Sting has followed a path steered by his proven affinity with the written word. The course of his musical career traces an evolving relationship with language, as he finds new ways to record and interpret his experiences, thought processes and creativity in a finely tuned, honest approach.

The words of a song can influence, guide, heal, enlighten and move. Sting uses the powerful format of writing to encase new scenes and situations in single songs, covering a breadth of emotion. From flurries of fury and impassioned pleas to carefree meanderings in sunset barley fields; an inherent talent has been cultivated, capturing emotion, setting mood and communicating concepts with chords and lyrical content that when played, pinpoints exactly what it means to be alive.

He always manages to create meaningful pieces, infused with relatable content that are almost engineered to last as classics. Whether personal or abstract; Sting isn’t afraid to experiment with his musical style. His song writing skills seem completely transferable, from orchestral interpretations and soul renditions to the early origins of his pop and rock days together with the later sounds of  jazz and folk influences; Sting manages to incorporate a medley of  genres comfortably across albums and within individual songs, offering an eclectic energy that completely captivates the listener.

Welcome Home, Sting

Recently I saw Sting perform in Gateshead as he celebrated 25 years as a solo artist, with his Back to Bass tour. What struck me, even before he sang a single note, was his natural way with words. It was clear that his ability to transcribe his thoughtful nature so precisely is what has earned him his right to decades in the spotlight. Slipping into storytelling quite easily he quickly built a rapport with the Newcastle audience from which he originated. Reaffirming the audiences’ affections, with real warmth and humour, Sting shared anecdotes of walking alongside the river with his youngest daughter just days before, as he showcased the gems of his city. Walking beside the Tyne evoked a flood of memories as he reminisced about going to the market as a small boy on a Sunday with his father, who would buy him a token toy. It was almost as though he could sense the  silent attentiveness of the crowd, as we proudly witnessed a homegrown talent leave us in no doubt as to why he is now known the world over.

The local newspaper’s review the next day summed the night up perfectly, proudly concluding, ‘A great night with a band of awesome musicians, and a charismatic singer-songwriter who’s lost none of his powers. Welcome home, Sting.’ 

Read the full article here.

During the gig, Sting told us that when sitting down to write a song he would first write the music and then let the lyrics fall into place, an unconventional method but one that has proved monumentally successful nonetheless. Together he would walk us through his memories, of where he was when he penned the first lines of a song, which then made each of the following performances even more powerful and vivid, as the images he had given us unfolded in what seemed like technicolour, while the music’s beats and chords intensified the messages.

In his eclectic set was a song that I hadn’t heard before, and one that stood out as a tragedy. Distinctly the song depicted the determination and unity that existed between two foxes. The ‘End of the Game’  throws the listener into a fast pace chase as two foxes flee for their lives, inspired he said from living in the countryside and directly, from trying to find new ways to barricade wild foxes out of his chicken enclosure, with comically put, varying degrees of success. The song however is full of sadness and urgency, as the pair try to outrun their inevitable fate. The music depicts the dramatic dash that ensues, conveying the ebb and flow of their energy levels, as well as the thoughts that run parallel through the minds of the foxes, while Sting narrates the story as they draw closer to their deaths.

What makes the song so moving is the ways in which the foxes are portrayed as romantic partners, spurring themselves on by envisioning a fantastical future together, running away side by side through forests, streams, fields and brambles, heading to the shore while being poetically ‘Carried to the great ocean by the drag of the moon ’. Their determination to escape eventually becomes replaced by an acceptance of the reality that dawns and they run instead into their dreams and finally on into the heavens.

In the video below shows Sting perform ‘End of the Game’ accompanied by the might that is the Philharmonic Orchestra. Sting takes the opportunity to incorporate an Oscar Wilde quote into his introduction; his love for words is apparent, his whole view of life is guided my the power and magic they can bestow. He owes his livelihood, his lifestyle to the art of words and his fans their delight, to his poetic perspective.

A Quarter of a Century

In the video below, Sting looks back on a career that spans a staggering 25 years. He is still prone to deep reflection and by his own self admission, at 60, has not yet arrived at a place where he thinks he has it all figured out. Sting is obviously intelligent but an emotional intelligence is what really shines through, especially when he describes and responds to his environment; combining eloquence with a down-to-earth delivery that is part of a formula which allows him to write songs we can appreciate and value. In the opening to this interview Sting becomes entirely engaging as he returns to storytelling mode.

His first musical memory is described as a scene full of movement and feeling, as he watched his mother play the piano; “I’d be on the floor, the pedals were odd, the loud and the soft pedals, they moved kind of a-rhythmically”. Sting went on to talk about the importance of listening, which is often key when finding the inspiration that in needed for creative writing, “It’s a receptive organ, it’s a feminine organ, we get information…… then we use our hands.”

He goes on to talk about spirituality and the death of his father, together with a desire to dedicate a song to him,“I knew I had to write something because that’s always been my therapy, the way of processing emotion”. He constantly finds value in new subject matters, and even admits to the experience of writers block. “My whole being that was involved in being creative, suddenly had gone!”, but is comforted when he is able to draw from a past that is already easily accessible. A writer’s block is not a sign of a bad writer, merely that a new source needs to be tapped into; a creative challenge can often result in some of our best work as it stretches our abilities as writers, resulting in better outcomes. He reminisces about the ship building on his street, a subject that he describes wistfully and enigmatically, comparing his own life to their birth and journey out to sea,“so big it would just blot out the sun, and these ships of course would never come back, once they were launched they would leave, and that became very symbolic I suppose, of my own life”.

A Life in Songs

The next video shows a snippet from Sting’s recent 60th birthday concert, where he gathered famous friends together to sing songs from his huge  back catalogue. Here, Wonder joins the stage to sing ‘Fragile’ and immediately and inimitably injects an infectious soulfulness, stamping his own identity onto the classic song to showcase the full potential of masterful lyrics. Sting is clearly in awe of Wonder, and too, seems to take something fresh from the song. The performance is a testament to both Wonder and Sting’s immense talents. What better way to see your song writing ability praised than have the legend that is Stevie Wonder sing it for you; it all comes to life right in front of him as he shares the stage. What a tribute and a well deserved one. Here’s to song writing!