Wrapped Around Your Finger

This song is just another little peace of the genius that Sting and the Police laid out for us. The music in this song literally floats along... very slowly and hauntingly. This is really brought out by how Sting chooses to sing the lyrics - almost in a wave like motion between the notes. The music stays this way until the bassline and drums start moving in the last verse - this change of feel combined with the strong final lyric ("then you will find your servant is your master"). As far as the meaning, I can only guess it is about being with a married woman and lusting for her. And she lusts for the narrarator too. In Greek Mythology, Scylla and Charibdes are female sea monsters who lived in caves opposite of each other and devoured sailors. I think this is a representation of maybe the narrarators girlfriend, and the married woman he is seeing. The Narrator is constantly staring at the ring, which is almost taunting him as he can't have her. The 'destiny sold' is her life almost. She is now stuck forever with one man(her husband). It is now all reflected in that ring. Mephistopheles is a devil who Faust(a magician and alchemist) sells his soul to for more power. This is representing that The Nararratorwill sell his faith(in his girlfriend) for power(the chance to be with the married woman).

The lyrics "I'll be wrapped around your finger" means that the Nararator will do anything for her(for the time being).

The final verse, is kind of where the married woman wants the Nararator, but everything has happened already, and he is out. He will 'vanish' and she'll 'never find' him. He will turn her face to stone(Alabastor is a type of limestone i believe).

The final line "Then you will find your servant is your master, and you'll be wrapped around my finger' is saying that she was basically used.

Kind of long and over the top, but its the best I could do. ANd for an awesome song like this, it deserves it. Awesome song. Sting and The Police rule.

A truly beautiful song.

Scylla and Chayribdis are NOT two female sea monsters. Scylla is the sea monster and Chayribdis is a whirlpool. Odysseus had to sail between them and he had to make a difficult choice of which one to sail closer to. If he chose to sail close to Chayribdis, he risked losing his ship and everyone aboard, if he sailed close to Scylla, she would eat some of his men. He chose to sail close to Scylla. It's choosing between the lesser of the two evils.

My Interpretation: It has nothing to do with the Lord of the Rings. It's about a younger man falling for an older MARRIED woman (at least in her mind). That's what the "staring at the ring around your finger" line is about. The Scylla and Charybdis line is alluding to how torn he is(she thinks), should he even do this, "have the affair?" He's doing this for experience, but he knows she's doing this with an alterior motive: "I can see the destiny you sold Turn into a shining band of gold", ie They'll get married so and live happily ever after, "I'll be wrapped around your finger"

But, he doesn't want the same thing: "Mephistopheles is not your name I know what you're up to just the same" He's not going to fall for it.

One day she'll realize that it's her pursing him, not the other way around: "I will turn your face to alabaster, When you find your servant is your master"

In the end "You'll (she) will be wrapped around MY finger" meaning she'll be pursing him. He has her and she doesn't know it (yet).

I think everyone is missing the real meaning of this song. The mythological references cleverly mask what was going on in the songwriter Sting's head at the time. While recording the album in remote Monserrat for tax/relaxation purposes hostilitis between the band members often reached boiling point. They were all bearing grudges toward each other. Indeed, they broke up after the album was recorded. This song is about the relationship between the growing superstar Sting and the by then vastly experienced Andy Summers.

Remember, Andy Summers had limited success during the 1960s when Sting was still a kid, his guitar playing had since become known as groundbreaking. At the groups inception it is assumed his experience in the business and his superior musicianship made him the most important member of the group. Sting was 'the young apprentice' who needed Andy Summers knowledge in order to make it big.

In the second verse Sting iterates that he cleverly listened to all the lessons Andy Summers taught him to the point where he would see this 'come to it's fruition'. In both verses Sting states thet 'I'll be wrapped around your finger'.

The third verse is an internal victorious celebration that reaches it's crescendo in the last line 'when you find your servant is your master', along with the change to 'You'll be wrapped around my finger'. Sting has become the power and driving force of the band. Their fame has grown, but it's really all about him. The alabaster reference is saying his career will be frozen whereas Sting will move on to bigger things when they split.

The ring is more situational than metaphorical - Andy Summers was married, Sting was about to get divorced.

I don't know how you come up with that but this is absolutely not a love song. It has indeed nothing to do with it. I think the meaning is pretty clean here.

It's obviously telling the story of a relation between a master(teacher) and his student. He listenes well and he learnes. He serves, he does whatever his master says. He's wrapped around his finger, the teacher is the student's master. But eventually the student reaches the master's level and even becomes better at it. Then "the servant(student) becomes the master". He's became better than his master while the master didn't see it coming. Now the once master might be wrapped around once the student's finger, to learn.

I am inclined to think this song is about the young single man/older married woman angle. Generally, the song is about being under control by another person, so this could be interpreted many ways as discussed already. Remember, however, Sting was going through a divorce to Irish actress Frances Tomelty in 1982 and began his relationship with current wife Trudy Styler. 1982 was a very tumultuous year for Sting. Synchronincity was recorded in December of that year and Sting had written many deeply personal songs with The Police. Synchronicity is filled with songs of despair, desperation, pain, and catharsis. I almost think that this song is the consequence to Synchronicity II as if the whole album tries to tell the story of the pain Sting is going through.

The symbolism in this song is incredible - scylla and charibdes (choosing the lesser of two evils), devil and the deep blue sea (a nautical reference to being stuck between a rock and a hard place), reference to going to college (which Sting never did, as far as I know), Mephistopheles (the devil, Faust) and the listeners own interpretation of the lyrics.

This is truly one of Sting's finest songs of his illustrious career.

