Inspired by my trip to The Dallas Museum of Art this past Sunday to see The Body Beautiful in Ancient Greece exhibit, for Week Seventy, I am going to offer you selections that have mythological references in the lyrics:
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You may recall that I have already offered you at least two songs with mythological references thus far. During She & Him Week, I talked about Orpheus and Persephone (as well as Hades) in "Don't Look Back", and during Peter Murphy Week, I mentioned that Orphee in "Indigo Eyes" is said to also be a reference to Orpheus.
Something that you may or may not know about Sting, the lead singer of The Police, is that he taught for a few years before becoming a full-time musician, which would explain his knowledge of Scylla and Charybdis in today's song, "Wrapped Around Your Finger".
The tale of Scylla and Charybdis has always been one of my favorites from The Adventures of Ulysses, which I taught to my seventh graders for nine years in a row --- and I never tired of it! Even when the school forced me to select new literature textbooks, since the textbooks I had been using were falling apart, I still kept those old ones with the sole purpose of teaching The Adventures of Ulysses...
Scylla was the six-headed sea creature, who was described to have a spider-like body and snake-like heads (in our story), and Charybdis was the whirlpool, who was described as a bladder-like creature with flippers (in our story). Ulysses had to decide if he would steer his ship closer to Scylla, where he would inevitably lose a minimum of six men, or closer to Charybdis, where he would potentially lose his entire ship to the whirlpool. In the end, he determined that it was safer to steer clear of the whirlpool, and six of his men were immediately devoured upon passing by.
I have always had the sneaking suspicion that the lines "I will turn your flesh to alabaster; When you find your servant is your master" also references Ulysses returning to his castle as a beggar in order to determine what it will take to defeat the suitors who are waiting to win the hand of Penelope...who knows, but maybe so...
So terribly sorry, but this will be the only video by The Police that I will offer you today because I will have an entire week dedicated to this band at some point in the future...
You consider me the young apprentice
Caught between the Scylla and Charybdis
Hypnotized by you if I should linger
Staring at the ring around your finger
I have only come here seeking knowledge
Things they would not teach me of in college
I can see the destiny you sold
Turned into a shining band of gold
I'll be wrapped around your finger
I'll be wrapped around your finger
Mephistopheles is not your name
I know what you're up to just the same
I will listen hard to your 'tuition
You will see it come to its fruition
I'll be wrapped around your finger
I'll be wrapped around your finger
Devil and the deep blue sea behind me
Vanish in the air you'll never find me
I will turn your flesh to alabaster
When you will find your servant is your master
Ohhh, you'll be wrapped around my finger
You'll be wrapped around my finger
You'll be wrapped around my finger
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