All This Time (Sting song)

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All This Time is a song by Sting, released as the first single from his 1991 album The Soul Cages. It came out on December 31, 1990 (UK) and was issued in January 1991 in Japan, on A&M Records. The track was a hit, especially in North America, and helped introduce the album.

Lyrics and meaning
- The song has a dark subject: the death of Sting’s father. The lyrics feature a boy named Billy who, at his father’s death, wishes to bury him at sea rather than follow the Catholic funeral ritual.
- Despite the heavy theme, the music is upbeat. Sting has said the imagery—ferries, priests, shipyards—came from his childhood hometown and that he liked pairing dark themes with lively music.

Music video
- The video is set on a wobbly cruise ship. Melanie Griffith plays a manicurist, and Sting’s wife, Trudie Styler, is dressed as a French maid.
- It borrows the comic feel of a Marx Brothers film. As the ship fills with people, priests appear from a bathtub, a boy reacts in fear, and a man contemplates drowning himself but ends up boarding. In the end, Sting’s character is seen sinking into the ocean as a lifebuoy is thrown.

Release and formats
- UK releases (31 December 1990) included 7-inch, 12-inch, CD, and cassette formats.
- Japan releases (21 January 1991) included mini-CD and maxi-CD formats.
- Different formats featured various B-sides and live tracks.

Chart performance
- United States: reached No. 5 on the Billboard Hot 100 and topped the Mainstream Rock and Modern Rock charts.
- Canada: reached No. 1 on RPM’s Top Singles chart; also charted on RPM’s Adult Contemporary list.
- United Kingdom: peaked around No. 22.
- The song also appeared on charts in several other countries.

Live performances and album
- All This Time opened Sting’s The Soul Cages tour.
- It was not regularly performed again until 2000 during the Brand New Day tour.
- The song’s title was used for the live album All This Time, recorded in 2001 in Tuscany.

Track listings (brief)
- 7-inch single: All This Time / I Miss You Kate (instrumental).
- Other formats included additional tracks such as live versions of King of Pain and other songs.