Title: “The Fortress Around Your Heart” by Sting: An Exploration of Love, Loss and Emotional Barriers
Introduction
Sting, the legendary musician, songwriter, and actor, is celebrated the world over for his incredible talent and versatility. “The Fortress Around Your Heart,” one of his classic hits, has resonated with many over the years as a powerful reflection on love, loss, and the emotional barriers we create to shield ourselves. In this article, we will explore the deeper meaning behind the song.
The Story Behind the Song
“The Fortress Around Your Heart” was released in 1985, as a part of Sting’s first solo album, “The Dream of the Blue Turtles.” The album contained a mix of musical genres, with diverse elements of jazz, classical music, and rock, showing Sting’s artistic range.
The album was inspired by Sting’s travels to Brazil, where he was introduced to the music of Joao Gilberto, a legendary Brazilian guitarist. The music of Joao Gilberto had a profound impact on Sting’s musical style, and he used some of the traditional Brazilian rhythms to create the melodies in “The Fortress Around Your Heart.”
The lyrics of the song are said to be a reflection of Sting’s personal life. He wrote it during the period when he was going through a separation from his first wife, Frances Tomelty. The song expresses the feelings of frustration, helplessness, and longing that Sting experienced during that difficult time.
The Meaning Behind the Song
“The Fortress Around Your Heart” is a song that talks about emotional barriers we put up when we face heartbreak or loss in our lives. These emotional barriers are like fortified walls around our hearts that we build to protect ourselves from getting hurt again.
In the song, Sting asks his lover to tear down the walls and the defenses that she had put up to protect herself from emotional pain. He urges her to open up and let him in, to love and be loved freely and openly.
The lines “Some love is just a lie of the soul” and “But I never saw love as a weapon” suggest the theme of love as a double-edged sword, capable of hurting us as much as it can heal. Sting speaks poignantly about the complexities of love, which can be as much a source of pain as it can be a source of joy.
At the same time, the song also speaks to the universality of the human experience. We all build emotional walls around ourselves at some point in our lives, to protect ourselves from pain. It is a natural response to emotional trauma, but as Sting suggests, it can also be a hindrance to true love and happiness.
Conclusion
“The Fortress Around Your Heart” is a beautiful song that showcases Sting’s masterful songwriting skills and his ability to tap into profound human emotions. The song is a timeless classic that has endured over the years and touched the hearts of millions. Its message of tearing down the emotional walls to let love in still resonates with us today.
As Sting himself said in an interview with Songfacts, “You can’t protect yourself from hurt and pain without also closing yourself off from the good things in life. Love is worth the risk, and it’s worth tearing down the walls to let it in.”
