All This Time (Sting song)


"All This Time" is a 1990 song by Sting. It was released as the first single from his 1991 album, The Soul Cages, in January 1991. The song was a chart success, especially in North America, reaching No. 5 on the US Billboard Hot 100 and topping the Billboard Album Rock Tracks chart, the Billboard Modern Rock Tracks chart, and the Canadian RPM Top Singles chart.

Lyrics

The lyrics provide a reference to the death of Sting's father, symbolized by the image of a young boy, Billy, who, at the death of his father, wishes to bury him at sea instead of going through the Catholic rites:
Despite the dark lyrics, the uptempo tune of the song foils their macabre undertone:
The imaginary character, Billy, is also referred to in the lyrics to the opening song on The Soul Cages, "Island Of Souls".

History

"All This Time" opened the set on The Soul Cages tour. After this, the song was not performed again until 2000 during the Brand New Day tour. The song lent its name to the ...All This Time live album which was recorded on September 11, 2001, at Sting's villa in Tuscany.
The music video depicts the wry, black humour of the song. It featured Melanie Griffith as a manicurist and Sting's wife Trudie Styler dressed as a French maid, and recreated the overcrowded stateroom scene from the Marx Brothers' 1935 film A Night at the Opera.

Track listings

7" single / cassette
  1. "All This Time" — 3:59
  2. "I Miss You Kate" — 3:48
12" maxi
  1. "All This Time"
  2. "King of Pain"
CD maxi
  1. "All This Time" — 4:02
  2. "I Miss You Kate" — 3:44
  3. "King of Pain" — 7:14

    Charts

Weekly charts

Year-end charts