Kenny G, and I never put on another Miles record.' It's a completely different audience.'"
Kenny G played an alto sax...
And that's Branford Marsalis (also on alto) so, respect.
Also, this song is great.
True.
"Branford Marsalis once stated in an interview with Jazziz magazine. 'When all these jazz guys get in a tizzy over Kenny G, they need to leave Kenny alone. He's not stealing jazz. The audience he has wouldn't be caught dead at a real jazz concert or club. It's not like some guy says, 'You know, I used to listen to Miles, Trane and Ornette. And then I heard Kenny G, and I never put on another Miles record.' It's a completely different audience.'"
This and Sumner's Tales are his best records. And only Sting would write a tale of twisted love out of the Bible. Awesome!
I recently came upon Stevie Wonder singing lead to Sting in background of Fragile. Really brings life to it!
I think he writes quality songs, mostly. But somehow, they all sound the exact same. Like they're just verses of the same, long, everlasting song. And I'm not sure whether this is a good thing or not.
we all orcs...
maboleth wrote:
I remember when the crowd applauded after the concert and wanted an encore, he was already on the way to the airport. What a jackass.
I remember an encore at each of the 5 Sting shows that I have attended over the years. Two encores at Jazz Fest this last April. Multiples on at least one other occasion. Maybe the jackass was opposite the stage.
I remember when the crowd applauded after the concert and wanted an encore, he was already on the way to the airport. What a jackass.
I remember an encore at each of the 5 Sting shows that I have attended over the years. Two encores at Jazz Fest this last April. Multiples on at least one other occasion. Maybe the jackass was opposite the stage.
Good song from a great album
Proclivities wrote:
It's too bad Kenny G. soiled the use of that instrument for any subsequent user.
Kenny G played an alto sax...
And that's Branford Marsalis (also on alto) so, respect.
Also, this song is great.
It's too bad Kenny G. soiled the use of that instrument for any subsequent user.
Kenny G played an alto sax...
And that's Branford Marsalis (also on alto) so, respect.
Also, this song is great.
This song always gives me chills. Absolutely adore it!
jbuhl wrote:
Yep. Good artist intolerable prick
I remember when the crowd applauded after the concert and wanted an encore, he was already on the way to the airport. What a jackass.
Yep. Good artist intolerable prick
I remember when the crowd applauded after the concert and wanted an encore, he was already on the way to the airport. What a jackass.
Schmoogsley wrote:
Yep. Good artist intolerable prick
Like the music, don't like the man.
Yep. Good artist intolerable prick
You can tell that this is talent, dialed way down, to be palatable to the most people.
Good song, but the Italian version is better. I bought Sting's Greatest Hits while on holiday in Italy - it features the same song but with Italian lyrics - called Muoio Per Te.
thewiseking wrote:
It's too bad Kenny G. soiled the use of that instrument for any subsequent user.
oy, here comes the whiny Kenny G.esque tenor sax
It's too bad Kenny G. soiled the use of that instrument for any subsequent user.
greiffenstein wrote:
Solo work is one long snooze, IMHO. Love the Police, one of my fave ever. Great live, too. Stewart Copeland one of the most underrated drummers around.
He may be an insufferable prick, but he's an amazing musician. Great live too.
Solo work is one long snooze, IMHO. Love the Police, one of my fave ever. Great live, too. Stewart Copeland one of the most underrated drummers around.
bm.deavenport613 wrote:
I'm not either.
He was very depressed after his father's death.
The songs on this album were penned from that period of Sting's life.
Not fond of this album
I'm not either.
He was very depressed after his father's death.
The songs on this album were penned from that period of Sting's life.
Not fond of this album
oy, here comes the whiny Kenny G.esque tenor sax
Schmoogsley wrote:
Look at the positive side - it's still way better than the other way around! ;-)
Like the music, don't like the man.
Look at the positive side - it's still way better than the other way around! ;-)
Like the music, don't like the man.
Gordon is a Moron (-Jilted John), however he is capable of great work. This being an example.
zurcronium wrote:
Larry "wide stance" Craig is on the message board.
