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Length: 4:31
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And those he plays never suspect
He doesn't play for the money he wins
He don't play for respect
He deals the cards to find the answer
The sacred geometry of chance
The hidden law of a probable outcome
The numbers lead a dance
I know that the spades are the swords of a soldier
I know that the clubs are weapons of war
I know that diamonds mean money for this art
But that's not the shape of my heart
He may play the jack of diamonds
He may lay the queen of spades
He may conceal a king in his hand
While the memory of it fades
I know that the spades are the swords of a soldier
I know that the clubs are weapons of war
I know that diamonds mean money for this art
But that's not the shape of my heart
And if I told you that I loved you
You'd maybe think there's something wrong
I'm not a man of too many faces
The mask I wear is one
Those who speak know nothing
And find out to their cost
Like those who curse their luck in too many places
And those who fear are lost
I know that the spades are the swords of a soldier
I know that the clubs are weapons of war
I know that diamonds mean money for this art
But that's not the shape of my heart
Though it’s been sampled so frequently by others, none hold a candle to the original.
I know that a fractal can have more if we tear it apart
I know that a decagon might have ten sides
produces excellent wine in Tuscany
Sting ripping off Juice World. Tsk tsk
But this song came out 25+ years before Juice WRLD!
Paul McCartney's latest album is great. Robert plant's solo albums are amazing.
I have to toss in Gregg Allman's Souther Blood album in there too.
No matter what you think of the man...this song is outstanding!! Solid 9!!
other things are "solid" too. Like a meaty lumpy solid "number Two"
The same applies to most music composers. Creativity just runs out.
No. Beethoven's late quartets are arguably at the very pinnacle of Western art.
Brendon Power plays on other tracks, but it's Larry Adler on the Harmonica for this one (according to a '93 promotional video by Sting). Larry also guested at some of the London shows, given that he lived there at the time.
I always thought it was Toots Tielemans
Thank you. I've made the same case in other posts. The well does run dry. At a certain point, experience in songcraft takes over from raw creativity and inspiration.
Paul McCartney's latest album is great. Robert plant's solo albums are amazing.
The same applies to most music composers. Creativity just runs out.
Thank you. I've made the same case in other posts. The well does run dry. At a certain point, experience in songcraft takes over from raw creativity and inspiration.
But this is Sting at his best, and it's good to hear it on RP. Thanks Bill.
The same applies to most music composers. Creativity just runs out.
metaphor around cars? I'm confused. Thought it was around cards. Never thought about cars in this way.
duh, cards
Harmonica player on this song is fellow Kiwi Brendon Power (see https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZuI61cTNbAk at about 2:24). All his work that I've heard is sublime. He's the reason I gave up playing harmonica and took up mandolin instead ...
Brendon Power plays on other tracks, but it's Larry Adler on the Harmonica for this one (according to a '93 promotional video by Sting). Larry also guested at some of the London shows, given that he lived there at the time.
This remains as one of my favourite songs from the period, when music was far more important than the artist's personality. Although technology has improved audio fidelity, the signal to noise ratio (as defined by music Vs media) has become far worse, making it very difficult to enjoy many artists in quite the same way any more.
Oh you meant to say that Sting grew up and matured and starting writing the best album of his career
Sure, if you mean growing up into a performer who produces bland, smooth jazz styled dreck, then yep, that's what I mean!
He's probably not "the most disliked". There are several others who inspire more loathing than he does, at least these days.
this is a perfect example of a good song, sung well, that steps just slightly over the line... all those cute little puns and allusions make it unbearable
i feel that...song seems to go back and forth over that line...but i still find it "bearable"
He deals the cards to find the answer
The sacred geometry of chance
The hidden law of a probable outcome
The whole song has a sustained metaphor around cars. It's almost like he used to be an English teacher or something...
I like some of The Police and some of the solo Sting, for the record. Pretty different, and that's a good thing.
metaphor around cars? I'm confused. Thought it was around cards. Never thought about cars in this way.
He deals the cards to find the answer
The sacred geometry of chance
The hidden law of a probable outcome
The whole song has a sustained metaphor around cars. It's almost like he used to be an English teacher or something...
I like some of The Police and some of the solo Sting, for the record. Pretty different, and that's a good thing.
But this is Sting at his best, and it's good to hear it on RP. Thanks Bill.
this is a perfect example of a good song, sung well, that steps just slightly over the line... all those cute little puns and allusions make it unbearable
I agree. The Police were a very different entity. 3 guys that fed off each other. Equals.
His solo career has been one of an employer and his hired guns (yes, brilliant musicians but still hired/picked/recruited by Sting).
Two different sets of music. While the Police stuff is stronger IMHO, the solo stuff is still damn terrific.
Apparently he used a couple of harmonica players on this album, but neither were the great Mr. Thielemans. Obviously, Toots' style has influenced all those who have followed him.
Harmonica player on this song is fellow Kiwi Brendon Power (see https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZuI61cTNbAk at about 2:24). All his work that I've heard is sublime. He's the reason I gave up playing harmonica and took up mandolin instead ...
Agreed!
Agreed, agreed :)
Agreed!
The Police were one of my favorite bands of all time. Then Sting started writing music for dentist offices.
Oh you meant to say that Sting grew up and matured and starting writing the best album of his career
Apparently he used a couple of harmonica players on this album, but neither were the great Mr. Thielemans. Obviously, Toots' style has influenced all those who have followed him.
The Police were one of my favorite bands of all time. Then Sting started writing music for dentist offices.
