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Sting - Ten Summoner's Tales Album Lyrics



Sting - Ten Summoner's Tales Lyrics






Prologue (If I Ever Lose My Faith in You)

You could say I lost my faith in science and progress
You could say I lost my belief in the holy Church
You could say I lost my sense of direction
You could say all of this and worse, but
If I ever lose my faith in you
There'd be nothing left for me to do

Some would say I was a lost man in a lost world
You could say I lost my faith in the people on TV
You could say I'd lost my belief in our politicians
They all seemed like game show hosts to me
If I ever lose my faith in you
There'd be nothing left for me to do
I could be lost inside their lies without a trace
But every time I close my eyes I see your face

I never saw no miracle of science
That didn't go from a blessing to a curse
I never saw no military solution
That didn't always end up as something worse, but
Let me say this first
If I ever lose my faith in you
There'd be nothing left for me to do
[ Correct these Lyrics ]

Writer: GORDON SUMNER
Copyright: Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group






Love Is Stronger Than Justice (The Munificent Seven)

This is a story of seven brothers
We had a the same father but different mothers
We keep together like a family should
Roaming the country for the common good
It came to pass one fateful day
We found ourselves down Mexico way
The town the mayor the PTA
Pleading on their knees with us all to stay
We'd only stopped for a few burritos
But they told us of the trouble with los banditos
A poor little town in need of aid
My brothers and me had never been afraid
The age of chivalry is not dead
Lonesome nights in a cowboy bed
There'd be a bride for every man
Who chased away the evil gang

Love is stronger than justice
Love is thicker than blood
Love is is stronger than justice
Love is a big fat river in flood

The outcome was predictable
Our banditos were despicable
Of blood we lost a dozen liters
A small price to pay for las senoritas
The town mayor was happy but his face was glum
The maidens numbered only one
But there weren't seven brides for seven brothers
I knew I had to get rid of the others

Love is stronger than justice
Love is thicker than blood
Love is stronger than justice
Love is the big fat river in flood

Mother told me I was the clever one
The seventh son of a seventh son
It all ended so happily
I settled down with the family
I look forward to a better day
But ethical stuff never got in my way
And though there used to be brothers seven
The other six are singing in heaven

Love is stronger than justice
Love is thicker than blood
Love is stronger than justice
Love is a big fat river in flood
[ Correct these Lyrics ]

Writer: STING
Copyright: Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group






Fields Of Gold

You'll remember me when the west wind moves
Upon the fields of barley
You'll forget the sun in his jealous sky
As we walk in fields of gold

So she took her love for to gaze awhile
Upon the fields of barley
In his arms she fell as her hair came down
Among the fields of gold

Will you stay with me? Will you be my love?
Among the fields of barley
We'll forget the sun in his jealous sky
As we lie in fields of gold

See the west wind move like a lover so
Upon the fields of barley
Feel her body rise when you kiss her mouth
Among the fields of gold

I never made promises lightly
And there have been some that I've broken
But I swear in the days still left
We'll walk in fields of gold
We walk in fields of gold

Many years have passed since those summer days
Among the fields of barley
See the children run as the sun goes down
Among the fields of gold

You'll remember me when the west wind moves
Upon the fields of barley
You can tell the sun in his jealous sky
When we walked in fields of gold
When we walked in fields of gold
When we walked in fields of gold
[ Correct these Lyrics ]

Writer: Gordon Sumner
Copyright: Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group






Heavy Cloud No Rain

Turned on the weather man just after the news
I needed sweet rain to wash away my blues
He looked at the chart but he look in vain
Heavy cloud but no rain

Back in time with Louis XVI
At the court of the people he was number one
He'd be the bluest blood they'd ever seen
When the king said hi to the guillotine
The royal astrologer was run out of breath
He thought that maybe the rain would postpone his death
He look in sky but he look in vain
Heavy cloud but no rain

Well the land was cracking and the river was dry
All the crops were dying when they ought to be high
So to save his farm from the banker's draft
The farmer took out a book on some old witchcraft
He made a spell and a potion on a midsummer's night
He killed a brindled calf in the pale moonlight
He prayed to the sky but he prayed in vain
Heavy cloud but no rain

