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Sting — They Dance Alone (Cueca Solo)
Album: Nothing Like the Sun
Avg rating:
7.1

Your rating:
Total ratings: 1436









Released: 1987
Length: 6:55
Plays (last 30 days): 0
Why are these women here dancing on their own?
Why is there this sadness in their eyes?
Why are the soldiers here
Their faces fixed like stone?
I can't see what it is that they despise
They're dancing with the missing
They're dancing with the dead
They dance with the invisible ones
Their anguish is unsaid
They're dancing with their fathers
They're dancing with their sons
They're dancing with their husbands
They dance alone, they dance alone

It's the only form of protest they're allowed
I've seen their silent faces they scream so loud
If they were to speak these words they'd go missing too
Another woman on the torture table what else can they do
They're dancing with the missing
They're dancing with the dead
They dance with the invisible ones
Their anguish is unsaid
They're dancing with their fathers
They're dancing with their sons
They're dancing with their husbands
They dance alone, they dance alone

One day we'll dance on their graves
One day we'll sing our freedom
One day we'll laugh in our joy
And we'll dance
One day we'll dance on their graves
One day we'll sing our freedom
One day we'll laugh in our joy
And we'll dance

Ellas danzan con los desaparecidos
Ellas danzan con los muertos
Ellas danzan con amores invisibles
Ellas danzan con silenciosa angustia
Danzan con sus padres
Danzan con sus hijos
Danzan con sus esposos
Ellas danzan solas
Danzan solas

Hey Mr. Pinochet
You've sown a bitter crop
It's foreign money that supports you
One day the money's going to stop
No wages for your torturers
No budget for your guns
Can you think of your own mother
Dancin' with her invisible son
They're dancing with the missing
They're dancing with the dead
They dance with the invisible ones
Their anguish is unsaid
They're dancing with their fathers
They're dancing with their sons
They're dancing with their husbands
They dance alone, they dance alone
Comments (101)add comment
Sting doesn’t have a bland bone in his body.
 bseib wrote:

Okay, I can see how people find this song bland on the surface. But I can't help but hear/see it in context of the whole album when it first came out. Even though it was 87, there were still liner notes with albums, and you'd read them to find out WTF is going on with the song you were listening to.

"(This song is) a symbolic gesture of protest against the Chilean dictator Augusto Pinochet whose regime killed thousands of people between 1973 and 1990. (It) is a metaphor referring to mourning Chilean women (arpilleristas) who dance the Cueca, the national dance of Chile, alone with photographs of their disappeared loved ones in their hands."

I couldn't quickly find the original liner notes, but that's the gist of it gleaned from Wikipedia. Also, Sting put together this album in the midst of his mother dying, and subsequently there's no much uptempo anything on that album, and the theme of "women" shows up throughout it.

ps - Turns out Eric Clapton and Mark Knopfler pitched in on this track too



 blairezdoodle wrote:

This song is so beautiful to me; being a teenager during the time that Pinochet was committing these atrocities, I was haunted by what was happening, the disappearing of the men within communities.  The gentle protest of women gathering in groups, to dance alone, in silence, with portraits of their missing husbands, lovers, sons, grandsons -- it seemed so beautiful.  A graceful protest.  A protest of beauty.  It might be one of those songs that has no meaning unless one knows the inspiration, and maybe that means it's not  a "great song" as in, one which lives on regardless of knowledge of the subject.  But for me, it's a masterpiece. 



There's a live version of this by Holly Near with Mercedes Sosa that puts this version to shsme.
 lowelltr wrote:

The original  Holly Near version can't  be beat.



Not the original.
 macadavy wrote:

I agree on your first two points, and your conclusions but Sting didn't write this song, a remarkable woman named Mercedes Sosa did.
Her English/Spanish duet with Holly Near on Near's Singer in the Storm album blows this version out of the water.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mercedes_Sosa

(Note to self: no Holly Near on RP, must remedy!)


She didn't write it. Sting did.

The original  Holly Near version can't  be beat.
Great drumming throughout Nothing Like The Sun  by Manu Katche
 bseib wrote:

Okay, I can see how people find this song bland on the surface. But I can't help but hear/see it in context of the whole album when it first came out. Even though it was 87, there were still liner notes with albums, and you'd read them to find out WTF is going on with the song you were listening to.