IndyDoug wrote:
It is gay men that usually have two Sting CDs in their collection.
I find females especially attractive when they have at least two Sting CDs in their collection. They also are great lovers.
It is gay men that usually have two Sting CDs in their collection.
Larry "wide stance" Craig is on the message board.
"But it could have been worse. I could have been Sting." -Ozzy Osbourne
He may be an insufferable prick, but he's an amazing musician. Great live too.
IndyDoug wrote:
It is gay men that usually have two Sting CDs in their collection.
I find females especially attractive when they have at least two Sting CDs in their collection. They also are great lovers.
It is gay men that usually have two Sting CDs in their collection.
EssexTex wrote:
Just 'cos those Essex girlz are beyond your reach...........
Whiny little scrote....
Just 'cos those Essex girlz are beyond your reach...........
Always enjoyed Sting from the period 1985 to 1992
his is most jazzy period
THANKS Bill!
his is most jazzy period
THANKS Bill!
Always kind of like this one...just about as manic as I am.
Stingray wrote:
Nice to see a positive comment from you!
I FINALLY AGREE WITH ONE OF YOUR POSTS!
I'm even using exclamation points after each sentence! bizarre sentence structure AND CAPITALIZATION! and weird punctuation!!
in your honor, sir!
BEYOND EXELLENCE!
Why not more STING, RP....?
10!!
Why not more STING, RP....?
10!!
Nice to see a positive comment from you!
I FINALLY AGREE WITH ONE OF YOUR POSTS!
I'm even using exclamation points after each sentence! bizarre sentence structure AND CAPITALIZATION! and weird punctuation!!
in your honor, sir!
My first ever Sucko Barfo.
Sorry Sting.
Sorry Sting.
...there was an italian version of this one... Singed by Sting, of course! 
tutakea wrote:
I see you have Talking Heads, Sinead O'Connor, Wilco, and The Decemberists in you list of 10 rated songs. None of these artists have ever been considered pseudointellectual (sic), pretentious, or annoying.
am i human? just to prove it i gave this one 2 points - although a 1 would be more accurate given the bad headache all those late pseudointellectual "jazzy" sting songs give me. pretentious, absolutely annoying stuff, that is...
I see you have Talking Heads, Sinead O'Connor, Wilco, and The Decemberists in you list of 10 rated songs. None of these artists have ever been considered pseudointellectual (sic), pretentious, or annoying.
BEYOND EXELLENCE!
Why not more STING, RP....?
10!!
Why not more STING, RP....?
10!!
I hate to say this but this really sucks.
My favorite track off of The Soul Cages.
On_The_Beach wrote:
(Two LOVERS listening to Sting in the hot tub before a passionate love-making session.)
Oh boy....thanks for the visual I did not need!
(Two LOVERS listening to Sting in the hot tub before a passionate love-making session.)
Oh boy....thanks for the visual I did not need!
"Most Excellant"
IndyDoug wrote:
(Two LOVERS listening to Sting in the hot tub before a passionate love-making session.)
I find females especially attractive when they have at least two Sting CDs in their collection. They also are great lovers.
(Two LOVERS listening to Sting in the hot tub before a passionate love-making session.)
One of the weaker tracks on this record. This is my favorite of his records, maybe because it holds together better and rocks harder than most of his solo stuff. And also, it seems like a more personal record. He had just lost his father. Death and loss are recurring themes on Cages.
IndyDoug wrote:
They're usually a Taurus... and can cook one helluva breakfast...
I find females especially attractive when they have at least two Sting CDs in their collection. They also are great lovers.
They're usually a Taurus... and can cook one helluva breakfast...
I find females especially attractive when they have at least two Sting CDs in their collection. They also are great lovers.
ziakut wrote:
Yeah, but this song is really, really good, right? I think so.
9
Sting used to be interesting when he had his first solo band with Bradford Marsalis and Kenny Kirkland and such. He was fine with the Police, but I find most of his later solo efforts a bit to schmaltzy and self indulgent for my tastes.
Yeah, but this song is really, really good, right? I think so.