Heavy cloud but no rain
The sun won't shine till the clouds are gone
The clouds won't go till their work is done
And every morning you'll hear me pray
If only it would rain today

I asked my baby if there'd be some way
She said she'd save her love for a rainy day
I look in the sky but I look in vain
Heavy cloud but no rain
[ Correct these Lyrics ]

Writer: GORDON SUMNER
Copyright: Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC






Shes Too Good For Me

She don't like to hear me sing
She don't want no diamond ring
She don't want to drive my car
She won't let me go that far
She don't like the way I look
She don't like the things I cook
She don't like the way I play
She don't like the things I say
But oh, the games we play
She's too good for me
She's too good for me

She don't like the jokes I make
She don't like the drugs I take
She don't like the friends I got
She don't like my friends a lot
She don't like the clothes I wear
She don't like the way I stare
She don't like the tales I tell
She don't like the way I smell
But oh, the games we play
She's too good for me
She's too good for me

Would she prefer it if I washed myself more often than I do
Would she prefer it if I took her to an opera or two
I could distort myself to be the perfect man
She might prefer me as I am

She don't want to meet my folks
She don't want to hear my jokes
She don't want to fix my tie
She don't even want to try
She don't like the books I read
She don't like the way I feed
She don't want to save my life
She don't want to be my wife
But oh, the games we play
She's too good for me
She's too good for me
[ Correct these Lyrics ]

Writer: GORDON SUMNER
Copyright: Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC






Seven Days

"Seven Days" was all she wrote
A kind of ultimatum note
She gave to me, she gave to me
When I thought the field had cleared
It seems another suit appeared
To challenge me, woe is me
Though I hate to make a choice
My options are decreasing mostly rapidly
Well we'll see
I don't think she'd bluff this time
I really have to make her mine
It's plain to see
It's him or me

Monday, I could wait till Tuesday
If I make up my mind
Wednesday would be fine, Thursday's on my mind
Friday'd give me time, Saturday could wait
But Sunday'd be too late

The fact that he's six feet ten
Might instill fear in other men
But not in me, The Mighty Flea (flee?)
Ask if I am mouse or man
The mirror squeaked, away I ran
He'll murder me in time for his tea
Does it bother me at all
My rival is Neanderthal, it makes me think
Perhaps I need a drink
IQ is no problem here
We won't be playing Scrabble for her hand I fear
I need that beer

Monday, I could wait till Tuesday
If I make up my mind
Wednesday would be fine, Thursday's on my mind
Friday'd give me time, Saturday could wait
But Sunday'd be too late

Seven days will quickly go
The fact remains, I love her so
Seven days, so many ways
But I can't run away

Monday, I could wait till Tuesday
If I make up my mind
Wednesday would be fine, Thursday's on my mind
Friday'd give me time, Saturday could wait
But Sunday'd be too late
Do I have to tell a story
Of a thousand rainy days since we first met
It's a big enough umbrella
But it's always me that ends up getting wet
[ Correct these Lyrics ]

Writer: GORDON SUMNER
Copyright: Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC






Saint Augustine In Hell

If somebody up there likes me somebody up there cares
Deliver me from evil save me from these wicked snares
Not into temptation, not to cliffs to fall
On to revelation, and lesson for us all
She walked into the room on the arm of my best friend
I knew whatever happened our friendship would end
Chemical reaction, desire at first sight
Mystical attraction, turned out all my lights

The minute I saw her face the second I caught her eye
The minute I touched the flame I knew it would never die
The minute I saw her face the second I caught her eye
The minute I touched the flame I knew it would never die

I don't know if it's pain or pleasure that I seek
My flesh was all too willing, my spirit guide was weak
I was deadly certain thoughts for me weren't kind
A switchblade in his pocket, murder on his mind
Blessed St. Theresa the whore of Babylon
Madonna and my mother all rolled into one
You've got to understand me, I'm not a piece of wood
Francis of Assisi could never be this good

The minute I saw her face the second I caught her eye
The minute I touched the flame I knew it would never die
The minute I saw her face the second I caught her eye
The minute I touched the flame I knew it would never die

Relax, have a cigar, make yourself at home. Hell is full of high court
judges, failed saints. We've got Cardinals, Archbishops, barristers,
certified accountants, music critics, they're all here. You're not alone.
You're never alone, not here you're not. OK break's over.

