Studio Album · No. 11
The Last Ship Songwriting Credits by Sting
Produced by Sting, Rob Mathes · Engineered by Donal Hodgson, Peter Cobbin, Jonathan Allen, Scott Hull
Holds writing credit on 12 of 12 tracks
Authorship Breakdown 12 / 12 documented
Scored across the 12 tracks with documented writers, by whether Sting carries a lyricist or composer credit.
Share of the 12 tracks where a band member is credited, by role.
By the Numbers
Sting wrote seven of the twelve tracks alone. Rob Mathes, who also produced, co-wrote four of the rest, and two songs open the credit out to the northeastern musicians playing on them: 'Ballad of the Great Eastern' carries seven names and 'What Have We Got?' six, including Jimmy Nail and Kathryn Tickell. The songs were written for the stage before they were an album, and the folk, Celtic and sea shanty material comes from that.
The Last Ship was released on 20 September 2013, Sting's first album of new songs in the ten years since Sacred Love. The material was written for his stage musical of the same name, which opened in June 2014, and both draw on the closing of the shipyards at Wallsend where he grew up. Guests from the northeast of England run through it: Jimmy Nail, Brian Johnson of AC/DC, the piper Kathryn Tickell and the Unthanks. Rob Mathes produced with him and co-wrote several tracks. It reached number 13 on the Billboard 200.
Track Listing & Credits 12 tracks
| # | Title | Lyricist(s) | Composer(s) | Producer(s) | Performers |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
The Last Ship
|
Sting | Sting | StingRob Mathes | Sting (Lead Vocals) |
| 2 |
Dead Man's Boots
|
Sting | Sting | StingRob Mathes | Sting (Lead Vocals) |
| 3 |
And Yet
|
Sting | Sting | StingRob Mathes | Sting (Lead Vocals) |
| 4 |
August Winds
|
Sting | Sting | StingRob Mathes | Sting (Lead Vocals) |
| 5 |
Language of Birds
|
StingRob Mathes | StingRob Mathes | StingRob Mathes | Sting (Lead Vocals) |
| 6 |
Practical Arrangement
|
StingRob Mathes | StingRob Mathes | StingRob Mathes | Sting (Lead Vocals) |
| 7 |
The Night the Pugilist Learned How to Dance
|
Sting | Sting | StingRob Mathes | Sting (Lead Vocals) |
| 8 |
Ballad of the Great Eastern
|
StingRob MathesDominic MillerKathryn TickellJo LawryPeter TickellIra Coleman | StingRob MathesDominic MillerKathryn TickellJo LawryPeter TickellIra Coleman | StingRob Mathes | Sting (Lead Vocals) |
| 9 |
What Have We Got?
|
StingJimmy NailKathryn TickellPeter TickellJulian SuttonJo Lawry | StingJimmy NailKathryn TickellPeter TickellJulian SuttonJo Lawry | StingRob Mathes | Jimmy Nail |
| 10 |
I Love Her But She Loves Someone Else
|
StingRob Mathes | StingRob Mathes | StingRob Mathes | Sting (Lead Vocals) |
| 11 |
So to Speak
|
Sting | Sting | StingRob Mathes | Becky Unthank |
| 12 |
The Last Ship (Reprise)
|
Sting | Sting | StingRob Mathes | Sting (Lead Vocals) |