As a solo musician and a member of The Police, Sting has received 17 Grammy Awards: he won Song of the Year for "Every Breath You Take", three Brit Awards, including Best British Male Artist in 1994 and Outstanding Contribution in 2002, a Golden Globe, an Emmy, and four nominations for the Academy Award for Best Original Song. In 2019, he received a BMI Award for "Every Breath You Take" becoming the most-played song in radio history. In 2002, Sting received the Ivor Novello Award for Lifetime Achievement from the British Academy of Songwriters, Composers and Authors and was also inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a member of The Police in 2003. In 2000, he received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame for recording. In 2003, Sting received a CBE from Elizabeth II at Buckingham Palace for services to music. He was made a Kennedy Center Honoree at the White House in 2014 and was awarded the Polar Music Prize in 2017.
With The Police, Sting became one of the world's best-selling music artists. Solo and with the Police combined, he has sold over 100 million records. In 2006, Paste ranked him 62nd of the 100 best living songwriters. He was 63rd of VH1's 100 greatest artists of rock, and 80th of Q magazine's 100 greatest musical stars of the 20th century. He has collaborated with other musicians on songs such as "Money for Nothing" with Dire Straits, "Rise & Fall" with Craig David, "All for Love" with Bryan Adams and Rod Stewart, "You Will Be My Ain True Love" with Alison Krauss, and introduced the North African music genre raï to Western audiences through the hit song "Desert Rose" with Cheb Mami. In 2018, he released the album 44/876, a collaboration with Jamaican musician Shaggy, which won the Grammy Award for Best Reggae Album in 2019.
Full Wikipedia article: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sting_(musician)
Studio albums
The Dream of the Blue Turtles (1985)
...Nothing Like the Sun (1987)
The Soul Cages (1991)
Ten Summoner's Tales (1993)
Mercury Falling (1996)
Brand New Day (1999)
Sacred Love (2003)
Songs from the Labyrinth (2006)
If on a Winter's Night... (2009)
Symphonicities (2010)
The Last Ship (2013)
57th & 9th (2016)
44/876 (2018) (with Shaggy)
My Songs (2019)
The Bridge (2021)
Why Should I Cry For You?
Sting Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Over the reefs of moonshine
Under the skies of fall
North, north west, the stones of Faroe
Under the Arctic fire
Over the seas of silence
Hauling on frozen ropes
But would north be true?
All colors bleed to red
Asleep on the ocean's bed
Drifting on empty seas
For all my days remaining
But would north be true?
Why should I?
Why should I cry for you?
Dark angels follow me
Over a godless sea
Mountains of endless falling,
For all my days remaining,
What would be true?
Sometimes I see your face,
The stars seem to lose their place
Why must I think of you?
Why must I?
Why should I?
Why should I cry for you?
Why would you want me to?
And what would it mean to say,
That, 'I loved you in my fashion'?
What would be true?
Why should I?
Why should I cry for you?
The opening lines of Sting's song "Why Should I Cry for You" paints an image of a journey under the stars and over the seas. The reference to the "dog star sail" suggests Sirius, which has long been associated with maritime navigation, particularly in the age of sailing vessels. The "reefs of moonshine" and "skies of fall" imply a surreal and mystical landscape that seems out of reach. We are then taken to the "stones of Faroe," which are real islands located in the North Atlantic Ocean, halfway between Scotland and Iceland. These lines build an atmosphere of loneliness, isolation, and uncertainty, as if the singer is wandering without direction or purpose.
The second stanza, on the other hand, describes a harsher reality, where the singer is struggling to survive in the frozen wasteland of the Arctic. The "seas of silence" and "frozen ropes" are in sharp contrast to the dreamlike imagery of the first stanza. The repeated question of "would north be true?" is both a literal and metaphorical inquiry into the reliability of compasses, maps, or any other guide that one relies on, as well as a quest for some kind of truth or meaning in life. The lines "all colors bleed to red" and "asleep on the ocean's bed" evoke images of death and loss. The singer's voice becomes more urgent, questioning why they should cry for someone who seems to be gone forever.
The final stanza takes a somewhat melancholic turn, as the singer reflects on their memories of someone they loved. However, there is a sense of ambiguity in the way these memories are expressed - "sometimes I see your face, the stars seem to lose their place." The image of stars losing their place suggests confusion or disorientation, and perhaps a sense of betrayal or abandonment. The repeated question of "why should I cry for you?" becomes more personal, as if the singer is asking the loved one directly. The final line, "I loved you in my fashion," is both a tribute and a lament, acknowledging the complexity and imperfection of human emotions.
