If You Love Somebody Set Them Free
by Sting
What is “If You Love Somebody Set Them Free” really about?
If you’ve ever wondered what “If You Love Somebody Set Them Free” by Sting is really about, you’re not alone. Let’s break it down.
Sting's 'If You Love Somebody Set Them Free' advocates for the liberation and autonomy in relationships, emphasizing that true love allows personal freedom.
So… what’s this song really about?
Sting's 'If You Love Somebody Set Them Free' is a song that tackles the dichotomy between possession and genuine affection in interpersonal relationships. Its primary message reflects on the idea that love should not be confining or possessive, but should instead encourage liberty and independence. The lyrics suggest a philosophical stance against controlling those we care for and highlight the ultimate act of love as the ability to let go. This theme challenges societal norms that equate love with possession, proposing that real affection empowers the loved one to exist as freely as possible.
The song also touches on broader themes such as materialism and possessiveness over tangible items, reflecting how these impulses can extend into our personal relationships. The bridge of the song subtly criticizes societal conditioning that urges people to bind happiness with ownership, be it material wealth or emotional bonds. The continuous call in the chorus to 'set them free' serves as both a personal resolution and a universal advice, reminding listeners of the spiritual and emotional benefits of embracing a detached form of love that values the other's happiness above personal desire.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: What inspired Sting to write 'If You Love Somebody Set Them Free'?
Sting wrote the song as a response to the claustrophobic relationships and the public's perception of his band, The Police, suggesting a liberation from those pressures.
Q: How did 'If You Love Somebody Set Them Free' perform on the music charts?
The song was a significant success, reaching the top of distinguished charts and helping to establish Sting's solo career.
Lyrics to “If You Love Somebody Set Them Free”
18 Contributors
[Chorus]
If you love somebody (Love somebody)
If you love someone (Love somebody)
If you love somebody (Love somebody)
If you love someone (Love somebody)
Set them free (Free, free, set them free)
Set them free (Free, free, set them free)
Set them free (Free, free, set them free)
Set them free (Free, free, set them free)
[Bridge]
You can't control an independent heart
(Can't hold what you can't keep)
Can't tear the one you love apart
(Can't love what you can't keep)
Forever conditioned to believe that we can't live
We can't live here and be happy with less
So many riches, so many souls
Everything we see there, we want to possess
[Verse 1]
If you need somebody, call my name
If you want someone
You can do, you can do, you can do the same
If you wanna keep something precious
You gotta lock it up and throw away the key
You wanna hold onto your possession
Don't even think about me
[Chorus]
If you love somebody (Love somebody)
If you love someone (Love somebody)
If you love somebody (Love somebody)
If you love someone (Love somebody)
Set them free (Free, free, set them free)
Set them free (Free, free, set them free)
Set them free (Free, free, set them free, oh)
Set them free (Free, free, set them free)
[Outro]
Set them free (Free, free, set them free)
Set them free (Free, free, set them free)
Set them free (Free, free, set them free)
Set them free (Free, free, set them free)
Set them free (Free, free, set them free)
Set them free (Free, free, set them free)