Life among the savages.

[peejay 327]

I was eating dinner while my wife was watching some Russian New Year's program she streams from her laptop in the kitchen. And along comes Sting singing this song in Russia. It caught my attention because it was in English. It's the first time I've heard this song. We now know what he thinks of America. The big question is what he now thinks of Russia.

Sting - "Englishman In New York"

I don't drink coffee I take tea my dear

I like my toast done on one side

And you can hear it in my accent when I talk

I'm an Englishman in New York

See me walking down Fifth Avenue

A walking cane here at my side

I take it everywhere I walk

I'm an Englishman in New York

I'm an alien I'm a legal alien

I'm an Englishman in New York

I'm an alien I'm a legal alien

I'm an Englishman in New York

If, "Manners maketh man" as someone said

Then he's the hero of the day

It takes a man to suffer ignorance and smile

Be yourself no matter what they say

I'm an alien I'm a legal alien

I'm an Englishman in New York

I'm an alien I'm a legal alien

I'm an Englishman in New York

Modesty, propriety can lead to notoriety

You could end up as the only one

Gentleness, sobriety are rare in this society

At night a candle's brighter than the sun

Takes more than combat gear to make a man

Takes more than a license for a gun

Confront your enemies, avoid them when you can

A gentleman will walk but never run

If, "Manners maketh man" as someone said

Then he's the hero of the day

It takes a man to suffer ignorance and smile

Be yourself no matter what they say

I'm an alien I'm a legal alien

I'm an Englishman in New York

I'm an alien I'm a legal alien

I'm an Englishman in New York

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Sting - "Russians"

In Europe and America, there's a growing feeling of hysteria

Conditioned to respond to all the threats

In the rhetorical speeches of the Soviets

Mr. Krushchev said we will bury you

I don't subscribe to this point of view

It would be such an ignorant thing to do

If the Russians love their children too

How can I save my little boy from Oppenheimer's deadly toy

There is no monopoly in common sense

On either side of the political fence

We share the same biology

Regardless of ideology

Believe me when I say to you

I hope the Russians love their children too

There is no historical precedent

To put the words in the mouth of the President

There's no such thing as a winnable war

It's a lie that we don't believe anymore

Mr. Reagan says we will protect you

I don't subscribe to this point of view

Believe me when I say to you

I hope the Russians love their children too

We share the same biology

Regardless of ideology

What might save us, me, and you

Is if the Russians love their children too

Edited January 3, 2011 by peejay

[Welshcookie 17]

I'm not a huge fan of Sting....but this particular song was written back 1987 and based upon some quotes made by Quentin Crisp....there was a good video to accompany it....so it isn't about 'his' views on America. The other song I've never heard and know nothing about it.

[The_Dude 1,142]

I'm not a huge fan of Sting....but this particular song was written back 1987 and based upon some quotes made by Quentin Crisp....there was a good video to accompany it....so it isn't about 'his' views on America. The other song I've never heard and know nothing about it.

Thank you for putting some context to this.

[Gary and Alla 3,694]

I'm not a huge fan of Sting....but this particular song was written back 1987 and based upon some quotes made by Quentin Crisp....there was a good video to accompany it....so it isn't about 'his' views on America. The other song I've never heard and know nothing about it.

I knew it had to be old, I was guessing 1960s.

[peejay 327]

I'm not a huge fan of Sting....but this particular song was written back 1987 and based upon some quotes made by Quentin Crisp....there was a good video to accompany it....so it isn't about 'his' views on America. The other song I've never heard and know nothing about it.

Quentin Crisp? I Googled it up. Kind of "out there". But apparently it made an impression on Sting. The question is...why?

Edited January 3, 2011 by peejay

[Pooky 3,348]

I preferred the song of the same name by Godley & Creme (ex-10cc)

It's much darker and way more weird

[Dan and Judy 614]

The first song just says he feels like an Alien in New York and New Yorkers are obnoxious.

The second song is saying there are no winners in a nuclear war.

He was the front man for some rock and roll band and has graduated to being rich and socially conscious

He's just doing the same thing we do here except he sings it and more people listen.

Other than what I just read on your post, I couldnt tell you anything he has done but

that probably says more about my ignorance than his lack of impact

[Rebecca Jo 1,962]

The first song just says he feels like an Alien in New York and New Yorkers are obnoxious.

The second song is saying there are no winners in a nuclear war.

He was the front man for some rock and roll band and has graduated to being rich and socially conscious

He's just doing the same thing we do here except he sings it and more people listen.

Other than what I just read on your post, I couldnt tell you anything he has done but

that probably says more about my ignorance than his lack of impact

lol........some rock band?

[^_^ 5,021]

lol........some rock band?

Yup.

[Rebecca Jo 1,962]

Yup.

Every little thing you do is magic.

[^_^ 5,021]

Every little thing you do is magic.

They're just a rock band.

Edited January 3, 2011 by \

[Rebecca Jo 1,962]

They're just a rock band.

