Inside Sting's 16th Century England Home That Inspired 'Fields of Gold'

Music

Musician Sting gets his inspiration from a variety of sources, including his own home. Learn more about the house in question.

Published on March 30, 2023

Music fans are often curious about the inspirations behind some of their favorite songs. After all, musicians often channel their creativity in all sorts of surprising ways. For instance, Sting – whose own stage name has an interesting backstory – was inspired to write his 1993 hit song “Fields of Gold” by his 16th-century home. Here’s what we know about how one of his most famous tunes came to be.

Sting released his first solo album in 1985

In the late 1970s and early 1980s, Sting entered the music business as the lead singer of The Police. During this time, the singer headlined several hit songs, including “Roxanne,” “Message in a Bottle,” “Don’t Stand So Close to Me,” and “Every Little Thing She Does is Magic.” But 1983’s “Every Breath You Take ” was a game-changer and the band’s first number-one hit.

Just two years later, Sting released his first solo album, The Dream of the Blue Turtles, featuring “If You Love Somebody Set Them Free” and “Fortress Around Your Heart.” Success continued with each subsequent release. But Sting again landed on a hit in the making when he included “Fields of Gold” on his 1993 album Ten Summoner’s Tales. And the song continues to live on.

Sting’s home inspired his 1993 hit ‘Fields of Gold’

In his 2007 book Lyrics by Sting, the singer discussed the view from his 16th-century Wiltshire manor house. And in doing so, he revealed its status as the inspiration behind “Fields of Gold.”

“In England, our house is surrounded by barley fields, and in the summer it’s fascinating to watch the wind moving over the shimmering surface, like waves on an ocean of gold. There’s something inherently sexy about the sight, something primal, as if the wind were making love to the barley. Lovers have made promises here, I’m sure, their bonds strengthened by the comforting cycle of the seasons.”

Fans of that Sting tune will know how prominent the “fields of barley” are in the lyrics. According to Ultimate Classic Rock, Sting had turned the dining hall into a recording studio, where he wrote and recorded all the songs for Ten Summoner’s Tales.

Sting’s estimated net worth is substantial

Throughout his career with The Police and as a solo artist, Sting has seen wild success for more than 40 years. He’s received countless accolades, including 17 Grammy Awards and four Academy Award nominations. He’s also in both the Songwriters Hall of Fame and Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, the latter for his work with The Police. And he has a sizable fortune to show for it.

The singer reportedly has an estimated net worth of $400 million. Much of that stems from “Every Breath You Take,” once estimated to earn Sting as much as $730,000 a year. Factor in his dispute with Diddy over the latter’s use of a sample in his 1997 track “I’ll Be Missing You,” and Sting owes that one song a lot. Then, of course, there’s the rest of his legendary career.

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