Let Your Soul Be Your Pilot
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| "Let Your Soul Be Your Pilot" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Single by Sting | ||||
| from the album Mercury Falling | ||||
| Released | 19 February 1996 | |||
| Studio | Lake House (Wiltshire, England) | |||
| Length | 6:43 | |||
| Label | A&M | |||
| Songwriter | Sting | |||
| Producers |
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| Sting singles chronology | ||||
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| Music video | ||||
| "Let Your Soul Be Your Pilot" on YouTube | ||||
"Let Your Soul Be Your Pilot" is a song by the English musician Sting, released on 19 February 1996, by A&M Records, as the lead single from his fifth solo studio album, Mercury Falling (1996). The soul-influenced track was inspired by a friend suffering from AIDS, and the impact such an event can have on one's outlook on life.[1] "Let Your Soul Be Your Pilot" reached the top 20 in Sting's native UK.[2] The song was nominated for Best Male Pop Vocal Performance at the 1997 Grammy Awards.[3]
"Let Your Soul Be Your Pilot" was inspired by a friend of Sting's who was suffering from AIDS. Sting described it as a "song about death, or dealing with death in a way that offers some sort of hope".[1]
Musically, the song was influenced by Stax artists such as Otis Redding; Percy Sledge and Aretha Franklin were also listed as significant influences.[4] Fitting in with this theme, Sting brought in the Memphis Horns to play on the track.[4]
"Let Your Soul Be Your Pilot" became a top 20 hit in the UK, peaking at number 15.[2] The single was less successful in the US, reaching number 86 on the Billboard Hot 100, although it did better on the Billboard Triple-A chart, peaking at number three.[5] It found its greatest success in Canada, where it entered the top 10, reaching number 7.[6]
Track listings
All tracks were written by Sting, except "Someone to Watch Over Me", written by George and Ira Gershwin.
Standard CD single
- "Let Your Soul Be Your Pilot" (Edit) – 4:31
- "Englishman in New York" – 4:27
- "The Bed's Too Big Without You" – 6:05
- "Let Your Soul Be Your Pilot" (LP Version) – 6:41
CD maxi–single (US and Japan)
- "Let Your Soul Be Your Pilot" (LP Version) – 6:41
- "The Bed's Too Big Without You" – 6:05
- "Someone to Watch Over Me" – 4:00
- "Englishman in New York" – 4:27
Remixes by A & G Division
- "Let Your Soul Be Your Pilot" (A & G Classic Edit) – 4:38
- "Let Your Soul Be Your Pilot" (A & G Full Testament Mix) – 12:32
- "Let Your Soul Be Your Pilot" (A & G Great Divide Mix) – 7:40
- "Let Your Soul Be Your Pilot" (A & G Great Divide Dub) – 12:29
