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 bass 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 This criticism has later been withdrawn.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
The Police Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
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 Police's song Be My Girl can be interpreted in multiple ways, and its meaning varies depending on the perspective of the listener. At its surface level, it appears to be a simple love song expressing the desire for a girl to be in a relationship with the singer. However, the song takes a turn with the introduction of an inflatable doll named Sally. The singer uses the doll as a replacement for a real girlfriend or wife, implying a possible loneliness or dissatisfaction with traditional relationships. Sally brings happiness to the singer's life as she doesn't require constant attention and affection, and her presence is optional. The singer becomes attached to her, even treating her as a real person, stroking her hair and bouncing her around like a rubber ball. The song ends with a repetition of the original lyrics, possibly implying the singer's continued desire for a real relationship despite finding temporary comfort with Sally.
Overall, the song Be My Girl can be taken as a commentary on the challenges of modern relationships and the ease of substituting or settling for less than fulfilling situations. It can also be seen as a critique of consumerism and the commodification of love and relationships, with Sally representing the ultimate consumer product in romantic companionship.
Line by Line Meaning
Won't you be my girl
Asking for someone to be their significant other.
I was blue and lonely
Feeling sad and lonely.
I couldn't sleep a wink
Unable to sleep at all due to their emotions.
And I could only get unconscious
They could only get rest/sleep by knocking themselves out (possibly by drinking).
If I'd had to much to drink
They would drink to the point of being unconscious.
There was somehow, something wrong somewhere
Feeling like something was wrong, without knowing what it was.
And each day seemed grey and dead
Feeling like every day was dull and lifeless.
The seeds of desperation
Feeling desperate and hopeless.
Were growing in me head
Those feelings of desperation were consuming them.
I needed inspiration
They needed something to inspire them or give them motivation.
A brand new start in life
They wanted to start fresh and move forward from their current state of sadness and loneliness.
Somewhere to place affection
They wanted someone to show affection towards.
But I didn't want a wife
But they didn't want to commit to a serious relationship or marriage.
And then by lucky chance I saw
By chance, they found something that would change everything.
In a special magazine
In a unique publication.
An ad that was unusual
An advertisement that was different from the norm.
The like I'd never seen
They'd never seen anything like it before.
"Experience something different
The advertisement offered something unique.
With our new imported toy
With their new imported product/toy.
She's loving, warm, inflatable
The product/toy was inflable and was advertised as friendly and affectionate.
And a guarantee of joy"
The product/toy was guaranteed to bring happiness.
She came all wrapped in cardboard
The product/toy was packaged in cardboard.
All pink and shriveled down
The product/toy was pink and flat when packaged.
A breath of air was all she needed
The product/toy only needed air to function properly.
To make her lose that frown
Blowing air into the toy made it fully functional/happy.
I took her to the bedroom
They brought the toy to their bedroom.
And pumped her with some life
They inflated the toy with air to bring it to life.
And later in a moment
Later on, they had a moment with the toy.
That girl became my wife
The toy became their significant other/wife-figure.
And so I sit her in the corner
They keep the toy in the corner of their room.
And sometimes stroke her hair
Sometimes, they show affection towards the toy.
And when I'm feeling naughty
When feeling playful or suggestive.
I blow her up with air
They inflate the toy with air.
She's cuddly and she's bouncy
The toy is soft and can bounce/move around.
She's like a rubber ball
They compare the toy to a rubber ball.
I bounce her in the kitchen
They physically interact with the toy, bouncing it around their living space.
And I bounce her in the hall
They bounce the toy in different areas of their living space.
And now my life is different
Their life changed after acquiring the toy.
Since Sally came my way
Since acquiring the toy (named Sally).
I wake up in the morning
When waking up.
And have her on a tray
They keep the toy near them when waking up.
She's everything they say she was
The toy lived up to the advertisement's promises.
And I wear a permanent grin
They are consistently happy.
And I only have to worry
Their only worry is that the toy might break.
In case my girl wears thin
If the toy loses air or becomes damaged.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: GORDON MATTHEW SUMNER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Vincenza
on Wrapped Around Your Finger
You consider me the young apprentice
You view me as inexperienced and naive.
Caught between the Scylla and Charibdes
Trapped between two equally difficult and dangerous situations.
Hypnotized by you if I should linger
If I spend enough time with you, I become entranced by your charm and allure.
Staring at the ring around your finger
Fixating on the fact that you are already in a committed relationship.
I have only come here seeking knowledge
My intentions were purely to gain insight and understanding.
Things they would not teach me of in college
Subjects beyond typical education, particularly pertaining to relationships and seduction.
I can see the destiny you sold turned into a shining band of gold
I can see you devoted your life and heart to another through marriage vows
I'll be wrapped around your finger
I will be entirely under your control and influence.
Mephistopheles is not your name
You are not the devil, but you have a similar power and influence over me.
I know what you're up to just the same
I understand your motives and intentions, even if they are not explicitly stated.
I will listen hard to your tuition
I will pay close attention to your teachings and guidance regarding seduction and relationships.
You will see it come to its fruition
You will witness the success of your efforts to control and mold me.
Devil and the deep blue sea behind me
I made the decision to avoid the trap of temptation and turn away from this sin.
Vanish in the air you'll never find me
I will end our relationship and disappear into the background.
I will turn your face to alabaster
I will reveal the truth about your manipulative actions, leaving you pale and guilty.
When you'll find your servant is your master
You will find that I taught you a hard lesson about love and relationships.
You'll be wrapped around my finger
You will realize that I meant more to you than you thought when you had me under your influence.
Daniel
on Roxanne
Algum leitor sabe a letra de Saludos Caballeros ?
Até agora não conseguí !
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