The band reunited in January 2007 for a reunion tour that lasted until August 2008.
Biography
The Police formed in early 1977 in London by Stewart Copeland (drums), Gordon Sumner, better known as Sting (bass and lead vocals), and Henry Padovani (guitar). Andy Summers later joined the group, and after a very short stint as a quartet, Padovani left the band. The Police became one of the most popular bands in the late 70s and throughout the 80s.
The Police are notable as one of the first mainstream white pop groups to adopt reggae as a predominant musical form and to score major international hits with reggae-styled material. (The first all-white reggae band with permanent members and frequent recording in Europe was Peps Blodsband, lead by Peps Persson from south Sweden who changed from blues to reggae 1974/75). Although reggae was already very popular in the United Kingdom (due to the large number of Caribbean immigrants) and a number of Western European countries, reggae was little known in the United States and rejected by most black artists in U.S, and prior to the emergence of the Police only a handful of reggae songs had enjoyed any significant chart success. The Police, UB40, The Clash and Bob Marley (Jamaican, partly living in England after being shot in Jamaica, are considered with a number of new wave, rock and ska bands as one of the leaders of the Second British Invasion of the U.S.
The Police were strongly influenced by reggae (especially reggae drumming and base lines), jazz and, in the beginning, punk rock – something that came to be shifted more and more towards pop during the 80s. Their lyrics also changed from challenging, but yet somewhat politically restrained punk- and new wave lyrics, to after 1982 in some songs emphasize environmental awareness and human oneness. The biggest hits, however, had romantic or sexual themes. The Police met together with other "white" British bands which played reggae, as UB40, criticism from black English rastafarian reggae bands like Aswad (in a BBC documentary on TV) and Steel Pulse, for being accomplices in the music industry of "Babylon", stealing the Caribbean slave descendants' musical treasure. This criticism has later been withdrawn. Aswad has even made the covers of Police songs like "Roxanne".
Tension grew between the band members, because unlike most other bands, they did not share songwriting credits. They released their last album, Synchronicity, in 1983, selling over 8 million copies. Synchronicity is critically regarded as their best album, with hits such as Synchronicity II, King of Pain, and probably their best known song, Every Breath You Take. In 1984, after touring in support of Synchronicity, The Police went on hiatus while Sting pursued his acting and solo music careers. Two years later, The Police reformed and played a few concerts for Amnesty International. Soon after the band went into the studio. Sting wanted to re-record their old songs but Andy and Stewart wanted to leave the originals alone and only two songs were re-recorded during these studio sessions. Although the group is considered to have disbanded in 1984, 1986 was the last time The Police engaged in any musical activity.
In 1992 the band released "Message in a Box", their 4 CD box set, and performed at Sting's wedding to Trudie Styler. A live CD was released in June 1995. On March 10, 2003 The Police were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and performed Message in a Bottle, Roxanne and Every Breath You Take.
The Police reformed in 2007 and opened the Grammy award ceremony of that year with a performance of Roxanne. Towards the end of May the band began a world tour. In 2008 the tour ended at Madison Square Garden, New York on August 7, and The Police disbanded for good. Sting was quoted towards the end of the tour that he had achieved closure with the band and revealed that The Police would never tour or record again.
Sting has said that the material on the album Ghost in the Machine were inspired by the writings of Arthur Koestler, and that the Police's final studio album Synchronicity was influenced by the writings of Carl Jung. Sting also peppers his songs with literary allusions: the song "Don't Stand So Close to Me" mentions Vladimir Nabokov's novel Lolita; "Tea in the Sahara" alludes to the novel The Sheltering Sky by Paul Bowles; and "Wrapped Around Your Finger" refers both to the sea monsters Scylla and Charybdis, from Greek mythology, and to Mephistopheles, from the German legend of Faust .
Discography
* Outlandos d'Amour (1978)
* Reggatta de Blanc (1979)
* Zenyatta Mondatta (1980)
* Ghost in the Machine (1981)
* Synchronicity (1983)
02-So Lonely
The Police Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
That when you throw your love away
You act as if you just don't care
You look as if you're going somewhere
But I just can't convince myself
I couldn't live with no one else
And I can only play that part
So lonely
So lonely
So lonely
So lonely
So lonely
So lonely
So lonely
So lonely
So lonely
So lonely
So lonely
So lonely
Now no one's knocked upon my door
For a thousand years or more
All made up and nowhere to go
Welcome to this one man show
Just take a seat they're always free
No surprise, no mystery
In this theater that I call my soul
I always play the starring role
So lonely
So lonely
So lonely
So lonely
So lonely
So lonely
So lonely
So lonely
So lonely
So lonely
So lonely
So lonely
Lonely, I'm so lonely
So lonely
So lonely
So lonely
So lonely
So lonely
Lonely, I'm so lonely
I feel so alone
I feel low
I feel so
Feel so low
I feel low, low
I feel low, low, low
I feel low, low, low
I feel low, low, low
I feel low, low, low
I feel low, low, low
Low, I feel low
I feel low
I feel low
I feel so lonely
I feel so lonely
I feel so lonely, lonely, lonely, lone
Lone, lone, lone
I feel so lonely
So lonely
So lonely
So lonely
So lonely
So lonely
So lonely
So lonely
So lonely
So lonely
So lonely
So lonely
So lonely
I feel so lonely
I feel so lonely
I feel so lonely
I feel so lonely
I feel so lonely
I feel so lonely
I feel so lonely
I feel so lonely
I feel so lonely
"So Lonely" by The Police is a song that deals with the feelings of loneliness and isolation that the singer experiences after a failed relationship. The singer is aware that throwing love away is careless, yet cannot bring himself to move on and be with someone else. He is stuck in his own heartbreak and can only play the role of someone who is lonely and broken-hearted. The lyrics suggest that the singer is aware that his behavior is leading him further towards loneliness, and that he is resigned to his fate.
