Whenever I Say Your Name

There's a song of his I particularly like for its harmonic interest: 'Whenever I Say Your Name', a duet with the American R&B star Mary J Blige from his 2003 album 'Sacred Love'. So I ask him about it. "It's based entirely on Bach," he reveals, not without a little pride in his voice. "Look at the bass line and you'll see it's all him. It's one of his preludes - in C, I think."

A quick flick through my Bach volumes later at home confirms the one he means: BWV 924, one of JS's most beguiling and simple preludes from the 'Clavier-Büchlein for Wilhelm Friedemann Bach', a collection of keyboard works written for his eldest son. [BBC Music Magazine]

it's about God and how He's always there when you need him to help you. though i'm not that religious it's a very good song...the duet is really good

On a less philosophical, more carnal note, Sting and Mary J. Blige's smoldering duet on the ballad "Whenever I Say Your Name" also traces the links between sex, religion and music in its affecting line, "Whenever I say your name, I'm already praying."

"That's not romantic gobbledygook," Sting insists. "It's real. If you love somebody, it's a religious experience. Mary and I play these roles in that song; we're in a relationship that's both co-dependent and necessary.”

Whenever I say your name, Whenever I say your name, I'm already praying, I'm already praying I'm already filled with a joy that I can't explain

To me this song speaks about soul mates. My husband and I were lucky enough to see this song performed live years ago and to this day it remains a very special song to both of us.

Whenever this world has got me down, whenever I shed a tear

It is also a song about these two souls helping one another throughout their lives.

Sting: I've had this name since I was 18-and I'm 52 now and I can't do the math. So I've had that name longer than any other name. My wife calls me Sting-my kids call me Sting. People who know me extremely well will call me Sting. It's my name. It's a silly name but you get use to it. It's very short and cryptic for autographs. Where did it come from? I was 18 - I was playing in a trad (traditional) jazz group with people much older than myself. People about my age now. And to find my youth and vigor I would wear this sweater - with black and yellow hoops - I looked like a wasp. It probably looked terrible but I thought it was really cool. And the band all laughed at this sweater and they started to call me Sting as a joke. I thought yeah okay-very funny. Next night they called me the same name-and it went on all week until it was my name. They'd call up my house and ask my mother "is Sting in?" and she'd go "who?" Eventually she ended up calling me Sting. So the name's carried on.

Sting told LAUNCH that he's wanted to do something with Blige ever since they performed together on the MTV Video Music Awards a few years ago.

"I was totally blown away by her passionate, open singing--you know, raw emotion," Sting said. "I had decided on that night that I'd love to write a song for her one day, and I came up with this idea of 'Whenever I Say Your Name'--that's perfect for her, you know? It's very romantic. It also has a kind of religious component--you know, she's very churchy in the way she sings."

Don't even go there! Why? You are so skittish!
Little does he know that if he ever melds with his crazed trinity .... What? What will happen? For starters, I'm sure you'll have him thinking his ditch digging days are back again. And? He doesn't know how good he has it. I say ignorance can be bliss. It's just that to him, it looks like we're having fun. Oh yeah. Fun is always the first thing that comes to my mind. Work. That's what this really is. Hard work. You're quite the taskmaster.
You have lots of nervous energy ... What's with the praying? In another life, the three of us were nuns. I'd love to see a replay of that! Nope, sorry. Been there. Done that. This life we're just a lunatic fringe. Hanging on a surrey?