Written by Sting, the song appeared on the band's final album, Synchronicity.
A live version of "Tea in the Sahara" appeared as the B-side to "King of Pain" in Britain and "Wrapped Around Your Finger" in America.
The lyrics of "Tea in the Sahara" were inspired by the Paul Bowles book The Sheltering Sky.
I don't know whether Paul Bowles ever heard it, probably not, but it's still one of my favourite songs.Guitarist Andy Summers, who claimed to have been the one who gave Sting The Sheltering Sky, used a special technique in recording his guitar part for the song, involving turning the guitar up to near-feedback levels and "wobbling" it.
"[1] In his review for Rolling Stone Stephen Holden characterised "Tea in the Sahara" as "Synchronicity's moodiest, most tantalizing song", calling it an "aural mirage that brings back the birdcalls and jungle sounds of earlier songs as whispering, ghostly instrumental voices.
"[2] Stephen Thomas Erlewine of AllMusic said that the song was "hypnotic in its measured, melancholy choruses.
"[3] Ultimate Classic Rock critic Mike Duquette described the song as "a fable about broken promises".