9
Sting used to be interesting when he had his first solo band with Bradford Marsalis and Kenny Kirkland and such. He was fine with the Police, but I find most of his later solo efforts a bit too schmaltzy and self indulgent for my tastes.
am i human? just to prove it i gave this one 2 points - although a 1 would be more accurate given the bad headache all those late pseudointellectual "jazzy" sting songs give me. pretentious, absolutely annoying stuff, that is...
Stingray wrote:
Indeed I am human. Sting was my absolute favorite artist in the early 90s. I spent hours listening to DotBT, NLTS, and Bring on the Night not to mention the old Police tracks. I was highly disappointed with Soul Cages and find this song particularly irritating (I gave it a "2").
PS
There are indeed 29 folks that gave this song a "1"
(possibly with the argument of "personal taste" that cannot be critisized)
Are those people humans...?
Indeed I am human. Sting was my absolute favorite artist in the early 90s. I spent hours listening to DotBT, NLTS, and Bring on the Night not to mention the old Police tracks. I was highly disappointed with Soul Cages and find this song particularly irritating (I gave it a "2").
Don't love all sting songs, but lyrics an rhythm in this song are powerfully transporting And beautifully romantic....
k8ling1114 wrote:
I lak the way yoo towk
This is one of those that instantly transports me both to a place in time and a feeling. I was Sting-loving and strange as an elementary student, and I spent a lot of time brooding over the songs of this album. When my parents would drive us home from the Northwoods cabin I'd put this into my cd-player and get lost in the image of the moon.
I lak the way yoo towk
WAY-way-way-way-way not enough STING on this channel!
I always wondered why! One of the few geniuses in music!
PS
There are indeed 29 folks that gave this song a "1"
(possibly with the argument of "personal taste" that cannot be critisized)
Are those people humans...?
This is one of those that instantly transports me both to a place in time and a feeling. I was Sting-loving and strange as an elementary student, and I spent a lot of time brooding over the songs of this album. When my parents would drive us home from the Northwoods cabin I'd put this into my cd-player and get lost in the image of the moon.
aren't we tired of sting yet? i know i am.
RKeaton wrote:
the orchestration on this piece and the rest of them - BRILLIANT
Oooh, this should bring some Sting haters out of the woodwork. I ate this album up when it came out 2 decades ago and still listen to it once in a while. This might be the best song on the album. Ambitious stuff even by Gordon's standards. Great album from beginning to end.
the orchestration on this piece and the rest of them - BRILLIANT
Oooh, this should bring some Sting haters out of the woodwork. I ate this album up when it came out 2 decades ago and still listen to it once in a while. This might be the best song on the album. Ambitious stuff even by Gordon's standards. Great album from beginning to end.
inindian wrote:
That Chief's OK but the Vintage is the one. Even better, the original motocycle!
I've got a feeling you might like this link:
https://www.vignale-gamine.com/apps/forums/topics/show/5412314-israeli-indian-day-celebrations-2011
Here's a hint:
That Chief's OK but the Vintage is the one. Even better, the original motocycle!
I've got a feeling you might like this link:
https://www.vignale-gamine.com/apps/forums/topics/show/5412314-israeli-indian-day-celebrations-2011
Here's a hint:
don't bait me into saying something cruel about this guy being lost ... and don't start me on the insincerity in this half-hearted offering by der Schting.
I'm not a big sting fan, and his songs (including this one) are mostly too cheesy for me, but nontheless this is truly a masterpiece.
On_The_Beach wrote:
I've heard he owns a blue one as well.
That Chief's OK but the Vintage is the one. Even better, the original motocycle!
I've heard he owns a blue one as well.
That Chief's OK but the Vintage is the one. Even better, the original motocycle!
On_The_Beach wrote:
I've heard he owns a blue one as well.
Good one!
I've heard he owns a blue one as well.
Good one!
Stingray wrote:
I've heard he owns a blue one as well.
As an American you possibly dislike that he (still) supports RED INDIANS?
I've heard he owns a blue one as well.
sirdroseph wrote:
What problem you have with that song, one of the best written in the past 10 years,
like dozends of others from STING!
