Desert Roses with Thorns

    Once upon a time there was an English teacher named Gordon who ended up having a successful musical career.  (Something every English teacher dreams of--or maybe just me. . .) You likely know him by his stage name Sting.  He started out with the Police and then went solo later.  

    Many of Sting's songs have a rather Irish sound to them--sorry to burst your bubble: he's British.  One song, however, contains the haunting sounds of many of his other songs, but does not sound Irish or British, or even European.  

    "Desert Rose" has a distinctive Middle-Eastern sound.  This is not surprising considering Cheb Mami sings the Arabic lyrics at the beginning, and as counterpoint throughout.  The type of music Cheb Mami sings is an Algerian folk music style called Rai, hence, the Middle-Eastern--technically North African--feel to the song.  

    The Arabic lyrics have been translated roughly as "O night, It has been a long time, And I am looking for myself and my loved one."  Interestingly enough, Cheb Mami improvised the lines, and they aligned with Sting's lyrics quite well.  Both convey a deep longing.

    Now about Sting's lyrics. . .  Of course, I misunderheard something.  Or did I?  After reading the lyrics which accompany the track on Amazon music, I did.  After reading the lyrics on Google, I didn't.  Just which is the definitive lyrics anyway?  Here is a comparison:

Amazon Music	Google (Source: Musicmatch)	AZlyrics.com
I dream of rain ele yele I dream of gardens in the desert sand I wake in pain ele yele I dream of love as time runs through my hand I dream of fire ele yele Those dreams are tied to a horse that will never tire And in the flames ele yele Her shadows play in the shape of a man's desire This desert rose ele yele Whose shadow veils, the secret promise This desert flower ele yele No sweet perfume ever tortured me more than this And now she turns ele yele This way she moves in the logic of all my dreams This fire burns ele yele I realize that nothing's as it seems I dream of rain ele yele I dream of gardens in the desert sand I wake in pain ele yele I dream of love as time runs through my hand I dream of rain ele yele I lift my gaze to empty skies above I close my eyes This rare perfume is the sweet intoxication of her love I dream of rain ele yele I dream of gardens in the desert sand I wake in pain ele yele I dream of love as time runs through my hand Sweet desert rose ele yele Each of her veils, a secret promise This desert flower ele yele No sweet perfume ever tortured me more than this Sweet desert rose This memory of Eden haunts us all This desert flower This rare perfume, is the sweet intoxication of the fall	I dream of rain I dream of gardens in the desert sand I wake in vain I dream of love as time runs through my hand  I dream of fire These dreams that tie two hearts that will never die Near the flames The shadows play in the shape of the man's desire  This desert rose Whose shadow bears the secret promise This desert flower No sweet perfume ever tortured me more than this  And now she turns This way she moves in the logic of all my dreams This fire burns I realize that nothing's as it seems  I dream of rain I dream of gardens in the desert sand I wake in vain I dream of love as time runs through my hand  I dream of rain I lift my gaze to empty skies above I close my eyes The rare perfume is the sweet intoxication of love  I dream of rain I dream of gardens in the desert sand I wake in vain I dream of love as time runs through my hand  Sweet desert rose Whose shadow bears the secret promise This desert flower No sweet perfume ever tortured me more than this  Sweet desert rose This memory of hidden hearts and souls This desert flower This rare perfume is the sweet intoxication of love	I dream of rain I dream of gardens in the desert sand I wake in vain I dream of love as time runs through my hand I dream of fire Those dreams are tied to a horse that will never tire And in the flames Her shadows play in the shape of a man's desire This desert rose Each of her veils, a secret promise This desert flower No sweet perfume ever tortured me more than this And as she turns This way she moves in the logic of all my dreams This fire burns I realize that nothing's as it seems I dream of rain I dream of gardens in the desert sand I wake in vain I dream of love as time runs through my hand I dream of rain I lift my gaze to empty skies above I close my eyes This rare perfume is the sweet intoxication of her love I dream of rain I dream of gardens in the desert sand I wake in vain I dream of love as time runs through my hand Sweet desert rose Each of her veils, a secret promise This desert flower No sweet perfume ever tortured me more than this Sweet desert rose This memory of Eden haunts us all This desert flower This rare perfume, is the sweet intoxication of the fall

            The versions have slight differences.  Does he wake in pain or in vain?  To what are the memories tied to?  Personally, I thought it was “tied to a horse that would never die”—which does not match any of the lyrics above.  I also thought the last line was “the sweet intoxication of love", as the Google lyrics state, but that is refuted by the others.  Of course, tying Eden to the fall makes a whole lot of sense. 

So, what to make of this Desert Rose? It is mystifying, obviously—which is rather the point of the song.  I guess I’ll sing along with my own words because nobody seems to agree on them anyway.

            Speaking of roses; what does Seal mean when he says he’s been kissed by a rose on the grave?  Wait, what? It’s a rose on the grey?  I don’t get it.