No one has mentioned the Tantric aspect to this song...
I agree that it's generally a straightforward love song, but Sting has a "spiritual" (and specifically Tantric) disposition, which I think plays into this song, particularly with the puzzling line:
"You'll forget the sun it it's jealous sky."
In some spiritual traditions, like Tantra, there's the concept of an ascendant and a descendant path. Ascendant is transcendent, heavenly, almost otherworldly; while descendant is worldly, manifest. (Both paths can be seen as legitimate, you can either try to transcend the world to find "God" or embrace everything of the world to find God.)
Now, he says "Forget the sun" because he's asking her to embrace this human love, here on this earth, symbolized by the worldly "fields of barley." And he's saying that they will have such profound Love that the fields of barley will actually become "Fields of Gold." (Which is also why the Sun is jealous, because the Sun will always be transcendent and thus will never be able to experience the sacredness of manifestation.)
@KentKent The sun isn't jealous, the sky is...which is kind of strange...who is the sky jealous of? Them? or the sun? There are problems with these lyrics.
@KentKent The sun isn't jealous, the sky is...which is kind of strange...who is the sky jealous of? Them? or the sun? There are problems with these lyrics.
No one has mentioned the Tantric aspect to this song...
I agree that it's generally a straightforward love song, but Sting has a "spiritual" (and specifically Tantric) disposition, which I think plays into this song, particularly with the puzzling line: "You'll forget the sun it it's jealous sky."
In some spiritual traditions, like Tantra, there's the concept of an ascendant and a descendant path. Ascendant is transcendent, heavenly, almost otherworldly; while descendant is worldly, manifest. (Both paths can be seen as legitimate, you can either try to transcend the world to find "God" or embrace everything of the world to find God.)
Now, he says "Forget the sun" because he's asking her to embrace this human love, here on this earth, symbolized by the worldly "fields of barley." And he's saying that they will have such profound Love that the fields of barley will actually become "Fields of Gold." (Which is also why the Sun is jealous, because the Sun will always be transcendent and thus will never be able to experience the sacredness of manifestation.)
Note: Sting always mentions he's into Tantra.
Note: Sting always mentions he's into Tantra.
@KentKent The sun isn't jealous, the sky is...which is kind of strange...who is the sky jealous of? Them? or the sun? There are problems with these lyrics.
@KentKent The sun isn't jealous, the sky is...which is kind of strange...who is the sky jealous of? Them? or the sun? There are problems with these lyrics.