The second half of the song takes the form of an introspective monologue, where the singer acknowledges that he has been alone for a long time, with no one to turn to. The metaphor of a 'one-man show' suggests that the singer is the only one in control, and that he is always performing for an empty audience. The imagery create a sense of despair and futility, as the singer feels that his life has no meaning, and that he is trapped in a cycle of despair.
The lyrics of "So Lonely" highlight the feelings of isolation and loneliness that can come with failed relationships. The song is a powerful and poignant expression of the human experience, capturing the sense of hopelessness and despair that often accompanies heartbreak.
Line by Line Meaning
Well someone told me yesterday
I heard from someone that when you throw away your love, you act indifferent as if you're moving on.
That when you throw your love away
When you discard your love, you behave as if you don't care.
You act as if you just don't care
Your behavior indicates indifference which implies you don't care.
You look as if you're going somewhere
Your outward appearance conveys the impression that you're moving forward.
But I just can't convince myself
I'm unable to persuade myself otherwise.
I couldn't live with no one else
I don't want to live without someone by my side.
And I can only play that part
I'm only capable of being the person I am, despite how it makes me feel.
And sit and nurse my broken heart
I'm left alone to tend to my wounded heart.
So lonely
I'm feeling incredibly lonely.
Now no one's knocked upon my door
No one's come to visit me in a very long time.
For a thousand years or more
It's been ages since anyone has come by.
All made up and nowhere to go
I've prepared myself for company, but there's nowhere to go.
Welcome to this one man show
It's only me one here, performing for myself.
Just take a seat they're always free
You're welcome to join me, there are plenty of empty seats.
No surprise, no mystery
There's no excitement or intrigue here.
In this theater that I call my soul
My emotions are on display for all to see, like a theatrical performance.
I always play the starring role
I'm always the center of attention, whether I like it or not.
Lonely, I'm so lonely
I'm incredibly lonely.
I feel so alone
I feel very isolated from everyone else.
I feel low
I'm feeling down and disheartened.
I feel so
I feel a certain way, but it's hard to articulate.
Feel so low
I'm feeling very down and dejected.
I feel low, low
I'm feeling incredibly sad and hopeless.
I feel low, low, low
I'm feeling very depressed and helpless.
I feel low, low, low
I'm feeling very down and distressed.
I feel low, low, low
I'm feeling incredibly low and despondent.
I feel low, low, low
I'm feeling completely hopeless and despairing.
Low, I feel low
I'm feeling incredibly down and unmotivated.
I feel low
I'm feeling disheartened and discouraged.
I feel low
I'm feeling down and hopeless.
I feel so lonely
I'm feeling very isolated and disconnected from everyone else.
I feel so lonely
I'm feeling very alone and withdrawn.
I feel so lonely, lonely, lonely, lone
I'm feeling incredibly lonely and isolated. It's a constant feeling.
Lone, lone, lone
I'm completely alone, with no one else around.
I feel so lonely
I'm feeling incredibly alone and isolated.
So lonely
I'm feeling very lonely.
So lonely
I'm feeling incredibly lonely.
So lonely
I'm feeling completely alone and despondent.
So lonely
I'm feeling very lonely and disconnected from everyone else.
So lonely
I'm feeling incredibly alone, with no one to talk to.
So lonely
I'm feeling completely isolated and disconnected from everyone else.
So lonely
I'm feeling very alone and withdrawn.
So lonely
I'm feeling incredibly lonely and unmotivated.
So lonely
I'm feeling completely isolated and cut off from everyone else.
So lonely
I'm feeling very disheartened and discouraged.
So lonely
I'm feeling incredibly lonely and despondent.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: CHRISTOPHER EATON, GORDON SUMNER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Dani Djm
Still rockin to this tune!! Love it so much, makes me get up and dance!!!!!
Lance Stewart
Brings me back to the days when I was like - who and the hell are 'the police'? This album ranks just behind 'miles davis - in a slient way', in my music collection. 1 of my top 5 of all time.