Dave's ESL Cafe's Student Discussion Forums

[existenz]

Shape Of My Heart

He deals the cards as a meditation
And those he plays never suspect
He doesn't play for the money he wins
He doesn't play for the respect
He deals the cards to find the answer
The sacred geometry of chance
The hidden law of probable outcome
The numbers lead a dance

I know that the spades are the swords of a soldier
I know that the clubs are weapons of war
I know that diamonds mean money for this art
But that's not the shape of my heart

He may play the jack of diamonds
He may lay the queen of spades
He may conceal a king in his hand
While the memory of it fades

I know that the spades are the swords of a soldier
I know that the clubs are weapons of war
I know that diamonds mean money for this art
But that's not the shape of my heart
That's not the shape, the shape of my heart

And if I told you that I loved you
You'd maybe think there's something wrong
I'm not a man of too many faces
The mask I wear is one
Those who speak know nothing
And find out to their cost
Like those who curse their luck in too many places
And those who smile are lost

I know that the spades are the swords of a soldier
I know that the clubs are weapons of war
I know that diamonds mean money for this art
But that's not the shape of my heart
That's not the shape of my heart

Sting


Actually, this song has excited me in terms of composition and words. But , unfortunately, I couldn't get the main idea of it. It only looks like a 'vague' song for me.

A lot of expressions are really difficult for me "geometry of chance, The numbers lead a dance .."

[LucentShade]

I would also say that this song is pretty vague. A lot of the metaphors in the lyrics serve to relate the world of love with card games like poker. The lines about "chance" and "dance" relate to card games where one gets random cards, which determine whether the player wins or loses. That's my guess, at least.

[existenz]

yeah, it deals especially with Tarot. Even though it has a lot of complicated terms I'd like to understand it


http://www.telp.com/tarot/uses.htm

[existenz]

I wonder if anyone still can analyze this song

[lotus]

Hi Existenz,

Here's my interpretation of the lyrics (only Sting knows what it really means).

The last non-repeating stanza is the most poetic (all about that later).

In the repeating stanza, he is speaking in first person and is essentially saying that no matter how well he knows gambling, it is not what he really is inside (it's not the "shape of his heart").

I know that the spades are the swords of a soldier
I know that the clubs are weapons of war
I know that diamonds mean money for this art
But that's not the shape of my heart

The first non-repeating stanza speaks in third person about himself and expresses his love for gambling. And that love is not only because of money. It is about his love, excitement and awe for the law of chance (the sacred geometry of chance), and the high he experiences when he gambles (the numbers lead a dance). He finds solace and beauty in gambling.

[Shape Of My Heart]

He deals the cards as a meditation
And those he plays never suspect
He doesn't play for the money he wins
He doesn't play for the respect
He deals the cards to find the answer
The sacred geometry of chance
The hidden law of probable outcome
The numbers lead a dance

The second non-repeating stanza seems to say that he gambles a lot. And because of that, each hand seems to be the same as the last. It's as if he was numb from playing cards (while the memory of it fades).

He may play the jack of diamonds
He may lay the queen of spades
He may conceal a king in his hand
While the memory of it fades

The last non-repeating stanza is the most poetic, and it comes back to first person. He now speaks from his heart. He's saying that the woman he loves may not believe him because he bluffs so well. He has a poker face, and she thinks it's not the real him (the mask I wear is one) - although he's saying it's not fake (I'm not a man of too many faces). He then says that in poker, no one talks; yet, they may know more than those who speak (those who speak know nothing). Those who speak may be losers. But, those who do not (gamblers who curse their luck in too many places) have the same fate, because no one can see beyond their poker face (those who smile are lost). Although he may smile, his love goes unrequited. Therein, lies the irony and sadness of his fate - that no one can really know the shape of his heart.

And if I told you that I loved you
You'd maybe think there's something wrong
I'm not a man of too many faces
The mask I wear is one
Those who speak know nothing
And find out to their cost
Like those who curse their luck in too many places
And those who smile are lost

[Sting]


- lotus

[existenz]

Thanks a million !

I guess if I meet Sting one day, I'll ask him about it