Mercury Falling is the fifth studio album by Sting. It was released in 1996 on A&M Records and was produced by Sting alongside longtime producer Hugh Padgham. The album features many tracks which see elements of soul and country music integrated to a greater extent than on past releases. Supporting musicians on the album include frequent collaborators Dominic Miller on guitar, Kenny Kirkland on keyboards, Vinnie Colaiuta on drums, and Branford Marsalis on tenor and soprano saxophone. Mercury Falling was a success, reaching the top 10 in 18 countries, but failed to match the success of its predecessors. None of its four singles—"Let Your Soul Be Your Pilot", "You Still Touch Me", "I Was Brought to My Senses", and "I'm So Happy I Can't Stop Crying"—were hits across all regions, although the former two did perform well in the UK and especially Canada, where both reached the top 10. The album has been certified Platinum in three different countries (US, UK and Canada) and Gold in nine others. In 1997, the album earned Sting two Grammy nominations—Best Pop Vocal Album and Best Male Pop Vocal Performance for "Let Your Soul Be Your Pilot". Music and lyrics Alongside being used as the album's title, the phrase "mercury falling" appears as the first and last lyrics heard on the album. The lyric was the first written for the album (for "The Hounds of Winter"), and Sting felt the phrase evoked the mood of the record and its variety of styles: "there are so many styles on this record and it darts around from genre to genre and back again. It's a very mercurial record, and it seemed to be the right thing to call the record." "I Hung My Head" is one of many songs on the album to be played in an odd time signature, in this case . Johnny Cash performed a cover of the song on American IV: The Man Comes Around, his final studio album released during his lifetime. "Let Your Soul Be Your Pilot" displays a significant soul influence; Sting has stated that the music of artists such as Otis Redding and Aretha Franklin heavily inspired the track. Expanding on this theme, the Memphis Horns were brought in to play on the track. The lyrics were inspired by a friend who was suffering from AIDS, and how such an event can affect someone's outlook on life. Sting