They Dance Alone


"They Dance Alone " is a protest song composed by English musician Sting and published first on his 1987 album ...Nothing Like the Sun; the song was the fifth and final single released from the album. The song is a metaphor referring to mourning Chilean women who dance the Cueca, the national dance of Chile, alone with photographs of their disappeared loved ones in their hands.
Sting was accompanied by Eric Clapton, Fareed Haque and Mark Knopfler on guitar with Rubén Blades providing additional Spanish vocals.

Song information

Sting explained his song as a symbolic gesture of protest against the Chilean dictator Augusto Pinochet whose regime killed thousands of people between 1973 and 1990. This song was recorded in both English and Spanish. This latter version was titled "Ellas Danzan Solas" and was released on the 1988 EP Nada como el sol.

Live versions

There are several live versions of this song, most notable from the Nelson Mandela 70th Birthday Tribute, from an Amnesty International concert in Buenos Aires with Peter Gabriel and the Mothers of the Plaza de Mayo. On October 13, 1990, Sting played the song at Estadio Nacional in Santiago de Chile.

Charts

YearChartPosition
1988German Single Charts66
1988Dutch Single Charts27
1988UK Singles Chart94

External Links