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 This criticism has later been withdrawn.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)
Be My Girl-Sally
The Police Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Won't you be my girl
Won't you be my, be my,
Be my girl
Won't you be my girl
Won't you be my girl
Won't you be my, be my,
Won't you be my girl
Won't you be my girl
Won't you be my, be my,
Be my girl
Won't you be my girl
Won't you be my girl
Won't you be my, be my,
Be my girl
I was blue and lonely,
I couldn't sleep a wink
And I could only get unconscious
If I'd had to much to drink
There was somehow, something wrong somewhere,
And each day seemed grey and dead
The seeds of desperation
Were growing in me head
I needed inspiration,
A brand new start in life,
Somewhere to place affection,
But I didn't want a wife
And then by lucky chance I saw
In a special magazine
An ad that was unusual,
The like I'd never seen,
"Experience something different
With our new imported toy,
She's loving, warm, inflatable
And a guarantee of joy"
She came all wrapped in cardboard,
All pink and shriveled down
A breath of air was all she needed
To make her lose that frown
I took her to the bedroom
And pumped her with some life,
And later in a moment
That girl became my wife
And so I sit her in the corner
And sometimes stroke her hair
And when I'm feeling naughty
I blow her up with air
She's cuddly and she's bouncy,
She's like a rubber ball,
I bounce her in the kitchen
And I bounce her in the hall
And now my life is different
Since Sally came my way
I wake up in the morning
And have her on a tray
She's everything they say she was
And I wear a permanent grin,
And I only have to worry
In case my girl wears thin
Won't you be my girl
Won't you be my girl
Won't you be my, be my,
Be my girl
Won't you be my girl
Won't you be my girl
Won't you be my, be my,
Be my girl
Won't you be my girl
Won't you be my girl
Won't you be my, be my,
Be my girl
Won't you be my girl
Won't you be my girl
Won't you be my, be my,
Be my girl
The lyrics of "Be My Girl-Sally" by The Police is a satirical take on a man's desperate desire for companionship. The song is about a man who is so lonely and miserable that he turns to a blow-up doll for love and affection. The lyrics start with the man's request for someone to be his girl, followed by his confession of his loneliness and desperation which eventually leads him to purchase an inflatable doll. The man describes the doll, Sally, as his wife and love. He claims that she has changed his life and now he wakes up every morning with her by his side. The song concludes with another plea for a girl to be his, but it's unclear if he still wants a real girl or if he's satisfied with Sally.
The irony of the song lies in the fact that the singer's desperation has led him to a form of companionship that is artificial, hollow, and unsatisfying. The song mocks our increasingly consumerist and superficial society, where people seek love and affection through products, rather than human connection. Overall, "Be My Girl-Sally" is a warning against the empty pursuit of material possessions and serves as a reminder that true happiness and fulfillment can only be achieved through genuine human interaction and affection.
Line by Line Meaning
Won't you be my girl
Repetitive plea to a potential girlfriend to say yes and commit to a romantic relationship.
I was blue and lonely,
The singer was feeling sad and alone.
I couldn't sleep a wink
The singer had trouble sleeping due to feeling unhappy.
And I could only get unconscious
The artist could only fall asleep if they were drunk.
If I'd had too much to drink
The artist relied on alcohol to escape their feelings of loneliness.
There was somehow, something wrong somewhere,
The singer sensed something was wrong with their life, but couldn't pinpoint what it was.
And each day seemed grey and dead
The singer felt like each day was dull and unfulfilling.
The seeds of desperation
The artist felt desperate for a change in their life.
Were growing in me head
The artist's desperation was becoming more intense.
I needed inspiration,
The artist needed something to motivate them and give them hope.
A brand new start in life,
The singer wanted to start fresh and leave their unhappiness behind.
Somewhere to place affection,
The artist wanted someone to love and care for.
But I didn't want a wife
The singer wasn't ready for a committed marriage.
And then by lucky chance I saw
The singer stumbled across something that would change their life.
In a special magazine
The singer found what they were looking for in a publication.
An ad that was unusual,
The advertisement was unique and stood out from others.
The like I'd never seen,
The artist had never come across something like this before.
"Experience something different
The advertisement promised something new and exciting.
With our new imported toy,
The product was an imported item that was not commonly found.
She's loving, warm, inflatable
The product was advertised as being affectionate and comfortable to use.
And a guarantee of joy"
The advertisement claimed that the product would bring happiness to its owner.
She came all wrapped in cardboard,
The artist received the product in packaging.
All pink and shriveled down
The product was small and initially unattractive.
A breath of air was all she needed
The product could be inflated easily.
To make her lose that frown
Inflating the product made it look happier.
I took her to the bedroom
The singer brought the product to their private space.
And pumped her with some life,
The singer inflated the product to its full size.
And later in a moment
The artist used the product for its intended purpose.
That girl became my wife
The product became the artist's romantic partner and they developed a close relationship.
And so I sit her in the corner
The singer keeps the product in a specific area of their home.
And sometimes stroke her hair
The singer interacts with the product in a way that is affectionate and intimate.
And when I'm feeling naughty
The artist uses the product in a way that is sexual and provocative.
I blow her up with air
The artist inflates the product to make it bigger and more appealing to use.
She's cuddly and she's bouncy,
The artist finds the product to be comfortable and fun to use.
She's like a rubber ball,
The product is similar to a toy or playful object.
I bounce her in the kitchen
The artist plays with the product in different areas of their home.
And I bounce her in the hall
The singer enjoys using the product and has fun with it in various ways.
And now my life is different
The singer's life has been greatly improved since acquiring and using the product.
Since Sally came my way
The product's name is Sally and it has had a significant impact on the singer's life.
I wake up in the morning
The artist's life is now more fulfilling and enjoyable.
And have her on a tray
The artist keeps the product near them at all times and values its presence.
She's everything they say she was
The product has met and exceeded the expectations set by the advertisement.
And I wear a permanent grin,
The singer is happy and content with their new life and companion.
And I only have to worry
The artist now has fewer worries and feels less stressed.
In case my girl wears thin
The artist is concerned about the product aging or breaking down over time.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA/AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Daniel
on Roxanne
Algum leitor sabe a letra de Saludos Caballeros ?
Até agora não conseguí !
daprendiz1@gmail.com