King of Pain

King of Pain

One of the most influential songs for me growing up was "King of Pain" by the Police/Sting. It was a beautiful lyric, poignant in its list of metaphors of pain and isolation. I have done one image before this one based on that lyric, "Looking for the Shadow of a Doubt" and this one was inspired by the same couplet as that one:

"There's a king on a throne with his eyes torn out/There's a blind man looking for the shadow of a doubt…"

It's a really stark image, but powerful in the irony of a king at the seat of power, blind to all he commands, unable to see the riches around him, or perhaps he's the victim of a Caesar-esqe betrayal by those at his command. Either way, our king has lost his power, and his reign is fading, which brings to mind another line of the song:

"I guess I always thought that you could end this reign, but it's my destiny to be the king of pain…"

I hadn't planned on shooting this, but the idea must have been circulating in my head recently, as hard times have come, my mind creates a fitting soundtrack. This song always meant a lot to me, and there never was a video for it - strange, for such a vivid lyric chock full of imagery.

A Before and After version of this image can be seen on my Facebook page:

www.Facebook.com/MichaelBilottaPhotography

Model: Gilberto Mendez