You consider me the young apprentice (you’ve been through more life experience)

Caught between the Scylla and Charibdes (and I’m torn between two painful, dangerous choices) Hypnotized by you if I should linger (you know I am stunned by you) Staring at the ring around your finger (and gaping at your other commitments) I have only come here seeking knowledge (but I have come to know you [‘biblically’]) Things they would not teach me of in college (and learn what cannot be taught in school) I can see the destiny you sold (I can see you’ve traded your life in for this other commitment) Turn into a shining band of gold (and the ring is the shining proof)

I'll be wrapped around your finger (you know you’ve got me)

Mephistopheles is not your name (You’re not really the devil) I know what you're up to just the same (But you’re not up to saintly deeds) I will listen hard to your tuition (I will listen to the cost of having you & and your intuition) You will see it come to it's fruition (We will have each other)

I'll be wrapped around your finger (You know you’ve got me)

Devil and the deep blue sea behind me (Once I’ve chosen and the danger is past) Vanish in the air you'll never find me (The unbearable choices forced on me will not find me again) I will turn your face to alabaster (I will turn the manipulators face white) When you find your servant is your master (when you find I’ve mastered all manipulation or mastery) Oh, you'll be wrapped around my finger (Then you’ll be wrapped around my finger) You'll be wrapped around my finger (Instead of me wrapped around yours like a servant) You'll be wrapped around my finger

With Police lyrics removed it reads: (you’ve been through more life experience) (and I’m torn between two painful, dangerous choices) (you know I am stunned by you) (and gaping at your other commitments--marriage or whatever) (but I have come to know you [‘biblically’] and learn about life) (and learn what cannot be taught in school) (I can see you’ve traded your life in for this other commitment) (and the ring is the shining proof) (you know you’ve got me) (You’re not really the devil) (But you’re not up to saintly deeds) (I will listen, consider the cost of having you & and your intuition) (We will have each other) (You know you’ve got me) (Once I’ve chosen and the danger is past) (The unbearable choices forced on me will not find me again) (I will turn the manipulators face white or the “masters” face white) (When you find I’ve mastered all manipulation --or innate mastery of yours) (Then you’ll be wrapped around my finger) (Instead of me wrapped around yours like a servant) You who once had me subservient because of my desire for you Will become subservient to me because of your own for me

Thanks, The Soul. I appreciate this song now even more. Is it possible that the reason Sting smashes all the candles down at the end of the video is the realization that perhaps she's been had? The candles are formed in a path and when she reached the end she realizes that he's gone and these candles mean nothing (candles representing the romance of it all). Maybe I need another coffee.

As a side note, there was one very cheesy Country singer who did a video something very similar with the candles. It was just pathetic. So obvious where he got the idea.

I think this is about a man and a woman dating. The woman believes that when a man pursues her that he loves her because he serves her. Then when she gets married and gets the ring, he quits. He doesn’t love her anymore. He just rules over her. Her face turns to alabaster because the romance is gone and he’s just her master.. hence the reason for the most divorced initiated by women.

well, firstly, i can say that the song is not about LOTR, the priesthood, masonry, or the occult.

i must say i initially agreed with dengeist. when i first listened to the song, i thought it was about a young man in desire for an older woman, who knew he was but had given herself away in marriage.

the reference to the Scylla and Charybdis being from the oddysey is correct. its a very Sting way of saying "caught between a rock and a hard place". the young man faces to very difficult options: trying to be with a married woman, or walk away ("hypnotized by you if i should linger")

coming "seeking only knowledge" simply means, i believe, that he has heard what has happened and has come to ask her if it's true.

"seeing the destiny [she] sold" simply means that he has watched this woman who had such wonderful possibilities for a future, throw it away for a frivilous and empty relationship with this other person. the "shining band of gold" obviously being the wedding band. the wedding band he is completely captivated by forces him to deal with his emotions for her, he is, as we say, "wrapped around [her] finger"

Mephistopheles is a much more difficult allusion to define here i think, and has been perplexing me for a while now (which actually led me here). Mephistopheles is another name for the devil in many christian mythologies from the derk ages, and is also refferd to in the play 'Faust', as being satan's lead devil. i think he compares the woman to him because she is wanting to play the game of keeping both men for herself, for some reason, and will not be a part of it, though he still listens to the things she is trying to tell him: her "tuition". the "fruition" is a foreshadowing of the final chorus.

the "devil (where we can remember him comparing her to mephistopheles) being behind him", and "vanishing in thin air" means he has decided to leave her to her decision and walk away, forever. lyricists sometimes invision oceans as imagery for isolation, because they are such vast, unyielding things. thats my opinion.

and finally, she realizes the mistake she made by leaving him to marry this other person and wants the young man back: she realizes shes "wrapped around his finger"

as i said this is what i first thought, but now after researching it some, and even reading some interviews with Sting himself, he says this song was actually written in reference to a marriage breakdown with his wife, ending in a divorce. if anyone reads this and thinks i have put some thought into this, well thankyou, and please feel free to email me if you want. peace

Well, first off let me say this an excellent song. I've only been listening to The Police for a few weeks and this is by far my favourite song by them. It's so atmospheric, the brooding chorus fits the song perfectly. I wish people would listen to their more intelligent songs like this one, before making the judgement that they were some simplistic rock band from the 80s...

Anyway...

It's important to remember that Sting uses the future tense throughout the song - emphasis on "I'll ". He doesn't use the past or present. This suggests that the song is a mere fantasy. I personally think it's some guy fantasising about a master-servant relationship. He uses references to Dr. Faustus and hints at the almost homoerotic relationship he shared with Mephistophilis.

At the end of the song the person in question gets so obsessed with his master that in an ironic role reversal he enslaves him and becomes the w 'master', so to speak.

Though I guess you could apply this to a lot of situations where the servant surpasses the master. Like when you leave school and become more successful than the teachers that disciplined you... heh.