Sometimes you're so concrete!

[Amby 490]

I don't know if I'd call The Police just some rock band. I think their last tour a few years ago made them one of the highest paid group of musicians ever. I remember it was huge. When was that? 2007?

eta: just looked and wikipedia says this

Their 1983 album, Synchronicity, was number one in the UK and the US and sold over 8,000,000 copies in the US. The band broke up in 1984, but reunited in early 2007 for a one-off world tour lasting until August 2008, in celebration of the 30th anniversary of their hit single "Roxanne" and also, to a lesser extent, their formation as a group. The Police have sold more than 50 million albums worldwide, and became the world's highest-earning musicians in 2008, thanks to their reunion tour.^[

Edited January 3, 2011 by Amby

[Dan and Judy 614]

I don't know if I'd call The Police just some rock band. I think their last tour a few years ago made them one of the highest paid group of musicians ever. I remember it was huge. When was that? 2007?

eta: just looked and wikipedia says this

Their 1983 album, Synchronicity, was number one in the UK and the US and sold over 8,000,000 copies in the US. The band broke up in 1984, but reunited in early 2007 for a one-off world tour lasting until August 2008, in celebration of the 30th anniversary of their hit single "Roxanne" and also, to a lesser extent, their formation as a group. The Police have sold more than 50 million albums worldwide, and became the world's highest-earning musicians in 2008, thanks to their reunion tour.^[