As an American you possibly dislike that he (still) supports RED INDIANS?
STING is a genius - BASTA!
I actually have no problem with Sting the person as many here seem to, but must say not crazy about most of his music.
What problem you have with that song, one of the best written in the past 10 years,
like dozends of others from STING!
As an American you possibly dislike that he (still) supports RED INDIANS?
STING is a genius - BASTA!
I actually have no problem with Sting the person as many here seem to, but must say not crazy about most of his music.
Synth80s wrote:
Absolutely. I can't not love this one.
There's a lot about Sting, the public persona, that gets under my skin, but there's no denying that is a great song and album.
Absolutely. I can't not love this one.
Uh oh. I used to mock Sting's post-Police music as cheesy adult contemporary... including this song.... which i just rated an 8 and will probably go home and buy tonight. growing old is getting old
Ahh... this is why i love rp. new discoveries and old favorites like this!
drews wrote:
I know what you mean.....Sting used to be pretty good, but I've grown tired of him as time goes by....More Police!
Enjoyed the flow before this creep started up; 'Mad About You'...he's so self-obsessed, I assume he's singing about himself
I know what you mean.....Sting used to be pretty good, but I've grown tired of him as time goes by....More Police!
Enjoyed the flow before this creep started up; 'Mad About You'...he's so self-obsessed, I assume he's singing about himself
Once upon a time I had a Persian girlfriend. Her favorite Sting tune.
I've been fascinated by this song for ages. Sting's doing a great version of this on his current tour with the Royal Philharmonic; in his on-stage intro he confirms that it's based on the story of David and Bathsheba in the second book of Samuel...
There's a lot about Sting, the public persona, that gets under my skin, but there's no denying that is a great song and album.
Mad About You.
IMHO One of the best groups Sting assembled after Police ... the lyrics intermingle metaphors about romantic relationships, human relationships, and those that lead to terrible things such as war among nations ... I still like it after all of these years 
gumbo73039 wrote:
Easily amused.
Whiney little scrote!
Just had me titterring for a fair while, lovely post, hee hee hee!
Just had me titterring for a fair while, lovely post, hee hee hee!
Easily amused.
myersei wrote:
Fortunately there is absolutely no need to like a person to enjoy their music.
still like his stuff (used to love it), but the older he gets, the less i like him. sting's ego seems to grow exponentially each time i see or hear him.
Fortunately there is absolutely no need to like a person to enjoy their music.
still like his stuff (used to love it), but the older he gets, the less i like him. sting's ego seems to grow exponentially each time i see or hear him.
Whiney little scrote!
Just had me titterring for a fair while, lovely post, hee hee hee!
Just had me titterring for a fair while, lovely post, hee hee hee!
Whiny little scrote....
Rick_V wrote:
?
The last truly great song Sting ever wrote. It's been downhill ever since.
?
he most certainly does nigelr wrote:You aren't alone, he does some very classy stuff IMO.
The last truly great song Sting ever wrote. It's been downhill ever since.
Great song from a great album! Sting's songwriting is it's most honest and effective on this album (imho). The arrangements and production are incredible on this record. Lyrically too, I think Sting is at his best.
Dahnyul wrote:
"By a curious confusion, many modern critics have passed from the proposition that a masterpiece may be unpopular to the other proposition that unless it is unpopular it cannot be a masterpiece."
- G.K. Chesteron
Not saying this is a masterpiece, but you get the idea. Accessible music doesn't necessarily equal bad music.
- G.K. Chesteron
Not saying this is a masterpiece, but you get the idea. Accessible music doesn't necessarily equal bad music.
Hannio wrote:
You aren't alone, he does some very classy stuff IMO.
I can only hope and pray to be as cool as some of you who disdain Sting. I can't help it, I really like his music.
You aren't alone, he does some very classy stuff IMO.
He often sings about stange things ! This lyrics sometimes are not my buisness.
"By a curious confusion, many modern critics have passed from the proposition that a masterpiece may be unpopular to the other proposition that unless it is unpopular it cannot be a masterpiece."
