This song could have so many different meanings, but to me it seems as if it was nothing more or less than an interesting and frightening story Sting wanted to tell. He's the master of narrative lyrics and he likes telling tales (and he's damned good at it).
The fisherman and the brave young boy are fantastic characters and the idea of someone collecting human souls like birds makes me shiver.
The very last stanza, however, is the most powerful. The way how Sting sings it, so full of emotions, and the image of the Newcastle ship almost make me cry.
This song could have so many different meanings, but to me it seems as if it was nothing more or less than an interesting and frightening story Sting wanted to tell. He's the master of narrative lyrics and he likes telling tales (and he's damned good at it).
The fisherman and the brave young boy are fantastic characters and the idea of someone collecting human souls like birds makes me shiver.
The very last stanza, however, is the most powerful. The way how Sting sings it, so full of emotions, and the image of the Newcastle ship almost make me cry.