This song is named after a chapter in the book The Sheltering Sky by Paul Bowles. In the chapter, the main character engages in a bit of late-night prostitution in a tent in the desert with three sisters who are part of a caravan. This provided lyrical content for the song: "My sisters and I... have one wish before we die."
The elegant soundscape on this song was crafted in large part by guitarist Andy Summers. "He expanded the vocabulary of the instrument beyond guitar solos, guitar parts and rhythm guitar into tracks like 'Walking On The Moon' and 'Tea In The Sahara' where you can't hear somebody playing the guitar but there's this orchestral envelope around the whole track," Police drummer Stewart Copeland told Songfacts. "That is something that Andy created."
Tea In The Sahara wasn't released as a single, but The Police played it on their Synchronicity tour, with Sting playing an oboe at the end of the song. Synchronicity ended up being the last studio album from the group; when the tour ended in 1984 they parted ways, and when they reconvened in 1986 it was clear they could no longer work together. They did reunite for a tour in 2007, but didn't attempt an album.
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