Meaning of "Tea In The Sahara?"

Sam

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Jun 5, 1998, 3:00:00 AM6/5/98

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Does anyone have official info on the meaning (if any) behind
"Tea In The Sahara?" Is it related to an established story or fable?

I just got back into the Police after many years and that simple
track strikes me as one of their best.

Sam

Kvanhuy

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Jun 5, 1998, 3:00:00 AM6/5/98

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I agree that it is one of their best. That song gives me great pleasure...
Let me know if you find out a story behind it. I know what it means for me, but
I would like to know the story as well.
"I may have slept for an hour,
I may have slept for a day.
For I woke in a bed of white linen,
And the sky was the colour of clay"

Mickificki

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Jun 5, 1998, 3:00:00 AM6/5/98

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I think it has something to do with a couple of people who agree to meet once a
year at the same place. I think the story is on their box set.

Robin

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Jun 5, 1998, 3:00:00 AM6/5/98

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I think the story comes from a story told by a character in a book
called "The Sheltering Sky." I don't remember the name of the author.
But I know that Sting got the inspiration from the story in that book.
It may have been a book Stewart gave Sting.

Kristin Powell Battista

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Jun 5, 1998, 3:00:00 AM6/5/98

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I believe the author's name is Paul Bowles (a bit of trivia I picked up
from playing with the Sting CD-ROM "All This Time").
-Kristin

Sam

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Jun 5, 1998, 3:00:00 AM6/5/98

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On Fri, 05 Jun 1998 20:12:36 GMT, Robin <osbo...@home.com> wrote:

>I think the story comes from a story told by a character in a book
>called "The Sheltering Sky." I don't remember the name of the author.
>But I know that Sting got the inspiration from the story in that book.
>It may have been a book Stewart gave Sting.

Now I'm very curious about the story. There are references to
the book all over the Web, like this link that includes Bowles' e-mail
(he's still alive at 88 I guess).

http://www.gherkin.com/palimpsest/sky.htm

That site says that Bowles studied with composer Aaron Copeland.
Any incidental relation to Stewart Copeland, I wonder?

Sam

DJM73

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Jun 6, 1998, 3:00:00 AM6/6/98

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>That site says that Bowles studied with composer Aaron Copeland.
>Any incidental relation to Stewart Copeland, I wonder?

None.......Aaron Copland is the correct spelling

Sam

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Jun 6, 1998, 3:00:00 AM6/6/98

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That relationship was a wild guess, but you're right about the
spelling. The site I referenced had it spelled correctly and I
assumed it was a typo.

But a lot of other sites have it spelled incorrectly as "Copeland."
I guess they think (like I did) that "Copland" sounds like a precinct!

Sam

jno

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Jun 7, 1998, 3:00:00 AM6/7/98

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Hiya all,

The story of "Tea In The Sahara" is on the inside note of Sting's
"Bring On The Night" album I think. I've got a LAST EXIT tape here if
anyone is interested, it has 6 trax on:

1. Whispering Voices (from the 7" single)
2. Evensong (from the 7" b side)
3. Everydays' Just The Same
4. Carrion Prince (Ye of Little Hope)
5. Don't Let It Bring You Down
6. Whispering Voices (alternative version)

- not an original, but excellent sound quality. Lemmy know if you are
interested.

jno