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 This criticism has later been withdrawn.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)
10-Invisible Sun
The Police Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Oh oh oh oh oh oh
I don't want to spend the rest of my life
Looking at the barrel of an Armalite
I don't want to spend the rest of my days
Keeping out of trouble like the soldiers say
Looking at the walls of a prison cell
I don't ever want to play the part
Of a statistic on a government chart
There has to be an invisible sun
It gives its heat to everyone
There has to be an invisible sun
That gives us hope when the whole day's done
It's dark all day and it glows all night
Factory smoke and acetylene light
I face the day with me head caved in
Looking like something that the cat brought in
There has to be an invisible sun
It gives its heat to everyone
There has to be an invisible sun
That gives us hope when the whole day's done
And they're only going to change this place
By killing everybody in the human race
They would kill me for a cigarette
But I don't even wanna die just yet
There has to be an invisible sun
It gives its heat to everyone
There has to be an invisible sun
That gives us hope when the whole day's done
Oh oh oh oh oh oh
The lyrics of "Invisible Sun" by The Police depict a bleak and hopeless world, where there is constant violence and oppression. The singer expresses his desire to live in a world without conflict, where he is not at the mercy of the military or government. He does not want to be trapped in darkness, surrounded by pollution and artificial light. He feels like he is on the brink of death at all times, and that the only way to change the world is through a violent revolution that would result in the ultimate destruction of humanity.
However, despite the bleakness of the world around him, the singer believes in the existence of an "invisible sun" that provides hope to everyone. This sun represents the light of human resilience and the possibility for a better future. Even in the darkest of times, there is always the potential for change and redemption. The song ultimately suggests that the solution to the world's problems lies in the human spirit, and the resilience and hope that it generates.
The lyrics of "Invisible Sun" are often interpreted as a commentary on the political and social issues of the time, specifically the violence and oppression of the Troubles in Ireland. However, the song's themes are universal and have remained relevant throughout the years. It is a powerful and moving testament to the strength of the human spirit, and its ability to overcome even the darkest of times.
Line by Line Meaning
One, two, three, four, five, six
Counting off the lines, no specific meaning
Oh oh oh oh oh oh
Repeating 'Oh' sounds, no specific meaning
I don't want to spend the rest of my life
Looking at the barrel of an Armalite
I don't want to spend my life living in fear of violence from weapons like the Armalite
I don't want to spend the rest of my days
Keeping out of trouble like the soldiers say
I don't want to live my life under strict military rules and regulations
I don't want to spend my time in hell
Looking at the walls of a prison cell
I don't want to end up in jail, losing my freedom
I don't ever want to play the part
Of a statistic on a government chart
I don't want to become just another number on a government report, lost and forgotten
There has to be an invisible sun
It gives its heat to everyone
There must be something bigger than us that provides warmth and hope to all, regardless of background or circumstance
There has to be an invisible sun
That gives us hope when the whole day's done
This same mysterious force helps us keep hope when the day has been long and difficult
It's dark all day and it glows all night
Factory smoke and acetylene light
The world isn't always a beautiful place, often clouded by pollution and artificial light
I face the day with me head caved in
Looking like something that the cat brought in
Sometimes I feel defeated and worn down after facing the struggles of life
And they're only going to change this place
By killing everybody in the human race
Some people believe that the only way to create change in the world is through violent means, even if it means destroying all human life
They would kill me for a cigarette
But I don't even wanna die just yet
People are willing to go to extreme and violent lengths for seemingly minor things, but I'm not ready to give up on life yet
There has to be an invisible sun
It gives its heat to everyone
The same mysterious force that provides warmth and hope to all is still there, consistent and reliable
There has to be an invisible sun
That gives us hope when the whole day's done
This force gives us hope even when it seems that all hope is lost
Oh oh oh oh oh oh
Repeating 'Oh' sounds, no specific meaning
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: GORDON SUMNER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@johnaylmer3690
@@phibsterletgamer1774 The sad thing is todays Teen is lead to believe Ed Sheeran is talented,so if your unlucky enough as a teen where your parents/older sibling was into shite music in the first place before Simon Cowell and the likes came and murdered music, created a horrible picture of popular music where teens think because it's played on the radio it must be good,most people around them are listening to the same shite because that's all they have ever heard,so they know no better!!
We can't judge Teens for that! In reality the finger should be pointed at other people..
Just go and pick any random week from the 60's/70's/80's and look at the top 50 singles charts, you will know probability 10 and more of these tracks from each week
that you will not only know, you will love so many of those tracks...
In a way I feel privileged to grow up in a time where music was real,fresh,new and with
a concept behind it that you were learning about the world around you without even knowing at times.....But sadly those time are gone:(
Now shaking your ass and having a cool hairstyle sells records..
Please listen to the 2018 British Christmas singles chart number one!!!!
Seriously,How did we get here?
@purplepelican69
The Police weren't around very long as a unit - but long enough to become one of the greatest bands of all time. Immortality guaranteed.
@purple8289
About as long as the Beatles were which seems long enough.
@britgilbert8736
Absolutely
@macmacreynolds8712
They managed to make five albums between 1978 and 83, which is an impressive achievement!
@macmacreynolds8712
@D Z The Beatles lasted a little longer than the Police. 1962-70 and 1977-84, respectively.
@johnblanchett9691
@@macmacreynolds8712 Beatles were playing in Hamburg starting August of 1960 ... if we are getting factual✌
@bop52465
When this is the only footage you get to seen of Northern Ireland (as a Yank) in the early 80s, it stays with you.
@paulmcdonough1093
i was a soldier there in belfast
@rheattegainer3368
Exactly
@jerryhoward8133
Three extremely talented people who made some of the most relevant and powerful music ever created.