- G.K. Chesteron
Not saying this is a masterpiece, but you get the idea. Accessible music doesn't necessarily equal bad music.
Jungle_Jim wrote:
- G.K. Chesteron
Not saying this is a masterpiece, but you get the idea. Accessible music doesn't necessarily equal bad music.
Jungle_Jim wrote:
No more Sting RP - sanctimonious, self-important, intelligent shopping mall muzak.
Alexandra wrote:
How strange. I was scrolling through the comments of this song, and came across your post just as this line in the song played.
And yes, that sort of passion would be... life-changing.
"It would make a prison of my life if you became another's wife." Wow! How awesome would that be to have someone feel THAT passionately about ya....? 
How strange. I was scrolling through the comments of this song, and came across your post just as this line in the song played.
And yes, that sort of passion would be... life-changing.
No more Sting RP - sanctimonious, self-important, intelligent shopping mall muzak.
Almost everything Sting does, either solo or with the Police, is excellent, and this is no exception.
I don't normally care for Sting but this is a pretty good song
Sting is a musician's musician...time signatures that are challenging....and the BEST session musicians playing backup.
MrGreg wrote:
He'll always be "Burke" to me.
He'll always be "Burke" to me.
Another plug for Andy Summer's memoirs (click link ->) https://www.andysummers.com/onetrainlater.php, which I'm finding to be a very interesting read. It turns out he played in The Animals and Soft Machine, jammed with Jimi, and was on the London scene when Stewart and Gordon were still in short pants. There's even a bit about him turning on another uberfamous rock guitarist to the virtues of Gibson guitars. All of this, and Andy is pretty decent writer, too (i.e., not ghostwritten).
Oh, and don't forget RP's Amazon link!
Boring
okay Sting may be kind of a goof, but I still really like this song... 8!
meydele wrote:
If you are a trained seal.
Ooooo! May I be sealed in there with him? 
If you are a trained seal.
Hannio wrote:Cheers, thanks for your help, and the poem.
I don't know if this song refers to that story, but I do know it was Solomon, not Herod, and the woman was Bathsheba. David was the offspring.
Certain lines in the song seem to refer to Shelley's Ozymandias:
OZYMANDIAS
Since you're in London, you may find it interesting that Shelley wrote the sonnet in response to an earlier poem of the same theme written by Horace Smith:
I don't know if this song refers to that story, but I do know it was Solomon, not Herod, and the woman was Bathsheba. David was the offspring.
Certain lines in the song seem to refer to Shelley's Ozymandias:
OZYMANDIAS
I met a traveller from an antique land
Who said: Two vast and trunkless legs of stone
Stand in the desert. Near them on the sand,
Half sunk, a shatter'd visage lies, whose frown
And wrinkled lip and sneer of cold command
Tell that its sculptor well those passions read
Which yet survive, stamp'd on these lifeless things,
The hand that mock'd them and the heart that fed.
And on the pedestal these words appear:
"My name is Ozymandias, king of kings:
Look on my works, ye Mighty, and despair!"
Nothing beside remains: round the decay
Of that colossal wreck, boundless and bare,
The lone and level sands stretch far away.
Since you're in London, you may find it interesting that Shelley wrote the sonnet in response to an earlier poem of the same theme written by Horace Smith:
In Egypt's sandy silence, all alone,
Stands a gigantic Leg, which far off throws
The only shadow that the Desert knows:
"I am great OZYMANDIAS," saith the stone,
"The King of Kings; this mighty City shows
"The wonders of my hand." The City's gone,
Nought but the Leg remaining to disclose
The site of this forgotten Babylon.
We wonder, and some Hunter may express
Wonder like ours, when thro' the wilderness
Where London stood, holding the Wolf in chace,
He meets some fragments huge, and stops to guess
What powerful but unrecorded race
Once dwelt in that annihilated place.
Hannio wrote:
Er, not quite. It was David. Another song refering to this (if this is at all) is Cohen's Hallluja. Thank you for the poems, btw!
I don't know if this song refers to that story, but I do know it was Solomon, not Herod, and the woman was Bathsheba. David was the offspring.
