Songfacts®:

• This was the first of three singles released from Sting's seventh solo album.
• For this song, Sting was inspired by William Blake, a Romantic poet who was devoutly religious but critical of the Church of England. In Lyrics By Sting, the singer wrote: "The 'certainties' of the major faiths on the planet are becoming increasingly contradictory, illogical, and dangerous. If there is one thing they agree on, it is that the world is heading for annihilation. So if we are to have a future, we must find it beyond scripture and, like Blake, create a personal mythology, looking for spiritual meaning in the daily fabric of our lives."
• Vicente Amigo plays the flamenco guitar on this.
• "It was written during the post-9/11 confusion," Sting told Parade in 2003. "I've found what's truly sacred in life's small things. My religion is simple things, like love for my family. Hopefully, the world can be changed through acts of kindness, acts of affection and love - the idea of doing normal, everyday things that actually have an effect down the line. Plant a tree, have a baby. Be kind. Because the opposite works as well. You can send your hatred to the future. And we all know the end result."