Fragile (Sting song)

"Fragile"
Single by Sting
from the album ...Nothing Like the Sun
Released	1 April 1988 (UK) [1]
Recorded	1987
Genre	Acoustic rock, jazz
Length	3:54
Label	A&M
Songwriter(s)	Sting
Producer(s)	Sting
Sting singles chronology
"Englishman in New York" (1988) "Fragile" (1988) "They Dance Alone (Cueca Solo)" (1988)

"Fragile" is a song written and performed by English musician Sting from his second studio album, ...Nothing Like the Sun (1987). Released as a single the following year by A&M, it peaked at number 70 on the UK Singles Chart. Sung additionally in both Spanish and Portuguese under the titles "Fragilidad" and "Frágil", it appeared twice more on his 1988 EP variant of the album, Nada como el sol . The Spanish version features as a B-side to "I'm So Happy I Can't Stop Crying".

Background

The song is a tribute to Ben Linder, an American civil engineer who was killed by the Contras in 1987 while working on a hydroelectric project in Nicaragua. ^[2] In a 1994 interview with Miami Herald , Sting said that the song's meaning "changes yearly. When I sing it now I think of Bosnia and Yugoslavia." ^[3]

The guitars on "Fragile" were played by Sting. Miller remarked in a 1999 interview with Virtual Guitar Magazine that Sting was "quite proud of the fact that he played guitar on the recording". He said that Sting would bar him from playing guitar for live performances of "Fragile" in response to Miller incorrectly telling fans that he played guitar on the song. Instead, Miller was assigned to bass guitar for live renditions of "Fragile". ^[2]

I meet a lot of fans who think that I played [the guitars on "Fragile"]. I tell Sting that I say I did. It really pisses him off! So, his comeback is not letting me play it live. It's been like that for years now and I'm delegated [sic] to bass.

— Dominic Miller ^[2]

The song appeared in the 1995 Oscar-nominated documentary The Living Sea . ^[4] It was the first song performed in Sting's All This Time concert, recorded on the evening of the September 11 attacks in 2001. Sting also performed the song with cellist Yo Yo Ma during the opening ceremonies of the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City, Utah. A version of the song with Julio Iglesias was included on Sting's Duets compilation album (2021).

Track listings

UK 7-inch Single "Fragile" "Frágil" (Portuguese) Bolivian 7-inch Single "Fragil" "Si Estamos Juntos" UK CD Single / UK 12-inch Single "Fragile" – 3:45 "Frágil" – 3:50 "Frágilidad" – 3:52 "Mariposa Libre" – 4:54 Spanish 7-inch Single "Fragile" – 3:54 "Frágil" (Portuguese) – 3:50 European 7-inch Single "Fragile" – 3:54 "Frágil" (Portuguese) – 3:50 West German 12-inch Maxi Single / European CD Maxi Single "Fragile" – 3:54 "Up From The Skies" – 10:06 "Someone to Watch Over Me" – 4:32 Uruguayan 7-inch Single "Fragile" (In Spanish) – 3:55 "Conversation With A Dog" – 3:34

Canadian 7-inch Single / US 7-inch Single / Japanese 3-inch CD Single / Japanese Promo 3-inch CD Single "Fragile" – 3:54 "Fragilidad" (Spanish) – 3:52 Portuguese 7-inch Single "Fragile" – 3:54 "Frágil" (Portuguese) – 3:52 US Promo 7-inch Single "Fragile" – 3:54 "Fragile" – 3:54 French 7-inch Single / French CD Single "Fragil" (Portugues) – 3:50 "Mariposa Libre" – 4:54 Spanish 7-inch Single "Fragilidad" – 3:52 "Fragil" (Portugues) – 3:50 Mexican 7-inch Promo Single "Fragilidad" – 3:52 "Fragilidad" – 3:52 French 12-inch Promo Single "Fragil" (Portugues) – 3:50 "Fragil" (Portugues) – 3:50

Charts

Weekly charts Chart (1988) Peak position Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders) [5] 11 France (SNEP) [6] 94 Italy (FIMI) [7] 25 Netherlands (Dutch Top 40) [8] 10 Netherlands (Single Top 100) [9] 12 Poland (LP3) [10] 1 Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade) [11] 64 UK Singles (OCC) [12] 70 West Germany (GfK) [13] 92

Year-end charts Chart (1988) Position Netherlands (Dutch Top 40) [14] 82 Netherlands (Single Top 100) [15] 92 Poland (LP3) [16] 1

Cover versions

Isaac Hayes recorded a cover in 1995, and it stayed in the top 100 for two weeks. ^[17]

Pianist Kenny Barron recorded a cover of "Fragile" on his album The Moment . ^[18] Barron re-recorded the song with Regina Carter for their 2001 album Freefall . ^[19]

References

1. "Sting singles".
2. Sting. "Sting | Discography | Fragile, 7". Sting.com. Retrieved 2025-02-16.
3. Sting (20 February 1994). "Sting without pain: Pop philosopher king lightens up without laying down his crown". Miami Herald . Retrieved 16 February 2025– via Sting.com.
4. West, Aaron J. (2015). Sting and The Police: Walking in Their Footsteps. Lanham, Maryland: Rowman & Littlefield. p. 48. ISBN   978-0-8108-8491-5.
5. "Sting – Fragile" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50. Retrieved 9 May 2020.
6. "Sting – Fragile" (in French). Les classement single. Retrieved 9 May 2020.
7. "Sting – Fragile". Top Digital Download. Retrieved 9 May 2020.
8. "Nederlandse Top 40 – week 23, 1988" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40. Retrieved 9 May 2020.
9. "Sting – Fragile" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved 9 May 2020.
10. "Lista Przebojów Programu 3" (in Polish). LP3 . Retrieved 14 May 2020.
11. "Sting – Fragile". Swiss Singles Chart. Retrieved 9 May 2020.
12. "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 9 May 2020.
13. "Offiziellecharts.de – Sting – Fragile" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts. Retrieved 9 May 2020.
14. "Top 100-Jaaroverzicht van 1988". Dutch Top 40. Retrieved 9 May 2020.
15. "Jaaroverzichten – Single 1988". dutchcharts.nl. Retrieved 9 May 2020.
16. "Podsumowanie roku 1988 na LP3" (in Polish). LP3 . Retrieved 14 May 2020.
17. official charts website - Isaac Hayes
18. Dryden, Ken. "Moment - Kenny Barron". AllMusic . Retrieved 16 February 2025.
19. Ginell, Richard S. "Freefall - Kenny Barron, Regina Carter". AllMusic. Retrieved 16 February 2025.