"When flesh and steel are one," or How the Show Had to Go On

The "flesh and steel" that Sting originally refers to in his lyrics is not meant to describe what had happened earlier on that day, 9/11/01, the same day of the show that resulted in the recording of his album ...all this time. However, the unspeakable reality of steel, concrete and flesh becoming at once one and nothing was all I could think of as I listened to "Fragile" and watched the DVD as my brother told me the circumstances of that show, recorded live in Italy on the same fateful day. I am sure that Sting and his band felt that even more keenly when they interpreted this song that evening. And yet, in spite of the circumstances, the show had to go on.

I listened to the CD again on our recent trip and I thought that writing about this would be a good way to honor the 8th anniversary of 9/11. Only four days earlier, I had found out I was pregnant and I felt, deep within, that life was fragile indeed. Here's a video of the song, and the lyrics below it.



"Fragile"

 by Sting

If blood will flow when flesh and steel are one
Drying in the colour of the evening sun
Tomorrow's rain will wash the stains away
But something in our minds will always stay
Perhaps this final act was meant
To clinch a lifetime's argument
That nothing comes from violence and nothing ever could
For all those born beneath an angry star
Lest we forget how fragile we are

On and on the rain will fall
Like tears from a star like tears from a star
On and on the rain will say
How fragile we are how fragile we are

On and on the rain will fall
Like tears from a star like tears from a star
On and on the rain will say
How fragile we are how fragile we are
How fragile we are how fragile we are