Every Breath You Take
Sting & The Police/The Police Lyrics

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Every breath you take
And every move you make
Every bond you break, every step you take
I'll be watchin' you
Every single day
And every word you say
Every game you play, every night you stay
I'll be watchin' you

Oh, can't you see
You belong to me?
How my poor heart aches
With every step you take

Every move you make
And every vow you break
Every smile you fake, every claim you stake
I'll be watchin' you

Since you've gone I've been lost without a trace
I dream at night, I can only see your face
I look around but it's you I can't replace
I feel so cold and I long for your embrace
I keep cryin', "Baby, baby, please"

Oh, can't you see
You belong to me?
How my poor heart aches
With every step you take

Every move you make
And every vow you break
Every smile you fake, every claim you stake
I'll be watchin' you
Every move you make, every step you take
I'll be watchin' you

I'll be watchin' you
Every breath you take, every move you make
Every bond you break (I'll be watchin' you)
Every single day, every word you say
Every game you play (I'll be watchin' you)
Every move you make, every vow you break
Every smile you fake (I'll be watchin' you)
Every single day, every word you say
Every game you play (I'll be watchin' you)
Every breath you take, every move you make
Every bond you break (I'll be watchin' you)
Every single day, every word you say
Every game you play (I'll be watchin' you)
Every move you make, every vow you break
Every smile you fake (I'll be watchin' you)

Every single day, every word you say
Every game you play (I'll be watchin' you)

Overall Meaning

The song "Every Breath You Take" by Sting & The Police is often misunderstood as a romantic love song when in fact it describes a possessive and obsessive lover who cannot let go of his ex-partner. The song opens with the lyrics "Every breath you take, and every move you make, every bond you break, every step you take, I'll be watching you." The use of the word "watching" is significant as it implies that the singer is obsessively monitoring the movements and actions of the person they are singing about. The lyrics "Oh, can't you see? You belong to me. How my poor heart aches, with every step you take" highlights the possessive nature of the singer and his need to control the other person.

The chorus repeats the lyrics "Every move you make, and every vow you break, every smile you fake, every claim you stake, I'll be watching you." The use of this repetition emphasizes the singer's obsessive nature and his unwillingness to let go of his ex-partner. The second verse describes the singer's melancholy and loneliness since the other person has left. The lyrics "Since you've gone, I've been lost without a trace, I dream at night I can only see your face" highlights the fact that the singer has been unable to move on from the relationship.

Line by Line Meaning

Every breath you take
Every inhale and exhale you make

And every move you make
And every physical action you perform

Every bond you break, every step you take
Every relationship you end and every direction you go

I'll be watchin' you
I will constantly monitor and observe you

Every single day
Every day, all the time

And every word you say
And every spoken or written sentence you communicate

Every game you play, every night you stay
Everything you do for amusement and every evening you spend

I'll be watchin' you
I will keep a close eye on you

Oh, can't you see
Don't you realize

You belong to me?
You are my possession?

How my poor heart aches
How my heart is in pain

With every step you take
Every time you move forward

Every move you make
Every physical action you accomplish

And every vow you break
And every promise you fail to keep

Every smile you fake, every claim you stake
Every insincere grin you produce and every declaration you make

I'll be watchin' you
I will be constantly monitoring you

Since you've gone I've been lost without a trace
Since you left, I have been completely directionless

I dream at night, I can only see your face
During my dreams, the only thing I see is your image

I look around but it's you I can't replace
I search for a replacement, but cannot find someone like you

I feel so cold and I long for your embrace
I feel emotionally distant and desire to be held by you

I keep cryin', "Baby, baby, please"
I repeatedly weep and plead for your return

Every move you make
Every physical action you perform

And every vow you break
And every promise you fail to keep

Every smile you fake, every claim you stake
Every insincere grin you produce and every declaration you make

I'll be watchin' you
I will be constantly monitoring you

Every move you make, every step you take
Every physical action you perform and every direction you go

I'll be watchin' you
I will be constantly monitoring you

Every breath you take, every move you make
Every inhale and exhale you make and every physical action you perform

Every bond you break (I'll be watchin' you)
Every relationship you end, I will constantly monitor and observe you

Every single day, every word you say
Every day, all the time, every spoken or written sentence you communicate

Every game you play (I'll be watchin' you)
Everything you do for amusement, I will keep a close eye on you

Every move you make, every vow you break
Every physical action you perform and every promise you fail to keep

Every smile you fake (I'll be watchin' you)
Every insincere grin you produce, I will constantly monitor and observe you