Line by Line Meaning
Under the dog star sail
Traveling under the guidance of a bright star in a distant sky
Over the reefs of moonshine
Passing over the pale, silver reflection of the moon on the ocean's surface
Under the skies of fall
Sailing under the chill, clear blue sky of autumn
North, north west, the stones of Faroe
Heading towards the Faroe Islands, northwest of the singer's current location
Under the Arctic fire
Braving the cold, intense flames of the northern sky
Over the seas of silence
Passing over the quiet, isolated waters of the ocean
Hauling on frozen ropes
Pulling on stiff, icy cords to control the sails of the ship
For all my days remaining
Throughout the rest of my lifespan
But would north be true?
Is the direction we're heading truly north?
All colors bleed to red
The beauty of the world seems to fade away as everything becomes tinged with red, likely symbolizing danger or death
Asleep on the ocean's bed
Sinking to the bottom of the sea to rest eternally
Drifting on empty seas
Floating aimlessly across the unoccupied waters
But would north be true?
Is our heading trustworthy or not?
Why should I?
What reasons do I have?
Why should I cry for you?
What justification do I have for shedding tears over your departure?
Dark angels follow me
Tragic, malevolent beings trail behind the singer
Over a godless sea
Across an ocean that appears to be absent of a divine presence
Mountains of endless falling,
Mountains that appear to tumble forever downward without cessation
For all my days remaining,
Throughout the rest of my existence
What would be true?
What is the actual truth of the matter?
Sometimes I see your face,
Occasionally the singer visualizes the countenance of a person who has gone far away
The stars seem to lose their place
Even the heavens appear to be disturbed and chaotic, possibly due to grief
Why must I think of you?
What compels me to obsess over this person?
Why must I?
What exactly is the justification?
Why should I?
What are the reasons that support this course of action?
Why should I cry for you?
What evidence is there that justifies my sorrow over your departure?
Why would you want me to?
What purpose would it serve for you if I felt miserable over your leaving?
And what would it mean to say,
What would be the significance of uttering the words
That, 'I loved you in my fashion'?
That the artist loved the other person in their idiosyncratically unique way
What would be true?
What is the verifiable truth?
Why should I?
What are the reasons behind this action?
Why should I cry for you?
What are the reasons that justify weeping for a person who has departed?
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: GORDON SUMNER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@surajlandge8121
Under the dog star sail
Over the reefs of moonshine
Under the skies of fall
North, north west, the stones of Faroe
Under the Arctic fire
Over the seas of silence
Hauling on frozen ropes
For all my days remaining
But would north be true?
All colors bleed to red
Asleep on the ocean's bed
Drifting on empty seas
For all my days remaining
But would north be true?
Why should I?
Why should I cry for you?
Dark angels follow me
Over a godless sea
Mountains of endless falling,
For all my days remaining,
What would be true?
Sometimes I see your face,
The stars seem to lose their place
Why must I think of you?
Why must I?
Why should I?
Why should I cry for you?
Why would you want me to?
And what would it mean to say,
That, 'I loved you in my fashion'?
What would be true?
Why should I?
Why should I cry for you?
@sotheriwas
My number 1 of top 5 tunes of all time. Your music instantly brings me into the present and the past simultaneously; miraculously. Sublime composition.
Come to think of it, top artist of all time.
And all my top fives are Sting.
Your instrumentals are especially wonderful.
Mad About You.
Shape of My Heart.
When We Dance.
Music plus poetry beautifully blended.
Ad infinitum...
@snicolle76
I bought this album when I was a kid, now that I’m 45, I’ve just begun to realize how amazing this album is..........a masterpiece!
@TrancerDB
The same for me.. i am 42.. It Is a Great album and i Always loved this song
@frederickleonard552
Thanks for your sincere compliment and love, I’m not complete without you as my Fan 🌹🎻 I have you to be most thankful for 🎻🎻🌹
@frederickleonard552
Thank you once again..I'm not here often to reply and talk with you, write to me privately on Google Hangout via celebritylife890@gmail.com. I'll keep in touch.
@sharonjensen3016
I understand this song more since losing my dad. He probably wouldn't want me to cry for him, but I do. For what was lost. The chance to resolve our differences.
@Maximus1208975
@@sharonjensen3016 Sting wrote it after his father passed away. My dad died back in 2010. I still miss him.
@KG-th3cr
This is one of those very rare songs. A song that has the power to make time seem to stop. It has a melancholy that is very specific in the way it causes me to shut out everything except those bittersweet memories that only exist in the space between life and dreams. A temporary time machine that takes me back to days when life was simple and love existed in the night sky and on a breeze.
@willritter4076
I'd be honored if some Sting fans would take a quick listen to my acoustic piano & vocal YouTube performances of ENGLISHMAN IN NEW YORK and WHY SHOULD I CRY FOR YOU in tribute to the master of lyricism and composition. Live acoustic with no autotune or digital editing. Peace and stay safe in the '020s.
@pauljane3323
I remember playing this over and over after my father's death. I found it comforting somehow, although a moving recording.
Eternally grateful, thank you Sting.
@BickBickersen
I’m sure you know this. But he wrote it for his dad.