Sting says he wishes he'd written "many" of Sir Paul McCartney's songs.
Sting idolised Sir Paul McCartney
The 71-year-old former Police frontman was amazed when his 80-year-old hero said he wishes he'd penned his 1993 hit 'Fields Of Gold', and without naming any of McCartney's songs, he said the same goes for him.
Sting told Music Week magazine: “I can't tell you how many songs of Paul McCartney's I wish I'd written.
“So that was a lovely thing for Paul to say. But again, he's one of those people who inspired me to become a songwriter. He's from Liverpool, a working-class guy who conquered the world with his songs, so he gave a whole generation of people behind him the permission to attempt to do the same. And we did.”
Like the 'Let It Be' hitmaker, the 'Every Breath You Take' songwriter is set be honoured with the Fellowship of The Ivors Academy at the Ivor Novellos in London on May 18.
He said: “I think songwriters … we're all connected in many ways.
“You don't become a songwriter just out of nowhere. You become a songwriter because you hear other people's songs, because you're inspired by them, because you learn from them. Everyone in that fellowship is someone whose music has informed my own, and so we stand on the shoulders of giants.”
He already has seven Ivors to his name and insists he doesn't take any of it "for granted".
Sting added: “The actual award itself is probably the most beautiful award you can be given as a piece of art.
“It's a beautiful bronze statuette, which I think was designed by an artist [Hazel Underwood] in 1955. There's a long tradition there, so having another one is good but I just love the event. Songwriting is a craft, and the Ivor Novello is its guild, if you like, so to be invited to be part of the fellowship is a great honour and one I don't take for granted at all.”
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