If we seek solace in the prisons of the distant past
Security in human systems we're told will always always last
Emotions are the sail and blind faith is the mast
Without the breath of real freedom we're getting nowhere fast

If God is dead and an actor plays his part
His words of fear will find a place in your heart
Without the voice of reason every faith is its own curse
Without freedom from the past things can only get worse

Sooner or later just like the world first day
Sooner or later we learn to throw the past away
Sooner or later just like the world first day
Sooner or later we learn to throw the past away
Sooner or later we learn to throw the past away

History will teach us nothing
History will teach us nothing

Our written history is a catalog of crime
The sordid and the powerful, the architects of time
The mother of invention, the oppression of the mild
The constant fear of scarcity, aggression as its child

Sooner or later
Sooner or later
Sooner or later
Sooner or later

Convince an enemy, convince him that he's wrong
Is to win a bloodless battle where victory is long
A simple act of faith
In reason over might
To blow up his children will only prove him right
History will teach us nothing
Sooner or later just like the world first day
Sooner or later we learn to throw the past away
Sooner or later just like the world first day
Sooner or later we learn to throw the past away
Sooner or later we learn to throw the past away

History will teach us nothing
History will teach us nothing

Know your human rights
Be what you come here for
Know your human rights
Be what you come here for
Know your human rights
Be what you come here for
Know your human rights
Be what you come here for

Overall Meaning

In "History Will Teach Us Nothing," Sting is warning against putting blind faith in human systems and seeking solace in the prisons of the distant past. He argues that emotions and blind faith can only take us so far, and without the breath of real freedom, we are getting nowhere fast. In the song, Sting also challenges the idea of God's existence and warns against being swayed by fear-mongering or religious dogma. The song emphasizes the need for reason over might, and encourages us to learn from the past while also recognizing the flaws and injustices that have been perpetuated throughout history.

Sting criticizes written history, which he sees as a way to glorify the powerful while ignoring the suffering of the oppressed. He describes the mother of invention as being the oppression of the mild, and the fear of scarcity as giving birth to aggression. However, Sting believes that it is possible to learn from the past and throw it away when necessary. He argues that history cannot teach us anything if we do not actively seek to learn from it, and that knowing our human rights and being what we come here for can help us create a better future.

Overall, "History Will Teach Us Nothing" is a commentary on the dangers of blindly following human systems and religious dogma, and the importance of questioning authority and learning from the past.

Line by Line Meaning

If we seek solace in the prisons of the distant past
If we rely on the comforts of the past, we are limiting ourselves.

Security in human systems we're told will always always last
We are frequently told that human systems will always provide security, but this is not true.

Emotions are the sail and blind faith is the mast
We can be easily swayed by our emotions or blind faith.

Without the breath of real freedom we're getting nowhere fast
We cannot make progress without true freedom that allows us to explore new ideas and ways of thinking.

If God is dead and an actor plays his part
If we no longer believe in a higher power and simply pretend, we are still influenced by fear-based messages.

His words of fear will find a place in your heart
Even false messages of fear can affect us deeply.

Without the voice of reason every faith is its own curse
If we do not use reason to guide our beliefs, our beliefs can become dangerous to ourselves and others.

Without freedom from the past things can only get worse
Without the ability to let go of the past, we cannot move forward and will continue to struggle.

History will teach us nothing
We must learn from history, but often we do not.

Our written history is a catalog of crime
History is full of stories of people committing terrible crimes.

The sordid and the powerful, the architects of time
Many of those who shape the course of history do so for their own selfish purposes.

The mother of invention, the oppression of the mild
Progress and innovation often come at the expense of the weaker members of society.

The constant fear of scarcity, aggression as its child
Scarcity breeds fear which can lead to aggression towards others.

Convince an enemy, convince him that he's wrong
We should try to convince our enemies of the error of their ways.

Is to win a bloodless battle where victory is long
If we can convince our enemies without resorting to violence, the victory will be long-lasting.

A simple act of faith
Sometimes all it takes is a little bit of faith.

In reason over might
We should always prioritize reason over brute force.

To blow up his children will only prove him right
Violence towards innocent victims will only strengthen the resolve of our enemies.

Know your human rights
We should all be aware of our basic human rights.

Be what you come here for
We should strive to make the most of our lives and accomplish what we set out to do.

Sooner or later just like the world first day
Inevitably and without exception, change will come.

Sooner or later we learn to throw the past away
We must learn to let go of the past to move forward and progress.

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A Basque folk carol, originally based on Angelus ad virginem, a 13th or 14th Century Latin carol,[2] it was collected by Charles Bordes and then paraphrased into English by Sabine Baring-Gould, who had spent a winter as a boy in the Basque country. The tu

on gabriels_message

Sting's song "Gabriel's Message" is a rendition of the biblical story of the Annunciation, where the angel Gabriel visits Mary to inform her that she is to be the mother of Jesus Christ. The lyrics describe Gabriel's appearance as he descends from heaven with his wings as white as snow and eyes as bright as flames. Upon seeing Mary, Gabriel greets her with the words "All hail, thou lowly maiden Mary, Most highly favored lady," referring to her as a blessed mother and foretelling that her son will be Emmanuel, as prophesized by seers.

Mary's response to Gabriel's message is one of humility and acceptance, as she meekly bows her head and says, "To me be as it pleaseth God," praising and magnifying His holy name. The lyrics are a beautiful interpretation of this pivotal moment in Christian history, showcasing the wonder and awe of Gabriel's visitation, and the steadfast faith and acceptance of Mary's response.