Mad About You
Sting Lyrics
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I walked a lonely mile in the moonlight
And though a million stars were shining
My heart was lost on a distant planet
That whirls around the April moon
Whirling in an arc of sadness
I'm lost without you. I'm lost without you
Though all my kingdoms turn to sand
I'm mad about you. I'm mad about you
And from the dark secluded valleys
I heard the ancient songs of sadness
But every step I thought of you
Every footstep only you
And every star a grain of sand
The leavings of a dried up ocean
Tell me, how much longer? How much longer?
They say a city in the desert lies
The vanity of an ancient king
But the city lies in broken pieces
Where the wind howls and the vultures sing
These are the works of man
This is the sum of our ambition
It would make a prison of my life
If you became another's wife
With every prison blown to dust
My enemies walk free
I'm mad about you. I'm mad about you
And I have never in my life
Felt more alone than I do now
Although I claim dominions over all I see
It means nothing to me
There are no victories
In all our histories, without love
A stone's throw from Jerusalem
I walked a lonely mile in the moonlight
And though a million stars were shining
My heart was lost on a distant planet
That whirls around the April moon
Whirling in an arc of sadness
I'm lost without you. I'm lost without you
And though you hold the keys to ruin
Of everything I see
With every prison blown to dust,
My enemies walk free
Though all my kingdoms turn to sand
And fall into the sea
I'm mad about you. I'm mad about you
In Sting's song "Mad About You," the singer describes loneliness and yearning for someone he loves. The opening lines conjure up an image of walking alone in the moonlight near Jerusalem, a spiritual and historical site rich with meaning. The stars are shining, but the singer's heart feels lost on a distant planet, emphasizing the sense of displacement and disconnection from the world. This planet is said to orbit the April moon, which could be a metaphor for the cyclic nature of the singer's emotions - he is always returning to this same feeling of loss and longing.
The song's central theme is the singer's love for a woman who seems out of reach. He is "mad about" her, and even though his "kingdoms turn to sand / And fall into the sea," he cannot let go of his feelings. The singer's thoughts turn to his lover constantly, such that even the songs of sadness he hears in the valleys remind him of her. He imagines a desert city that might hold the secret to true love but finds only "broken pieces" and desolation. The idea of love as the ultimate prize is contrasted with the futility of human ambition - "this is the sum of our ambition" - which would feel like a "prison" if the singer's lover were to marry another. The overall mood is one of melancholy, as the singer feels helpless to escape his own emotions.
Line by Line Meaning
A stone's throw from Jerusalem
I was close to the Holy City
I walked a lonely mile in the moonlight
I was sad and alone on my journey
And though a million stars were shining
There was beauty around me
My heart was lost on a distant planet
My heart was broken and far away
That whirls around the April moon
A planet that's always in darkness
Whirling in an arc of sadness
It moves in a sad, circular motion
I'm lost without you. I'm lost without you
I cannot function without you
Though all my kingdoms turn to sand
All that I've built is meaningless
And fall into the sea
It's all gone forever
I'm mad about you. I'm mad about you
I'm crazy in love with you
And from the dark secluded valleys
I heard sad, ancient songs
I heard the ancient songs of sadness
The music made me feel more alone
But every step I thought of you
You were always on my mind
Every footstep only you
You were my sole focus
And every star a grain of sand
Each star was insignificant
The leavings of a dried up ocean
Everything that's left is meaningless
Tell me, how much longer? How much longer?
I can't bear to be without you
They say a city in the desert lies
There's a city hidden in the sand
The vanity of an ancient king
A ruler's foolishness caused its fall
But the city lies in broken pieces
The city's ruins litter the sand
Where the wind howls and the vultures sing
Only death and decay exist there
These are the works of man
Humanity's creations fall to ruin
This is the sum of our ambition
Everything we strive for is empty
It would make a prison of my life
Without you, life is meaningless
If you became another's wife
I couldn't bear to lose you
With every prison blown to dust
I don't care about anything else
My enemies walk free
I can't find joy without you
And I have never in my life
I've never felt this way before
Felt more alone than I do now
I'm completely isolated
Although I claim dominions over all I see
I have no control over my heart
It means nothing to me
Without you, nothing else matters
There are no victories
Without love, life is empty
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Gordon Sumner
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@randallsnyder5757
A stone's throw from Jerusalem
I walked a lonely mile in the moonlight
And though a million stars were shining
My heart was lost on a distant planet
That whirls around the April moon
Whirling in an arc of sadness
I'm lost without you, I'm lost without you
Though all my kingdoms turn to sand and fall into the sea
I'm mad about you, I'm mad about you
And from the dark secluded valleys
I heard the ancient songs of sadness
But every step I thought of you
Every footstep only you
Every star a grain of sand
The leavings of a dried up ocean
Tell me, how much longer,
How much longer?
They say a city in the desert lies
The vanity of an ancient king
But the city lies in broken pieces
Where the wind howls and the vultures sing
These are the works of man
This is the sum of our ambition
It would make a prison of my life
If you became another's wife
With every prison blown to dust
My enemies walk free
I'm mad about you, I'm mad about you
And I have never in my life
Felt more alone than I do now
Although I claim dominions over all I see
It means nothing to me
There are no victories
In all our histories
Without love
A stone's throw from Jerusalem
I walked a lonely mile in the moonlight
And though a million stars were shining
My heart was lost on a distant planet
That whirls around the April moon
Whirling in an arc of sadness
I'm lost without you, I'm lost without you
And though you hold the keys to ruin of everything I see
With every prison blown to dust my enemies walk free
Though all my kingdoms turn to sand and fall into the sea
I'm mad about you, I'm mad about you
@forevermore1868
I think that this song, "Thousand Years" and "Desert rose" could become a trilogy of stories about a man who is trying to escape from reality, dreaming of exotic countries and missing someone he has lost. A painful longing for love and beauty is combined with the image of the desert, reminiscent of a lonely human soul, ancient legends and ethnic motifs. I really adore this songs.
@VV55VV
Add the “Book of my life” as a finale to your trilogy, please! In this he recalls good and bad memories of his life.
@yeahno990
@@VV55VV I agree!
@yeahno990
Great idea!!
@dodo29632
Yani kısaca oryantalizm diyorsun
@milanporopat1157
Same here!
@Tatjana.B
One of the most beautiful songs I've ever heard.
@brandonmoore7497
@Tatjana.B Sting Mad About You is one of my personal favorite song
@paradoxward2533
the greatest songwriter in 'popular' music of the last fifty years.
@ioan-danielsurpat1111
The greatest comment in the last fifty years