Let Your Soul Be Your Pilot

"Let Your Soul Be Your Pilot"
Single by Sting
from the album Mercury Falling
Released19 February 1996 (1996-02-19)
StudioLake House (Wiltshire, England)
Length6:43
LabelA&M
SongwriterSting
Producers
Sting singles chronology
"This Cowboy Song"
(1995)		 "Let Your Soul Be Your Pilot"
(1996)		 "You Still Touch Me"
(1996)
Music video
"Let Your Soul Be Your Pilot" on YouTube

"Let Your Soul Be Your Pilot" is a song by the English musician Sting, released on 19 February 1996, by A&M Records, as the lead single from his fifth solo studio album, Mercury Falling (1996). The soul-influenced track was inspired by a friend suffering from AIDS, and the impact such an event can have on one's outlook on life.[1] "Let Your Soul Be Your Pilot" reached the top 20 in Sting's native UK.[2] The song was nominated for Best Male Pop Vocal Performance at the 1997 Grammy Awards.[3]

Background

"Let Your Soul Be Your Pilot" was inspired by a friend of Sting's who was suffering from AIDS. Sting described it as a "song about death, or dealing with death in a way that offers some sort of hope".[1]

Musically, the song was influenced by Stax artists such as Otis Redding; Percy Sledge and Aretha Franklin were also listed as significant influences.[4] Fitting in with this theme, Sting brought in the Memphis Horns to play on the track.[4]

"Let Your Soul Be Your Pilot" became a top 20 sales hit in the UK, peaking at number 15,[2] and was a bigger airplay hit, topping Music & Media's UK airplay chart and making the top five of Music Week's. In the US, most of its success was concetrated to adult alternative radio, reaching number three on Billboard's Triple-A chart while only getting to 86 on the main Hot 100.[5] It was also a top-ten airplay hit in Canada, reaching number seven on RPM's Hit Tracks chart.[6]

Track listings

All tracks were written by Sting, except "Someone to Watch Over Me", written by George and Ira Gershwin.

Standard CD single

  1. "Let Your Soul Be Your Pilot" (Edit) – 4:31
  2. "Englishman in New York" – 4:27
  3. "The Bed's Too Big Without You" – 6:05
  4. "Let Your Soul Be Your Pilot" (LP Version) – 6:41

CD maxi–single (US and Japan)

  1. "Let Your Soul Be Your Pilot" (LP Version) – 6:41
  2. "The Bed's Too Big Without You" – 6:05
  3. "Someone to Watch Over Me" – 4:00
  4. "Englishman in New York" – 4:27

Remixes by A & G Division

  1. "Let Your Soul Be Your Pilot" (A & G Classic Edit) – 4:38
  2. "Let Your Soul Be Your Pilot" (A & G Full Testament Mix) – 12:32
  3. "Let Your Soul Be Your Pilot" (A & G Great Divide Mix) – 7:40
  4. "Let Your Soul Be Your Pilot" (A & G Great Divide Dub) – 12:29

Charts

Release history

Region Date Format(s) Label(s) Ref(s).
United States 13 February 1996 Contemporary hit radio A&M [29]
United Kingdom 19 February 1996
  • CD
  • cassette
 [30]
Japan 26 February 1996
  • Maxi-CD
  • mini-CD
 [31][32]

