https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T8QWtmW1WUQ
On Friday’s episode of Later…With Jools Holland, Sting debuted his new song “50,000” from his upcoming LP 57th and 9th, his first “rock” album since 2003. The new track is meant as a tribute to all the great musicians the industry has recently lost, including David Bowie, Prince, Lemmy and Glenn Frey.
The lyrics in “50,000” come from the perspective of an aging rock star that comes out to perform in front of 50,000 screaming fans on a nightly basis. Sting has openly expressed his struggle with mortality, and how the deaths of legends like Prince has affected him.
In an interview with Rolling Stone, Sting reflected on the losses of some of his most respected peers, and how 50,000 is more than just a song, it’s about a part of him that knows all good things come to an end, even for “gods”.
“Mortality does sort of rear its head, particularly at my age – I’m 64,” Sting said. “It’s really a comment on how shocked we all are when one of our cultural icons dies: Prince, David [Bowie], Glenn Frey, Lemmy. They are our gods, in a way. So when they die, we have to question our own immortality. Even I, as a rock star, have to question my own. And the sort of bittersweet realization that hubris doesn’t mean anything in the end.”
57th and 9th will be released on November 11th.
(Via Rolling Stone)