"(This song is) a symbolic gesture of protest against the Chilean dictator Augusto Pinochet whose regime killed thousands of people between 1973 and 1990. (It) is a metaphor referring to mourning Chilean women (arpilleristas) who dance the Cueca, the national dance of Chile, alone with photographs of their disappeared loved ones in their hands."

I couldn't quickly find the original liner notes, but that's the gist of it gleaned from Wikipedia. Also, Sting put together this album in the midst of his mother dying, and subsequently there's no much uptempo anything on that album, and the theme of "women" shows up throughout it.

ps - Turns out Eric Clapton and Mark Knopfler pitched in on this track too



Just wanted to bump this to the top
 Edweirdo wrote:

Anything is an improvement on Patti Smith.



Except Cowboy Junkies. Patti rules over Cowboy Junkies.
 Photo-John wrote:
After Patti Smith, this is a big downer. And not in a good way. As Homer would say, "BOOOOOoooooooring!" By the way, I get the segue from Smith's "Dancing Barefoot" to this. But I don't care.
 
Anything is an improvement on Patti Smith.
This song is so beautiful to me; being a teenager during the time that Pinochet was committing these atrocities, I was haunted by what was happening, the disappearing of the men within communities.  The gentle protest of women gathering in groups, to dance alone, in silence, with portraits of their missing husbands, lovers, sons, grandsons -- it seemed so beautiful.  A graceful protest.  A protest of beauty.  It might be one of those songs that has no meaning unless one knows the inspiration, and maybe that means it's not  a "great song" as in, one which lives on regardless of knowledge of the subject.  But for me, it's a masterpiece. 
 amyvoscas wrote:
except, of course, he wrote it, not them.

 
macadavy wrote:
Can't hold a candle to the Mercedes Sosa/Holly Near bilingual Spanish/English version you can find on YouTube.
 

 Wha?  So no cover of any song can ever be better than the original version sung by the song's author?  No movie remake can ever be better than the original film?
There's no insult intended by mentioning that others have raised this song to new heights.  As it happens Mercedes Sosa is an Argentinian woman who remembers '
the disappeared'.  
Her music made people hail her as the "voice of the voiceless ones".  Surely Holly Near needs no introduction, though sadly, I've never heard her on RP.
 nicknt wrote:
Really boring song.
 
Really boring comment.
except, of course, he wrote it, not them.

 
macadavy wrote:
Can't hold a candle to the Mercedes Sosa/Holly Near bilingual Spanish/English version you can find on YouTube.
 

Can't hold a candle to the Mercedes Sosa/Holly Near bilingual Spanish/English version you can find on YouTube.
 ziggytrix wrote:
That part at the end where half the band plays a salsa or whatever almost sounds like Super Mario when he picks up a Magic Star.

Still sounds like a complete trainwreck with the rest of the band still playing the smooth jazz song though.
 
What's up with the song comment??  I thought this was a personal attack board!
That part at the end where half the band plays a salsa or whatever almost sounds like Super Mario when he picks up a Magic Star.

Still sounds like a complete trainwreck with the rest of the band still playing the smooth jazz song though.
 bseib wrote:
Okay, I can see how people find this song bland on the surface. But I can't help but hear/see it in context of the whole album when it first came out. Even though it was 87, there were still liner notes with albums, and you'd read them to find out WTF is going on with the song you were listening to.

"(This song is) a symbolic gesture of protest against the Chilean dictator Augusto Pinochet whose regime killed thousands of people between 1973 and 1990. (It) is a metaphor referring to mourning Chilean women (arpilleristas) who dance the Cueca, the national dance of Chile, alone with photographs of their disappeared loved ones in their hands."

I couldn't quickly find the original liner notes, but that's the gist of it gleaned from Wikipedia. Also, Sting put together this album in the midst of his mother dying, and subsequently there's no much uptempo anything on that album, and the theme of "women" shows up throughout it.

ps - Turns out Eric Clapton and Mark Knopfler pitched in on this track too

 
Thanks for fleshing this out. The song had a feeling I couldn't put my finger on. Serious traction now.
This sets me in mind of the horrors of the proxy war currently being waged in the Syrian city of Eastern Ghouta.  The slaughter of innocence is always the first casualties of war. 

Highlow
American Net'Zen
This still moves me after so many years. Just try to listen to the words and understand what’s the background. 10
 Schmoogsley wrote:
Like the music. Don't like the man. 