Rolling Stone: 100 Greatest Artists of All Time: The Immortals

• This is RS magazine's list of the 100 greatest artists of all time.
• 1. The Beatles - Makes sense. Some of the most influential albums of all time are the works of these lads. What else can you say?
• 2. Bob Dylan - I could argue with this one. He's a legend, but number 2?
• 3. Elvis Presley - Very successful, the king of rock n roll of course, but he was very controlled by his manager.
• 4. Rolling Stones - Often called 'Anti-Beatles', definitely top 5
• 5. Chuck Berry - Probably invented Rock n Roll. Deserves to be here.
• 6. Jimi Hendrix - First guitar god, I believe. Revolutionary player
• 7. James Brown - Godfather of soul, is it? Great showman
• 8. Little Richard - American Rock & Roll/R & B singer and pianist
• 9. Aretha Franklin - I think she was the first woman to be inducted into the rock n roll hall of fame. I'll look that up later.
• 10. Ray Charles - American R&B singer and pianist
• 11. Bob Marley - Jamaican reggae singer
• 12. The Beach Boys - Some of the catchiest songs I ever heard.
• 13. Buddy Holly - Tragic death. One of the first to use a solid-body electric guitar.
• 14. Led Zeppelin - Possibly the 'fathers of heavy metal', but some might argue that Black Sabbath is.
• 15. Stevie Wonder - American soul singer. Plays many different instruments, and has won 22 grammy awards
• 16. Sam Cooke - A founder of soul music.
• 17. Muddy Waters - 'Father of Chicago Blues'
• 18. Marvin Gaye - 'The Prince of Motown'.
• 19. The Velvet Underground - American rock band, formed in 1965. Regarded as highly influencial in the rise to punk-rock, and alt-rock.
• 20. Bo Diddley - Legendary R&B singer. Known as the 'Originator'
• 21. Otis Redding - You might not know him, but you've probably heard 'Sittin' on the dock of a bay'.
• 22. U2 - The Joshua Tree was one of my favourite albums
• 23. Bruce Springsteen - Born in the USA was overplayed. Good to see him make music again.
• 24. Jerry Lee Lewis - 'Great Balls of Fire' was his greatest hit, and one of my favs
• 25. Fats Domino - Rock & Roll pianist
• 26. The Ramones - Regarded as the first punk-rock group
• 27. Nirvana - I swear, RS magazine has a hard-on for these guys. They put Kurt Cobain at #12 on their 'Greatest Guitarists of All Time' list, and now this.
• 28. Prince - 'Purple Rain' is one of my favourite albums. He's also an icon in style
• 29. The Who - Should be higher. Rock artists still try to sound like them
• 30. The Clash - English punk-rock band from the 70's
• 31. Johnny Cash - The 'Man in Black'. Should be higher, since he's the equivalent of Elvis, except country. The only country singer I like
• 32. Smokey Robinson & The Miracles - American R&B group
• 33. The Everly Brothers - Country/Rock Duo
• 34. Neil Young - Candadian singer-songwriter. Influencial in grunge, though typically labeled folk/rock
• 35. Michael Jackson - Would be higher if he wasn't wacko. Thriller was the best-selling album of all time
• 36. Madonna - I don't like her music, but she could still be higher. The 'Queen of Pop'
• 37. Roy Orbison - American singer-songwriter. Sang 'Oh, Pretty Woman'
• 38. John Lennon - Liked him in the Beatles, not as a solo artist. Imagine was a great song, however
• 39. David Bowie - Icon in music, as well as style
• 40. Simon and Garfunkel - Should be in the top twenty, in my opinion. If you haven't heard of them, you need to get some education
• 41. The Doors - I'd put them top 30, but this is alright
• 42. Van Morrison - 'Van the Man'. Sang 'Brown Eyed Girl'.
• 43. Sly and the Family Stone - American funk band
• 44. Public Enemy - Not a chance. I'd say about 80, maybe
• 45. The Byrds - American rock group
• 46. Janis Joplin - American singer-songwriter
• 47. Patti Smith - The 'Godmother of Punk'
• 48. Run-DMC - Biggest act in hip-hop throughout the 80's
• 49. Elton John - Should be higher. Not a huge fan, but I can appreciate his talent
• 50. The Band - Canadian rock band. They backed Ronnie Hawkins, and Bob Dylan
• 51. Howlin' Wolf - Blues singer. Another attempt to cater to the R&B genre. Every prolific classic R&B singer made it onto this list in some random order. They put Muddy Waters ahead of Marvin Gaye. Come on
• 52. Allman Brothers Band - Southern-rock band
• 53. Eric Clapton - English blues-rock guitarist
• 54. Dr. Dre - Has numerous Grammys for rapping and producing
• 55. Grateful Dead - American rock band
• 56. Parliament/Funkadelic - African-American soul band
• 57. Aerosmith - American hard rock band
• 58. Sex Pistols - One of the first punk bands. Definitely one of the most prolific
• 59. Louis Jordan - Jazz musician. Not familiar with his works
• 60. Joni Mitchell - Canadian singer-songwriter
• 61. Tina Turner - American singer and entertainer
• 62. Etta James - American R&B singer. Sang 'At Last'. Should be top 90s if anything at all
• 63. Phil Spector - He's a producer. Why is he on here?
• 64. The Kinks - English rock group
• 65. Al Green - American gospel singer
• 66. Cream - '60's British rock band. Considered to be the first 'supergroup'
• 67. The Temptations - American R&B vocal group
• 68. Jackie Wilson - R&B singer
• 69. Carl Perkins - 'The King of Rockabilly'
• 70. The Police - Sold over 50 million albums world-wide. Highest paid musical act of 2008. Biggest ego of a bassist frontman
• 71. Frank Zappa - American composer. Phenomenal guitarist
• 72. AC/DC - They've had countless hits, and are one of the most popular bands around. I'm surprised RS didn't place them higher-glad they didn't
• 73. Radiohead - Glad to see them gettin' some love, but they were placed ahead of some great legends. Maybe a few years down the road I would put them here
• 74. Hank Williams - Country singing legend
• 75. The Eagles - Could be higher. Their greatest hits album was the 2nd greatest selling album of all time
• 76. The Shirelles - Girl group in the 60's. The first to get a #1 single on the Billboard 100. I would exlude them based on their lack of longevity
• 77. Beastie Boys - Jewish hiphop group. Never would have guessed they'd be successful, but they were
• 78. The Stooges - Highly influencial in punk-rock
• 79. The Four Tops - American R&B quartet. Are noted for having a baritone for a lead singer(stubbs)
• 80. Elvis Costello - English musician, singer-songwriter
• 81. The Drifters - American R&B vocal group
• 82. Eminem - Has many awards, including an Academy award for 'best original song' for 2002's 'Lose Yourself'
• 83. N.W.A. - Gangsta-rap group from the eighties. Dr. Dre and Ice Cube were in this group
• 84. James Taylor - American singer/songwriter and guitarist from Boston
• 85. Black Sabbath - RS never really liked Black Sabbath. If memory serves me correctly, their first review of Sabbath went something like 'Should they even exist?...'. I would place them in the top 40 at least
• 86. Tupac Shakur - Rap artist. The first to have an album go to #1 while in jail.
• 87. Gram Parsons - Country singer. Died at age 26
• 88. Miles Davis - Jazz trumpet player
• 89. The Yardbirds - English rock group. Introduced us to Clapton, Page, and Beck
• 90. Carlos Santana - Solo guitar player. His band has consisted of about 40 people over the years
• 91. Ricky Nelson - American singer with over 50 Hot 100 hits
• 92. Guns n Roses - 'Appetite for Destruction' was the best thing they ever did. Too bad they weren't consistent
• 93. Booker T. and the MG's - Instrumental soul band. One of the first inter-racial groups
• 94. Nine Inch Nails - Trent Reznor is Nine Inch Nails. He's pretty much the only member
• 95. Lynyrd Skynyrd - American southern rock band
• 96. Martha and the Vandellas - Female R&B group
• 97. Diana Ross and the Supremes - Popular female singing group of the 60's
• 98. Roxy Music - English rock group from the 70's. Not top 100 material
• 99. Curtis Mayfield - American soul singer
• 100. Lee 'Scratch' Perry - Influencial figure in Reggae music
• 
  

[Jenn! 918]

Not a lot of females on that list.