I am inclined to think this song is about the young single man/older married woman angle. Generally, the song is about being under control by another person, so this could be interpreted many ways as discussed already. Remember, however, Sting was going through a divorce to Irish actress Frances Tomelty in 1982 and began his relationship with current wife Trudy Styler. 1982 was a very tumultuous year for Sting. Synchronincity was recorded in December of that year and Sting had written many deeply personal songs with The Police. Synchronicity is filled with songs of despair, desperation, pain, and catharsis. I almost think that this song is the consequence to Synchronicity II as if the whole album tries to tell the story of the pain Sting is going through.
The symbolism in this song is incredible - scylla and charibdes (choosing the lesser of two evils), devil and the deep blue sea (a nautical reference to being stuck between a rock and a hard place), reference to going to college (which Sting never did, as far as I know), Mephistopheles (the devil, Faust) and the listeners own interpretation of the lyrics.
This is truly one of Sting's finest songs of his illustrious career.
I am inclined to think this song is about the young single man/older married woman angle. Generally, the song is about being under control by another person, so this could be interpreted many ways as discussed already. Remember, however, Sting was going through a divorce to Irish actress Frances Tomelty in 1982 and began his relationship with current wife Trudy Styler. 1982 was a very tumultuous year for Sting. Synchronincity was recorded in December of that year and Sting had written many deeply personal songs with The Police. Synchronicity is filled with songs of despair, desperation, pain, and catharsis. I almost think that this song is the consequence to Synchronicity II as if the whole album tries to tell the story of the pain Sting is going through.
The symbolism in this song is incredible - scylla and charibdes (choosing the lesser of two evils), devil and the deep blue sea (a nautical reference to being stuck between a rock and a hard place), reference to going to college (which Sting never did, as far as I know), Mephistopheles (the devil, Faust) and the listeners own interpretation of the lyrics.
This is truly one of Sting's finest songs of his illustrious career.