In 1985 he released his debut solo album, the jazz-influenced Dream of the Blue Turtles.
The title came from an actual dream of Sting’s, worthy of the Beatles’ “Yellow Submarine” or “Octopus’s Garden.” In it, he saw an immaculate and sheltered English garden being destroyed by a marauding group of large blue turtles.
In a Jungian analysis of the dream the dramatic, shocking turtles were taken as symbolic of Sting’s new (solo) band and its chaotic but needed effect on his staid and comfortable life in the Police. This confirmed for Sting the value of striking out on his own.
[From Rock & Holy Rollers: The Spiritual Beliefs of Chart-Topping Rock Stars in Their Lives and Lyrics by Geoffrey D. Falk.]
Too many people in love try to control their loved ones. This song is about letting go of trying to control a loved one and "setting them free."
Too many people in love try to control their loved ones. This song is about letting go of trying to control a loved one and "setting them free."
In the lyrics, Sting has the strength to let his loved one have some of their needs met at his expense (e.g., if you need somebody, call my name), while at the same time, he sets boundaries in other areas. That is, if his loved one pushes him too much in terms of turning him into a possession, then he is not going to stand for it.
In the lyrics, Sting has the strength to let his loved one have some of their needs met at his expense (e.g., if you need somebody, call my name), while at the same time, he sets boundaries in other areas. That is, if his loved one pushes him too much in terms of turning him into a possession, then he is not going to stand for it.
The beauty of this song is counterintuitive. Ordinarily, if you have something valuable, you protect it, hide it, control it. However, when it comes to a loved one, sometimes you need to do the opposite and set them free.
In 1985 he released his debut solo album, the jazz-influenced Dream of the Blue Turtles. The title came from an actual dream of Sting’s, worthy of the Beatles’ “Yellow Submarine” or “Octopus’s Garden.” In it, he saw an immaculate and sheltered English garden being destroyed by a marauding group of large blue turtles. In a Jungian analysis of the dream the dramatic, shocking turtles were taken as symbolic of Sting’s new (solo) band and its chaotic but needed effect on his staid and comfortable life in the Police. This confirmed for Sting the value of striking out on his own.
[From Rock & Holy Rollers: The Spiritual Beliefs of Chart-Topping Rock Stars in Their Lives and Lyrics by Geoffrey D. Falk.]
Too many people in love try to control their loved ones. This song is about letting go of trying to control a loved one and "setting them free."
Too many people in love try to control their loved ones. This song is about letting go of trying to control a loved one and "setting them free."
In the lyrics, Sting has the strength to let his loved one have some of their needs met at his expense (e.g., if you need somebody, call my name), while at the same time, he sets boundaries in other areas. That is, if his loved one pushes him too much in terms of turning him into a possession, then he is not going to stand for it.
In the lyrics, Sting has the strength to let his loved one have some of their needs met at his expense (e.g., if you need somebody, call my name), while at the same time, he sets boundaries in other areas. That is, if his loved one pushes him too much in terms of turning him into a possession, then he is not going to stand for it.
The beauty of this song is counterintuitive. Ordinarily, if you have something valuable, you protect it, hide it, control it. However, when it comes to a loved one, sometimes you need to do the opposite and set them free.