The Police song Sting hoped would make people more spiritual
Sting, known for his undeniable musical talent and his tendency to make bold claims—such as his infamous tantric sex comment—has often been regarded as somewhat pretentious. Particularly in his post-Police career, Sting, while well-meaning, has frequently attracted criticism for his lofty image and moments of self-indulgence.
Many aspects of his personality qualify Sting as a detestable character, who you might even dub a caricature by this point. Some of his wildest takes have been sent into the ether when discussing his own music, and they go a long way in qualifying him as one of music’s most divisive figures. It’s moments such as these that make John Lydon’s following comment with Far Out ring true: “He’s gone and taken himself far too seriously, hasn’t he? ‘I am an intellectual, honest, please believe me. Look how unshaved I can be.’“
While Sting has produced several outlandish comments throughout his life, one of the most undeniably Sting moments was when he stated in all seriousness that he hoped one Police song would make listeners more “spiritual”. The track in question is ‘Spirits in the Material World’, which also ranks among the trio’s most ridiculous songs. Whether it’s the bassline or the hilarious stabs of the keyboard that drive it, it’s a lousy number.
As with many Police songs, Sting’s performance adds an extra layer of pretension, making the music that bit worse. His lyrics are particularly bad, featuring lines such as the chorus, “We are spirits in the material world”, and although his intentions were gregarious and spoke to something weighty, they make for a comical listen amid the music. In his very Sting way, he also vastly reduced guitarist Andy Summers’ presence on the track, as he originally wanted to record it without him entirely and had to compromise on using a synthesiser and the six-string after their customary arguments.
According to Sting, the lyrics of the song and the album it’s from, 1981’s Ghost in the Machine, are based on the writings of Hungarian philosopher Arthur Koestler. The late thinker thought that external forces could have a seriously damaging effect on a person’s spirit and thinking, with the machine characterised by him as governments and big business. Sting took this idea and ran with iton ‘Spirits in the Material World’.
In the eye-opening Lyrics By Sting, the songwriter explained how he used the track as a conduit to hopefully make listeners all the more spiritual. He said: “I thought that while political progress is clearly important in resolving conflict around the world, there are spiritual (as opposed to religious) aspects of our recovery that also need to be addressed. I suppose by ‘spiritual’ I mean the ability to see the bigger picture, to be able to step outside the narrow box of our conditioning and access those higher modes of thinking that Koestler talked about. Without this, politics is just the rhetoric of failure.”
Regarding Ghosts in the Machine as a whole, Sting maintained that when writing the music, he wanted to create the impression of something struggling to the surface, a thought buried deep in the recesses of the mind, emerging from the subconscious. I know he’s an artist, but what a ridiculous comment. He also failed miserably. The album is one of his worst efforts.