Well said June. I'm having trouble staying awake writing this. TGF the PSD button
The Police were one of my favorite bands of all time. Then Sting started writing music for dentist offices.
If a group or individual does not evolve musically over time we criticize them for that. If they do evolve musically over time, and we yearn more for their musical past than their musical present, we criticize them for that too.
We're just awfully critical I guess. But I think we'd rather be thrilled, no?
As cogent, aptly put a post as I've read here in 11+ years. Reminds me of the exchange between the Left Bank patron, and promoter of the new poetry, and the self-prepossessed, perhaps passe Orpheus (the older poet trying to revive his career) in Cocteau's Orphee:
Orpheus: What would you have me do?
Patron: Astonish us!
To paraphrase another, Orphee is as close to poetry as there is in cinema.
This album and the first solo album with the Turtle title are his two best!
thank you so much, highlight of my early afternoon in the mountains!
Yea, people love to rip him and I am not crazy about a lot of his stuff, but he had some good one's and this is one of em.
I think the problem may be that he had such a good run with the Police that a lot of people can't accept that he has moved on from those days.
Okay sure, but the album has one name on the cover. Dominic is great though, didn't mean to diminish his qualities. And Vinnie....well...he's done it all and then some.
Sting..stung ;)
Edit: really worth to watch in sync with this song.
Astonishing. Thank you.
Edit: really worth to watch in sync with this song.
Always reminds me of the the great movie "Leon - The professional"
https://www.dailymotion.com/video/x24guo_sting-shape-of-my-heart-leon_music#.UVRA9FcTSF8
From godlike being to barfist in 30 years. He's not the first....
Always reminds me of the the great movie "Leon - The professional"
https://www.dailymotion.com/video/x24guo_sting-shape-of-my-heart-leon_music#.UVRA9FcTSF8
One of my favorite albums of the 90s as well. Can't believe it's 20 years old already.
Dominic is not a back-up! He is both, quote Sting: "...my right and my left hand!"
Okay sure, but the album has one name on the cover. Dominic is great though, didn't mean to diminish his qualities. And Vinnie....well...he's done it all and then some.
Emotional depth?
you must be joking...
where he does a variation of his world award winning trick done to this song. It's AMAZING!
Emotional depth?
I hear ya. Sting is good.
too bad he didn't call it amsterdamn
Pretty!
No "but" accepted. I LIKE HIM THAT WAY. Period.
check your spelling, it's dreaRy
quote: "...but he had quite some (SOME!!) good ones!"
ARE YOU MAD?
Some good ones...?
And that says Tokyo, a nation that kills sharks by the 10-thousands,
with a quicky-silly-pinky kiddish music-scene that belongs to the KINDERGARDEN!
Who can take JAPAN really serious?
Now bow that someone is telling you the truth!
Some good ones...! Paaaah!!!
Do you have to boost your ego by insulting people? Grow up...
Dominic is not a back-up! He is both, quote Sting: "...my right and my left hand!"
Yea, people love to rip him and I am not crazy about a lot of his stuff, but he had some good one's and this is one of em.
quote: "...but he had quite some (SOME!!) good ones!"
ARE YOU MAD?
Some good ones...?
And that says Tokyo, a nation that kills sharks by the 10-thousands,
with a quicky-silly-pinky kiddish music-scene that belongs to the KINDERGARDEN!
Who can take JAPAN really serious?
Now bow that someone is telling you the truth!
Some good ones...! Paaaah!!!
Meh. Don't really care about his personality. What matters is that his post-Police work is terminally dull.
WELL-WELL SAID (second entry)!
Sooo true!
The avarage rating of this song is a ridiculous 7.4,
while this kitschi Ludovico E.-guy has certainly an 8+!
Frankly?
These are the facts that make me DOUBT the RP community!
Yea, people love to rip him and I am not crazy about a lot of his stuff, but he had some good one's and this is one of em.
10
This is definitely one of Sting's better efforts; the song and the CD.
I agree that he's a pretentious, self-important git, but he did produce some good music over the years.
But he's smart enough to hire some truly exceptional musicians so there's always the playing to be enjoyed.
My ex-wife used to run into him at parties in Newcastle when she was at the Polytechnic - which I understand has been renamed. Apparently Eno was also something of a regular at the Saturday night boozers.
Nothing like you... your s@#t clearly smells terribly.
You need to stop sniffing shit.
You are clearly an expert on the aroma of human waste, but do you stop there or does this obsession stretch to lying under glass coffee tables whilst others defecate onto the glass above.?
As for "Stink" he probably bags his own up for fans so I'd give him a call and get some in.
Who knows maybe you'll hit it off and get invited over to watch him bang Trudie in a tantric fashion while he warbles on about winter.
Let me know how you get on.
he sat there smugly going on about how some of them were a 1000 years old....and so on.....with his huge ridiculous beard and strange sweater...and then he sung some with his odd cronies....ever heard a goat being slaughtered...?
You can sum him up quite simply......he really thinks his shit doesn't stink.
Nothing like you... your s@#t clearly smells terribly.
he sat there smugly going on about how some of them were a 1000 years old....and so on.....with his huge ridiculous beard and strange sweater...and then he sung some with his odd cronies....ever heard a goat being slaughtered...?
You can sum him up quite simply......he really thinks his shit doesn't stink.
And I feel the exactly opposite way....
to each their own, eh?
Great song, Excellent movie, which is also one of my favorites.
I can totally understand those who've had quite enough of Sting. I thought The Police went downhill after 'Outlands' too.