 
He never gives you a thought.
Like the music. Don't like the man. 
Haven't heard this beauty in years <3


Great song for me..makes me remember those gone from us..truly missed.  Like so many of Sting's songs, it has soul
 Jelani wrote:
Kenny G totally ruined this track for me.

 
I do hope this is humour. Kenny who?
Not
 
Kenny G totally ruined this track for me.
His best album thank you
 calypsus_1 wrote:
Line-Up:
- Sting / Vocals, Guitar, Keyboards
- Renée Geyer / Background Vocals
- Dollette McDonald / Background Vocals
- Janice Pendarvis / Background Vocals
- Vesta Williams / Background Vocals
- Kenwood Dennard / drums
- Manu Katché / Drums
- Andy Newmark / Drums
- Gil Evans & His Orchestra (on "Little Wing")
- Mino Cinelu / Percussion, Vocoder
- Rubén Blades / Vocals, Guitar (on "They Dance Alone (Gueca Solo)")
- Mark Egan / Bass
- Hiram Bullock / Guitar
- Eric Clapton / Guitar, Background Vocals
- Fareed Haque / Guitar
- Mark Knopfler / Guitar (on "They Dance Alone (Gueca Solo)")
- Andy Summers / Guitar
- Kenny Kirkland / Keyboards
- Ken Helman / Piano
- Branford Marsalis / Saxophone


 
Wow!  I knew that I loved this song, one of Sting's most beautiful and meaningful creations, but never knew how many greats appear on it.  Thanks for the list.
 DaidyBoy wrote:

Why is he an awful human being?  Has he sent innocent boys to war, or kept a child in his basement?  Have I missed something?

 
No...you didn't miss anything but don't let it get to you.  H8r just gotta h8 and they have no need to buttress their ridiculous claims with reasoning or examples.  Fire and forget is their motto.  They criticize those that achieve though they have not done squat.

So... we rise above.
{#Sleep}
Okay, I can see how people find this song bland on the surface. But I can't help but hear/see it in context of the whole album when it first came out. Even though it was 87, there were still liner notes with albums, and you'd read them to find out WTF is going on with the song you were listening to.

"(This song is) a symbolic gesture of protest against the Chilean dictator Augusto Pinochet whose regime killed thousands of people between 1973 and 1990. (It) is a metaphor referring to mourning Chilean women (arpilleristas) who dance the Cueca, the national dance of Chile, alone with photographs of their disappeared loved ones in their hands."

I couldn't quickly find the original liner notes, but that's the gist of it gleaned from Wikipedia. Also, Sting put together this album in the midst of his mother dying, and subsequently there's no much uptempo anything on that album, and the theme of "women" shows up throughout it.

ps - Turns out Eric Clapton and Mark Knopfler pitched in on this track too
Really boring song.
 goldberry wrote:
Great song(s), awful human being.
 
Why is he an awful human being?  Has he sent innocent boys to war, or kept a child in his basement?  Have I missed something?


The Last Ship (2013)

What about?


You look, you do not. Each drinking water each like. But thankfully not all are drunk the same way .... and by the way, let me tell you that you are deeply mistaken.

.
 
prickelpit96 wrote:

Horrible. Unbelievable how awful music can be. {#Arghhh}

 

Line-Up:
- Sting / Vocals, Guitar, Keyboards
- Renée Geyer / Background Vocals
- Dollette McDonald / Background Vocals
- Janice Pendarvis / Background Vocals
- Vesta Williams / Background Vocals
- Kenwood Dennard / drums
- Manu Katché / Drums
- Andy Newmark / Drums
- Gil Evans & His Orchestra (on "Little Wing")
- Mino Cinelu / Percussion, Vocoder
- Rubén Blades / Vocals, Guitar (on "They Dance Alone (Gueca Solo)")
- Mark Egan / Bass
- Hiram Bullock / Guitar
- Eric Clapton / Guitar, Background Vocals
- Fareed Haque / Guitar
- Mark Knopfler / Guitar (on "They Dance Alone (Gueca Solo)")
- Andy Summers / Guitar
- Kenny Kirkland / Keyboards
- Ken Helman / Piano
- Branford Marsalis / Saxophone

Simply awesome and with a message...

