"Saint Augustine In Hell" as written by and Gordon Sumner....
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 of 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
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 his 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 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
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.
Okay, 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
Deliver me from evil save me from these wicked snares
Not into temptation not to cliffs of 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
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 his 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 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
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.
Okay, 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
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The CD from which this song comes contains other songs in weird time signatures - 7/4 in particular. Have a listen to "Seven Days" or "Love is Stronger than Justice" - you'll hear what I mean.
"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.
Okay, break's over!"
All in all a song of desire, and weekness in front of it. So what else in new?
[Sting]: I mean one of the benefits of a Roman Catholic education - there are a lot of downs to it - is, is a, um, is a rich reservoir of imagery and, um, symbolism. Y'know, something about guilt and hell, fire, and bright colors of blood and torture and all this. And saints and archetypal characters. So I, I don't regret it in that sense. I think its very good to be brought up a Catholic. Actually, it's very good to be brought up in, in any religion that's deeply steeped in history, you know? I think most religions are. So, I'd rather be brought up in a religious way, than not be brought up in a religious way. Um, so I'm, I'm grateful. It gives you something to kick against, or something to argue against, or whatever. But, you know, and the same's true of the Jewish faith and the Protestant faith. I'm not sure you should agree with everything they tell you. Saint Augustine, though, was an interesting character. He, uh, he's - my favorite comment of his was, "God made me pure, but not yet." And I think that's kind of the way I feel.
[Question]: Tell us about the character in Saint Augustine in Hell.
[Sting]: Well, he, you know the character in the song is sort of tempted by his best, best friend's girlfriend, who's something else. And, uh, he ends up in Hell somehow. His best friend kills him. That's it! His best friend kills him with a switchblade and he ends up in Hell. And, um, the Devil says to him, "Well, you're not alone. There all here. There's judges, there's, uh, lawyers, accountants, music critics." (laughs) Ah, there's a little bit of revenge there, y'know?
The included musical tale “St. Augustine in Hell” found its protagonist caught in his own “eternal fire” of uncontrollable sexual attraction to a woman dating his best friend. In his pique, he proposes a corresponding rightfully earned torturous eternity for cardinals, archbishops, accountants who misuse the investment funds entrusted to them ... and music critics.
Augustine’s own prayer to God in the face of temptation, as quoted in the song, was exactly “Lord, make me chaste, but not just yet.”
[From Rock & Holy Rollers: The Spiritual Beliefs of Chart-Topping Rock Stars in Their Lives and Lyrics by Geoffrey D. Falk.]
The interlude at around 2:30 is actually taken from an earlier Sting song titled "I Miss You Kate". You should be able to find it on the CD single for All This Time.