Englishman in New York by STING

FACTS

Englishman in New York is a song from Sting’s second solo album Nothing Like The Sun. It was released as a single in 1988.

In the video you can see and listen to saxophone player Branford Marsallis. In March 1996 Sting says to The Baltimore Sun:

“On 'Englishman in New York', Branford plays 'God Save the Queen' in a minor key at one point.”

In April, he says to The Guitar:

"One of my favourite little jokes is from an 'Englishman In New York', where at one point we're playing 'God Save The Queen' in a minor key. It really tickles me but nobody else hears it!"

Can someone hear “God Save The Queen” in this song?

Or is Sting taking us for a ride?

ORIGINAL VIDEO

LYRICS VIDEO

In 2007 the artist Tiken Jah Fakoly released a version of the song. In the form of a letter, he tries to comfort his mother telling her about his new life as an immigrant in Paris.

The Englishman: QUENTIN CRISP

Quentin Crisp, Wilde’s reincarnation, author of his own memoir The Naked Civil Servant, actor and raconteur. The saying goes that an Englishman’s house is his castle. But what happens when he moves to a foreign country?

Quentin Crisp moved from London to Manhattan in 1981 and the details of his charismatic personality and intense life are worth a whole encyclopedia. As a result, I will redirect you to the Quentin Crisp Archives where you can find interviews, recordings and innumerable articles.

CRISPERANTO

You can also see the two TV movies about his memoir both of them starring John Hurt (God bless you wherever you are).

This is the opening Title sequence of The Naked Civil Servant of 1975.

And this is the trailer for An Englishman In New York of 2009.

However, as the proof is in the pudding, you should have a bite of his wit:

MANNERS MAKETH MAN

In the song Sting repeats the well-known expression: "manners maketh man”. This means that your way of speaking or behaving reflects the kind of person you are, but beware, you shouldn’t’ judge a book by its cover.

I’ll give you some evidence: the following is a scene from the 2014 film Kingsman: The Secret Service starring (among other) Colin Firth, who at some moment says the expression “Manner maketh man.” You will understand why.

GREEN ALIENS AND LEGAL CARDS (Oops! The other way round): LEGAL ALIENS AND GREEN CARDS

You certainly know that Alien is a 1979 Sci-Fi film famous for the “chestburster scene” in which a monster bursts out of John Hurt’s chest. But if you are imagining that the monster is Quentin you are wrong.

The World Law Dictionary Project defines legal alien as
a person who is living in a country legally but who is not a citizen of that country.

The term includes temporary residents with a visa and who are allowed to stay in a country for a period of time for study or business, and permanent residents. In the USA, if you are a lawful permanent resident that means that you have a green card which is valid for 10 years

John Lennon’s green card. Another Englishman in New York.

In 1990 romantic comedy Green Card, Gerard Depardieu plays the role of an illegal alien from France who enters into a marriage of convenience with an American, played by Andie MacDowell, in order to obtain a Green Card.

DEBATE

• In the song Sting mentions some values; modesty, propriety, gentleness and sobriety, which are not very common today.
• Some think that  we are living the times of celebrities, vacuous fame, verbal abuse and intemperance.
• Another  important issue dealt with in the song is that our mannerism and the choices we make define us as individuals.
• The fear of criticism, prejudices and  alieantion hinders our initiatives.
• Everyone of us has their own views and morals but most of us opt to go with the flow. 

Be yourself. No matter what they say.