 

Horrible. Unbelievable how awful music can be. {#Arghhh}


Agreed.
 Did he collaborate with Kenny G on this one?  Yikes
Will the Stingophiles encourage more of this?   


 
Papernapkin wrote:
This blows. And you can't dance to it.
 


 cafortier wrote:
here here Tony Skiens - i agree with you 100%

 
TonySkiens wrote:
I didn't know sting was Latin, come one man....
Sting is a pretentious self rightoues pain in my life.... 
I would take Ozy 100 times over that very talented but very pretentious above us all Sting... 

 
 
 
Never-was and two-thumbs-Don (thanks Shat) are going to tell us how self righteous Sting is.  Sting being pretentious isn't really an old, tired, boring, and overused cliche.  Is it?

Sorry he pained your lives children. I'm sure that his goal in life, other than making music that millions of fans enjoy for 3+ decades, was to annoy a couple of trolls.

This blows. And you can't dance to it.
 PFM wrote:

His fans are getting older!

 
Please, do not throw your panties on stage! {#Arrowd} {#Lol}

 coding_to_music wrote:


 
His fans are getting older!

I like it but...Did he really just say "Invisible Son"? Just a tad-bit too self-referential there, Mr. Sting...

WTF was that bit at the end. I thought Bill was having one of his super-rare way off-tempo segues.

But it was still the same song.

Yuck.
here here Tony Skiens - i agree with you 100%

 
TonySkiens wrote:
I didn't know sting was Latin, come one man....
Sting is a pretentious self rightoues pain in my life.... 
I would take Ozy 100 times over that very talented but very pretentious above us all Sting... 

 
 


Great song, big fan of Sting!
 kaybee wrote:
And about a very important subject:  los Desaparacidos, or "disappeared" of Latin America.
 
Yes, Kudos for Sting for trying to shine a little light on that subject. I'm not sure if it had any positive results but at least he tried.

 goodpunk wrote:
This is why I love RP...  those songs we might otherwise forget get played! 
 
some things are better left forgotten...
sting never rocked, never did, never will.

Les Claypool is the man.

 
SweTex wrote:


He did?{#Ask}
 


I didn't know sting was Latin, come one man....
Sting is a pretentious self rightoues pain in my life.... 
I would take Ozy 100 times over that very talented but very pretentious above us all Sting... 

 
Not my favorite song from the album, but, darn it, I still know the lyrics and sing along....
 meydele wrote:
Diss him as you will (and of late he roundly deserves it), this is still a darn good little tune.
 
And about a very important subject:  los Desaparacidos, or "disappeared" of Latin America.

 n4ku wrote:
I liked Sting better when he knew how to rock.
 

He did?{#Ask}

This is why I love RP...  those songs we might otherwise forget get played! 
 musikalia wrote:
This song is so sad.
 
yeah but it gets hopeful.  c'mon

Many journeys taken via Sting.


 Papernapkin wrote:
Doesn't this sound like smooth jazz?
 

Yea.....so?
Doesn't this sound like smooth jazz?
This song is so sad.
Laptopdog wrote:
If I looked like that, sang like that, and wrote songs like this one, I'd probably be pretty obnoxious and arrogant, too.

I agree on your first two points, and your conclusions but Sting didn't write this song, a remarkable woman named Mercedes Sosa did.
Her English/Spanish duet with Holly Near on Near's Singer in the Storm album blows this version out of the water.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mercedes_Sosa

(Note to self: no Holly Near on RP, must remedy!)