Er, not quite. It was David. Another song refering to this (if this is at all) is Cohen's Hallluja. Thank you for the poems, btw!
I can only hope and pray to be as cool as some of you who disdain Sting. I can't help it, I really like his music.
themotion wrote:
Yes! This time is the first time that occurred to me, but I came to see if everyone but me had noticed it. Guess it isn't that popular an idea, but I'd definitely mark it down as an influence.
Has a 'Pastime Paradise' feel to it. Definitely one of Sting's better songs.
Yes! This time is the first time that occurred to me, but I came to see if everyone but me had noticed it. Guess it isn't that popular an idea, but I'd definitely mark it down as an influence.
philipburrows wrote:
I don't know if this song refers to that story, but I do know it was Solomon, not Herod, and the woman was Bathsheba. David was the offspring.
Certain lines in the song seem to refer to Shelley's Ozymandias:
OZYMANDIAS
Since you're in London, you may find it interesting that Shelley wrote the sonnet in response to an earlier poem of the same theme written by Horace Smith:
Am I right in thinking that this song is based on a story of King Herod, who after getting the hots for one of his Generals wifes, sent said General off to certain death, leaving old Herod to ply his wily ways on the wife. General, duly died and Herod became consumed with guilt.
I don't know if this song refers to that story, but I do know it was Solomon, not Herod, and the woman was Bathsheba. David was the offspring.
Certain lines in the song seem to refer to Shelley's Ozymandias:
OZYMANDIAS
I met a traveller from an antique land
Who said: Two vast and trunkless legs of stone
Stand in the desert. Near them on the sand,
Half sunk, a shatter'd visage lies, whose frown
And wrinkled lip and sneer of cold command
Tell that its sculptor well those passions read
Which yet survive, stamp'd on these lifeless things,
The hand that mock'd them and the heart that fed.
And on the pedestal these words appear:
"My name is Ozymandias, king of kings:
Look on my works, ye Mighty, and despair!"
Nothing beside remains: round the decay
Of that colossal wreck, boundless and bare,
The lone and level sands stretch far away.
Since you're in London, you may find it interesting that Shelley wrote the sonnet in response to an earlier poem of the same theme written by Horace Smith:
In Egypt's sandy silence, all alone,
Stands a gigantic Leg, which far off throws
The only shadow that the Desert knows:
"I am great OZYMANDIAS," saith the stone,
"The King of Kings; this mighty City shows
"The wonders of my hand." The City's gone,
Nought but the Leg remaining to disclose
The site of this forgotten Babylon.
We wonder, and some Hunter may express
Wonder like ours, when thro' the wilderness
Where London stood, holding the Wolf in chace,
He meets some fragments huge, and stops to guess
What powerful but unrecorded race
Once dwelt in that annihilated place.
philipburrows wrote:
no, he wrote it for me.
Am I right in thinking that this song is based on a story of King Herod, who after getting the hots for one of his Generals wifes, sent said General off to certain death, leaving old Herod to ply his wily ways on the wife. General, duly died and Herod became consumed with guilt.
no, he wrote it for me.
Am I right in thinking that this song is based on a story of King Herod, who after getting the hots for one of his Generals wifes, sent said General off to certain death, leaving old Herod to ply his wily ways on the wife. General, duly died and Herod became consumed with guilt.
Wisecrowe wrote:
Original for when exactly? This song is nearly 18 years old.
Sting you suck, do something original. Quit the mystical recitation of crap you've been doing since you quit the Police.
Original for when exactly? This song is nearly 18 years old.
CoYoT51 wrote:
WTF? Are you kidding me? Masterpiece? Huge Artist? Wrong. Dead wrong.
One of the masterpieces of a huge artist.
WTF? Are you kidding me? Masterpiece? Huge Artist? Wrong. Dead wrong.
An outstanding song, texture, and instrumentation.
And to people saying this is not original ... wow, what an original thing to say.
You'd make a prison of my life
If you became another's wife
Sure, I did find out over time that there are more dream women, and I am happily married to her - but this one still "stings" ...