References

  1. 1 2 "Q – Sting Interview". sting.com. May 1996. Retrieved 25 February 2023.
  2. 1 2 "Sting Chart History". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 25 February 2023.
  3. ↑ Kot, Greg (8 January 1997). "Pumpkins a Smash with 7 Grammy Nominations". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved 25 February 2023.
  4. 1 2 "Mercury Falling Tour Programme". sting.com. 1996. Retrieved 26 February 2023.
  5. ↑ "Sting Chart History". Billboard. Retrieved 25 February 2023.
  6. 1 2 "Top RPM Singles: Image 2950". RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved November 16, 2025.
  7. ↑ "Sting – Let Your Soul Be Your Pilot". ARIA Top 50 Singles.
  8. 1 2 3 "Major Market Airplay" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 13, no. 11. 16 March 1996. p. 31. Retrieved 24 July 2026 – via World Radio History.
  9. ↑ "Eesti Top 20". Sõnumileht (in Estonian). 19 March 1996. p. 9. Retrieved 14 December 2024.
  10. ↑ "Eurochart Hot 100° Singles" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 13, no. 10. 9 March 1996. p. 27. Retrieved 24 July 2026 – via World Radio History.
  11. ↑ "EHR Top 40" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 13, no. 11. 16 March 1996. p. 29. Retrieved 24 July 2026 – via World Radio History.
  12. ↑ "Adult Contemporary Europe Top 25" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 13, no. 17. 27 April 1996. p. 16. Retrieved 24 July 2026 – via World Radio History.
  13. ↑ "Channel Crossovers" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 13, no. 13. 9 March 1996. p. 30. Retrieved 24 July 2026 – via World Radio History.
  14. ↑ Pennanen, Timo (2021). "'Sting'. Sisältää hitin – 2. laitos Levyt ja esittäjät Suomen musiikkilistoilla 1.1.1960-30.6.21" (PDF) (in Finnish). Helsinki: Kustannusosakeyhtiö Otava. p. 247. Retrieved 24 August 2024.
  15. ↑ Pennanen, Timo (2021). "Sting". Sisältää hitin - 2. laitos Levyt ja esittäjät Suomen musiikkilistoilla 1.1.1960–30.6.2021 (PDF). Helsinki: Kustannusosakeyhtiö Otava. p. 247. Retrieved 29 May 2025.
  16. ↑ "Major Market Airplay: France" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 13, no. 12. 23 March 1996. p. 27. Retrieved 24 July 2026 – via World Radio History.
  17. ↑ "Offizielle Deutsche Charts" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts. To see the peak chart position, click 'TITEL VON', followed by the artist's name.
  18. ↑ "Classifiche". Musica e dischi (in Italian). Retrieved 28 May 2022. Set "Tipo" on "Singoli". Then, in the "Artista" field, search "Sting".
  19. ↑ "Major Market Airplay: Italy" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 13, no. 14. 6 April 1996. p. 29.
  20. ↑ "Sting – Let Your Soul Be Your Pilot" (in Dutch). Single Top 100.
  21. ↑ "Major Market Airplay: Poland" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 13, no. 9. 2 March 1996. p. 27. Retrieved 24 July 2026 – via World Radio History.
  22. ↑ "Major Market Airplay: Spain" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 13, no. 8. 24 February 1996. p. 27. Retrieved 24 July 2026 – via World Radio History.
  23. ↑ "Sting Songs and Albums | Full Official Chart History". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 25 July 2026.
  24. ↑ "Top 50 Airplay Chart" (PDF). Music Week. 16 March 1996. p. 19. Retrieved 2 April 2024.
  25. ↑ "The RM Club Chart" (PDF). Record Mirror. Music Week. 2 March 1996. p. 6. Retrieved 22 March 2026.
  26. ↑ "Sting Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard.
  27. ↑ "Sting Chart History (Adult Alternative Airplay)". Billboard.
  28. ↑ "RPM Year End Top 100 Hit Tracks". RPM. Retrieved 10 January 2026 – via Library and Archives Canada.
  29. ↑ "Selected New Releases". Radio & Records. No. 1132. 9 February 1996. p. 28.
  30. ↑ "New Singles". Music Week. 17 February 1996. p. 47.
  31. ↑ "スティング | 魂のパイロット" [Sting | Soul Pilot] (in Japanese). Oricon. Retrieved 10 January 2026.
  32. ↑ "スティング | 魂のパイロット" [Sting | Soul Pilot] (in Japanese). Oricon. Retrieved 11 January 2026.
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