goldberry wrote:
Great song(s), awful human being.
Compared to....who? To you? Goldberry the Great!
Great song(s), awful human being.
Gracias Sting.
If I looked like that, sang like that, and wrote songs like this one, I'd probably be pretty obnoxious and arrogant, too.
This song is about something. Haunting, Committed. Conscious. Especially moved by the closing line, "Think of your own mother dancing with her invisible son."
I liked Sting better when he knew how to rock.
juliamak wrote:
I can certainly understand why people like this song but it's just too darn sad and emotional for me.
That's precisely why I like it. But I suppose if you're not in the mood it can be a downer....
Could someone please be kind and wake me up when he's gone....?
Diss him as you will (and of late he roundly deserves it), this is still a darn good little tune.
AliGator wrote:
I see your point, but for me, the upbeat music at the end of the song signifies hope.
I agree! And I love Ruben Blades.
dmax wrote:
I saw him do this on the Amnesty International Tour. Was pretty moving. I hate to not enjoy this just because he's a pompous dick, so I enjoy it despite that.
No vibrato either.
Sucko-barfo
I was hoping for a cuíca solo but all I got was this cueca solo.
Photo-John wrote:
After Patti Smith, this is a big downer. And not in a good way. As Homer would say, "BOOOOOoooooooring!" By the way, I get the segue from Smith's "Dancing Barefoot" to this. But I don't care.
I think not boring. But you are Sting. You have a lot of resources. You had better kick ass all the time from now on. Not doing it with this IMO
Yaaaaaawwwwnnnn....
After Patti Smith, this is a big downer. And not in a good way. As Homer would say, "BOOOOOoooooooring!" By the way, I get the segue from Smith's "Dancing Barefoot" to this. But I don't care.
juliamak wrote:
I can certainly understand why people like this song but it's just too darn sad and emotional for me. It's like Sting's version of "Wind Beneath My Wings"
I see your point, but for me, the upbeat music at the end of the song signifies hope.
dave_porter wrote:
Yep, sleeve notes show Branford Marsalis as the saxophonist - recall the excellent jam in the jazz break in the "Englishman in New York" video. Other credits on this track: guitars by Fareed Haque, Mark Knopfler and Eric Clapton, "Spanish" by Reuben Blades. Beautiful, beautiful piece.
No, no... what I meant was it sounded like the way Leroi Moore would play. I wouldn't presume he'd play on a Sting album. But I stand by what I said. It sounds like the invincibility music of Super Mario Bros. 2 and Leroi Moore had an illegitimate child.
This is an awsome and poinient song. Love the album.
This is an awsome and poinient song. Love the album. dave_porter wrote:
Yep, sleeve notes show Branford Marsalis as the saxophonist - recall the excellent jam in the jazz break in the "Englishman in New York" video. Other credits on this track: guitars by Fareed Haque, Mark Knopfler and Eric Clapton, "Spanish" by Reuben Blades. Beautiful, beautiful piece.
pret-a-porter wrote:
that would be the Maestro Marsalis!
Yep, sleeve notes show Branford Marsalis as the saxophonist - recall the excellent jam in the jazz break in the "Englishman in New York" video. Other credits on this track: guitars by Fareed Haque, Mark Knopfler and Eric Clapton, "Spanish" by Reuben Blades.
I can certainly understand why people like this song but it's just too darn sad and emotional for me. It's like Sting's version of "Wind Beneath My Wings"
A nice song musically, but I really don't think that Sting can put across the anguish and pain in the lyrics. Worth a 7.
Great album.
This has to have been one of Sting's finest. So, so beautiful at every nuance. I first heard this song when I was in bed with strep throat and a 104-degree fever--it was surreal!
lunar1963 wrote:
I think that's a soprano sax...
I'd have to listen to it again but I'm pretty sure it was synth for the first halfish of the song.
Jamunca wrote:
Is it just me or does the finish of this song sound like the sax stylings of Dave Matthews Band's LeRoi Moore mixed with the invicinbility music from Super Mario Bros. 2?
that would be the Maestro Marsalis!
The song SOUNDS like sort of a lilting lullaby, but the lyrics betray it; the thousands, no millions, of stories of infinite sadness and grief. Sting can (rightly) be accused of going the 'Phil Collins' route, but many of his 'pop' songs address serious issues, from the casualties of war to the heartbreak of divorce. An interesting choice and a bit of a departure; another reason to keep listening to RP... Peace Y'all. c.
Is it just me or does the finish of this song sound like the sax stylings of Dave Matthews Band's LeRoi Moore mixed with the invincibility music from Super Mario Bros. 2?
ejsamuel wrote:
Does not resonate with me - but Sting/Police never did much for me.
Thank goodness. I was beginning to think I'm the only one out there that feels that way.
shayborg wrote:
That synth hurts my ears...
I think that's a soprano sax...
First time played?? Great Great tune...
shayborg wrote:
That synth hurts my ears...
I know! I like the song but for that. It reminds me of this toddler video my little sister used to watch.
Does not resonate with me - but Sting/Police never did much for me.
who says the political can't be poetic!
Not bad, but there is other Sting/Police out there that I prefer.
That synth hurts my ears...
Without sounding sappy -- this is one surely touches my soul.