All This Time
Sting
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I looked out across The river today I saw a city in the fog And an old church tower Where the seagulls play Saw the sad shire horses Walking home in the sodium light Saw two priests on the ferry October geese on a cold winter's night And all this time The river flowed Endlessly To the sea Two priests came round Our house tonight One young, one old To offer prayers for the dying To serve the final rite One to learn, one to teach Which way the cold wind blows Fussing and flapping in priestly black Like a murder of crows And all this time The river flowed Endlessly To the sea If I had my way I'd take a boat from the river And I'd bury the old man I'd bury him at sea Blessed are the poor For they shall inherit the earth One is better to be poor Than a fat man in the eye of a needle As these words were spoken I swear I hear the old man laughing What good is a used up world, And how could it be worth having? And all this time The river flowed Endlessly, To the sea. All this time The river flowed Father, if Jesus exists, Then how come he never lived here? Yeah, yeah Yeah, yeah Yeah, yeah Teachers told us The Romans built this place They built a wall and a temple on the edge of the Empire garrison town They lived and they died They prayed to their gods But the stone gods did not make a sound And their empire crumbled Till all that was left Were the stones the workmen found And all this time the river flowed In the falling light of a northern sun If I had my way I'd take a boat from the river Men go crazy in congregations They only get better one by one One by one One by one, by one One by one I looked out across The river today I saw a city in the fog And an old church tower Where the seagulls play Saw the sad shire horses Walking home in the sodium light Two priests on the ferry October geese on a cold winter's night
The easy, fast & fun way to learn how to sing: 30DaySinger.com
Written by: GORDON SUMNER
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Royalty Network
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
10 facts about this song
Song Composition"All This Time" by Sting is a peppy song that was recorded in 1990 and released in January 1991. It features an upbeat tempo despite its serious lyrical content.
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Album AppearanceThis song is from Sting's second solo studio album, "The Soul Cages."
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Chart RankingsThe single reached number 5 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and topped the Billboard Album Rock Tracks for nine weeks, making it the most successful track from the album.
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Song Inspiration"All This Time" was written after the death of Sting's father. The track explores Sting's reminiscence and grief over this event in his life.
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Unique Recording MethodSting recorded the song and the rest of "The Soul Cages" album in a reclusive, solo manner, unlike his previous cooperative ventures with other musicians.
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Recognition"All This Time" won the 1992 Grammy Award for Best Male Pop Vocal Performance.
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Music VideoThe music video of the song was directed by famous director Alex Proyas. The plot of the music video can be interpreted as a symbolic attempt to reconcile Sting's reality with his desired reality, reflecting the song’s lyrics and theme.
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Live PerformanceIt has been a staple in Sting's live performances ever since its release.
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Cover VersionsMany artists, including Brian McKnight, have performed cover versions of "All This Time."
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Musical StyleThe song signifies a shift from the jazz-influenced style of Sting's previous album towards a more straightforward pop rock sound, while maintaining a strong sense of melody and complex song structure.
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Citation
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