Tea in the Sahara
Sting Lyrics


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My sisters and I
Have this wish before we die
And it may sound strange
As if our minds are deranged
Please don't ask us why
Beneath the sheltering sky
We have this strange obsession
You have the means in your possession

We want our tea in the Sahara with you
We want our tea in the Sahara with you

The young man agreed
He would satisfy their need
So they danced for his pleasure
With a joy you could not measure
They would wait for him here
The same place every year
Beneath the sheltering sky
Across the desert he would fly

Tea in the Sahara with you
Tea in the Sahara with you

The sky turned to black
Would he ever come back?
They would climb a high dune
They would pray to the moon
But he'd never return
So the sisters would burn
As their eyes searched the land
With their cups full of sand

Tea in the Sahara with you
Tea in the Sahara with you




Tea in the Sahara with you
Tea in the Sahara with you

Overall Meaning

Sting's song "Medley: Tea in The Sahara" tells a story of three sisters who have a strange obsession with having tea in the Sahara desert. It's a metaphorical representation of their desire for adventure and a need to escape their mundane lives. They approach a young man to help make their dream a reality. He agrees to join them, and they dance together in the desert. The sisters make a tradition of waiting for him every year in the same spot to share tea, but one year, he never returns. As they search the land for him, they become lost and eventually perish.


The song is a commentary on the human experience, and how we often have this "strange obsession" for something that seems impossible, irrational, or even self-destructive. It highlights the human yearning for adventure, escape and finding an idealized version of ourselves in the process. The lyrics describe the tea as a symbol of hope and the desert as a symbol of the unknown - which provides us with a sense of adventure but also a potential danger. It is this idea of finding balance and identity that makes the song powerful.


In conclusion, Medley: Tea in The Sahara is a metaphorical song with deep symbolism that explores the human experience of adventure, escape, and finding identity. The tea in the Sahara represents the human desire to find something impossible or irrational, while the desert highlights the idea of the unknown. The story of the sisters searching and eventually perishing in the desert represents the potential consequences of pursuing an irrational or dangerous quest.



Line by Line Meaning

My sisters and I
We, a group of sisters, have a wish that we want to fulfill.


Have this wish before we die
We want to fulfill this wish before we pass away.


And it may sound strange
We understand that our wish is unconventional and may appear odd to others.


As if our minds are deranged
We know that people may perceive us as crazy for wanting to pursue this wish.


Please don't ask us why
We don't really have a logical explanation for exactly why we want to do this.


Beneath the sheltering sky
We want to do this under the expansive open sky.


We have this strange obsession
Our wish has turned into an intense fixation.


You have the means in your possession
We believe you have the resources to help us fulfill our wish.


We want our tea in the Sahara with you
Our wish is to have a cup of tea with you in the vast Sahara desert.


The young man agreed
A young man promised to fulfill their wish.


He would satisfy their need
He was willing to do whatever it takes to fulfill their wish.


So they danced for his pleasure
As a token of their gratitude, they performed a dance for him.


With a joy you could not measure
Their joy at the prospect of having their wish fulfilled was immeasurable.


They would wait for him here
They would wait for him at the same place every year.


The same place every year
They were dedicated to their wish and insisted on waiting at the same spot every time.


Across the desert he would fly
The young man would travel across the vast stretch of the Sahara to fulfill their wish.


The sky turned to black
The setting changed from day to night.


Would he ever come back?
They were uncertain and worried that the young man may not return.


They would climb a high dune
They climbed to a high point in hopes of spotting the young man's return.


They would pray to the moon
They turned to the lunar presence and prayed for the young man's safe return.


But he'd never return
Unfortunately, the young man never returned to fulfill their wish.


So the sisters would burn
Left without hope, the sisters gave up on their wish and slowly faded away.


As their eyes searched the land
They continued to scan the vast land even in the absence of any hope.


With their cups full of sand
Their cups were filled with sand, as the tea that they had hoped for was never to be brewed.




Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Gordon Sumner

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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Most interesting comment from YouTube:

@urdumagan

My sisters and I
Have one wish before we die
And it may sound strange
As if our minds are deranged
Please don't ask us why
Beneath the sheltering sky
We have this strange obsession
You have the means in your possession

Tea in the Sahara with you
Tea in the Sahara with you

The young man agreed
He would satisfy their need
So they danced for his pleasure
With a joy you could not measure
They would wait for him here
The same place every year
Beneath the sheltering sky
Across the desert he would fly

Tea in the Sahara with you
Tea in the Sahara with you
Tea in the Sahara with you
Tea in the Sahara with you

The sky turned to black
Would he ever come back?
They would climb a high dune
They would pray to the moon
But he'd never return
So the sisters would burn
As their eyes searched the land
With their cups full of sand

Tea in the Sahara with you
Tea in the Sahara with you
Tea in the Sahara with you
Tea in the Sahara with you



All comments from YouTube:

@thejudgefrom69

I’ve always loved Andy Summers guitar tone. So surreal and clear.

@Semiam1

Andy could shape the soundscape so beautifully.

@schlongdaddy

i was lucky enough to see the police live 41 times

@tarataylor485

😮!

@schlongdaddy

Twice in one night Hammersmith Odeon then they took a tank ride to Hammersmith Palais✌🏻

@MatiasVDoolan

Best one??

@schlongdaddy

@@MatiasVDoolan 100 club Wardour street 1981 warm up for ghost in the machine tour only 200 people ☮️🌈✌🏻

@jimmybootz1277

Wow one of biggest regrets was not seeing them live😔🥺😮‍💨

22 More Replies...

@dorondori2071

This album is a masterpiece. And this song is chilling.

@hughsaunders843

I totally agree!

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