The less I need the more I get
Make me chaste but not just yet
It's a promise or a lie I'll repent before I die

The minute I saw her face the second I caught her eye
The minute I touched the flame I knew it would never die
The minute I saw her face the second I caught her eye
The minute I touched the flame I knew it would never die
[ Correct these Lyrics ]

Writer: GORDON SUMNER
Copyright: Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC






Its Probably Me

This is a story of seven brothers
We had a the same father but different mothers
We keep together like a family should
Roaming the country for the common good
It came to pass one fateful day
We found ourselves down Mexico way
The town the mayor the PTA
Pleading on their knees with us all to stay
We'd only stopped for a few burritos
But they told us of the trouble with los banditos
A poor little town in need of aid
My brothers and me had never been afraid
The age of chivalry is not dead
Lonesome nights in a cowboy bed
There'd be a bride for every man
Who chased away the evil gang

Love is stronger than justice
Love is thicker than blood
Love is is stronger than justice
Love is a big fat river in flood

The outcome was predictable
Our banditos were despicable
Of blood we lost a dozen litres
A small price to pay for las senoritas
The town mayor was happy but his face was glum
The maidens numbered only one
But there weren't seven brides for seven brothers
I knew I had to get rid of the others

Love is stronger than justice
Love is thicker than blood
Love is stronger than justice
Love is the big fat river in flood

Mother told me I was the clever one
The seventh son of a seventh son
It all ended so happily
I settled down with the family
I look forward to a better day
But ethical stuff never got in my way
And though there used to be brothers seven
The other six are singing in heaven

Love is stronger than justice
Love is thicker than blood
Love is stronger than justice
Love is a big fat river in flood
[ Correct these Lyrics ]

Writer: Eric Patrick Clapton, Michael Arnold Kamen, Gordon Matthew Sumner
Copyright: Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.






Everybody Laughed But You

Everybody laughed when I told them
I wanted you, I wanted you
Everybody grinned they humored me
They thought that someone had spiked my tea
Everybody screamed they told me you
Would cost the moon, we'll be there soon
Everybody laughed till they were blue
They didn't believe my words were true

Everybody laughed but you
It's easy to lose touch with all the friends
You like so much or liked so much
Everybody laughed they couldn't take me seriously
Abandoned me
Sometimes I would read of things they'd done in magazines
They made the scene
Everybody left with such important things to do
But I'm not blue

Everybody left but you
Everybody left but you

Many years have passed
And some have fallen by the way I heard them say
Everybody dreamed but those who fell
Are sleeping now, they're sleeping now
Everybody climbed like ivy to the top most branch
It was their chance
Everybody grasped till they were through
It's all they thought that they could do

Cause everybody fell
Everybody fell
Everybody fell but you
[ Correct these Lyrics ]

Writer: GORDON SUMNER
Copyright: Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC






Shape Of My Heart

He deals the cards as a meditation
And those he plays never suspect
He doesn't play for the money he wins
He doesn't play for the respect
He deals the cards to find the answer
The sacred geometry of chance
The hidden law of probable outcome
The numbers lead a dance

I know that the spades are the swords of a soldier
I know that the clubs are weapons of war
I know that diamonds mean money for this art
But that's not the shape of my heart

He may play the jack of diamonds
He may lay the queen of spades
He may conceal a king in his hand
While the memory of it fades

I know that the spades are the swords of a soldier
I know that the clubs are weapons of war
I know that diamonds mean money for this art
But that's not the shape of my heart
That's not the shape, the shape of my heart

And if I told you that I loved you
You'd maybe think there's something wrong
I'm not a man of too many faces
The mask I wear is one
Those who speak know nothing
And find out to their cost
Like those who curse their luck in too many places
And those who smile are lost

I know that the spades are the swords of a soldier
I know that the clubs are weapons of war
I know that diamonds mean money for this art
But that's not the shape of my heart
That's not the shape of my heart
[ Correct these Lyrics ]

Writer: DOMINIC MILLER, GORDON SUMNER
Copyright: Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd., Universal Music Publishing Group






Something The Boy Said

When we set out on this journey
There were no doubts in our minds
We set our eyes to the distance
We would find what we would find
We took courage from our numbers
What we sought we did not fear
Sometimes we'd glimpse a shadow falling
The shadow would disappear
But our thoughts kept returning
To something the boy said
As we turned to go
He said you'll never see our faces again
You'll be food for a carrion crow

Every step we took today
Our thoughts would always stray
From the wind on the moor so wild
To the words of the captain's child
Something the boy said

In the circles we made with our fires
We talked of the pale afternoon
The clouds were like dark riders
Flying on the face of the moon
We spoke our fears to the captain
And asked what his son could know
For we would never have marched so far
To be food for a crow

Every step we took today
Our thoughts would always stray
From the wind on the moor so wild
To the words of the captain's child
Something the boy said

When I awoke this morning
The sun's eye was red as blood
The stench of burning corpses
Faces in the mud
Am I dead or am I living?
I'm too afraid to care, I'm too afraid to know
I'm too afraid to look behind me
At the feast of the crow
We spoke our fears to the captain
And asked what his son could know
For we would never have marched so far
To be food for a crow

Something the boy said
[ Correct these Lyrics ]

Writer: GORDON SUMNER
Copyright: Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC






Epilogue (Nothing 'Bout Me)

Lay my head on the surgeon's table
Take my fingerprints if you are able
Pick my brains pick my pockets
Steal my eyeballs and come back for the sockets
Run every kind of test from A to Z
And you'll still know nothing 'bout me

Run my name though your computer
Mention me in passing to your college tutor
Check my records check my facts
Check if I paid my income tax
Pore over everything in my C.V.
But you'll still know nothing 'bout me
You'll still know nothing 'bout me

You don't need to read no books on my history
I'm a simple man, it's no big mystery
In the cold weather, a hand needs a glove
At times like this, a lonely man like me needs love

Search my house with a fine tooth comb
Turn over everything 'cause I won't be at home
Set up your microscope and tell me what you see
You'll still know nothing 'bout me
[ Correct these Lyrics ]

Writer: STING
Copyright: Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group






Back to: Sting


Ten Summoner's Tales is the fourth solo studio album by English musician Sting. The title is a combined pun of his family name, Sumner, and a character in Geoffrey Chaucer's The Canterbury Tales, the summoner. Released in 1993, it explores themes of love and morality in a noticeably upbeat mood compared to his previous release, the introspective The Soul Cages released in 1991 after the loss of both his parents in the 1980s.

This album contains two US hits; "If I Ever Lose My Faith in You" reached No. 17 on the Billboard Hot 100 while "Fields of Gold" got to No. 23.

Ten Summoner's Tales was shortlisted for the 1993 Mercury Prize. In 1994, it was nominated for six Grammy awards including Album of the Year (losing to Whitney Houston's The Bodyguard), winning Best Engineered Album, Non-Classical, Best Male Pop Vocal Performance ("If I Ever Lose My Faith in You") and Best Long Form Music Video, while "If I Ever Lose My Faith in You" was also nominated for Record and Song of the Year.

A laser disc and VHS of the album were released, containing live performances of all songs on the album at Lake House.

A promotional disc was made where Sting discusses some of the songs on the album. There was also an unofficial live album produced during the Ten Summoner's Tales era, entitled Meadowlands of Gold, which contained 13 tracks performed at the Meadowlands Arena on February 26, 1994, in East Rutherford, New Jersey. The songs consisted of tracks from the album, and a few songs by The Police plus a cover of the Beatles' "A Day in the Life".

In February 2023, it was announced that Ten Summoner's Tales would be re-released and digitally expanded, with multiple songs not previously heard or available to download.
Performed By: Sting
Genre(s): Pop rock, soft rock, jazz rock
Producer(s): Sting, Hugh Padgham
Length: 52:31
Released: March 1st, 1993
Year: 1993

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