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 This criticism has later been withdrawn.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 do do do de da da da
The Police Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Words are hard to find
They're only cheques I've left unsigned
From the banks of chaos in my mind
And when their eloquence escapes me
Their logic ties me up and rapes me
Is all I want to say to you
De-do-do-do, de-da-da-da
Their innocence will pull me through
De-do-do-do, de-da-da-da
Is all I want to say to you
De-do-do-do, de-da-da-da
They're meaningless and all that's true
Poets, priests and politicians
Have words to thank for their positions
Words that scream for your submission
And no one's jamming their transmission
'Cause when their eloquence escapes you
Their logic ties you up and rapes you
De-do-do-do, de-da-da-da
Is all I want to say to you
De-do-do-do, de-da-da-da
Their innocence will pull me through
De-do-do-do, de-da-da-da
Is all I want to say to you
De-do-do-do, de-da-da-da
They're meaningless and all that's true
De-do-do-do, de-da-da-da
Is all I want to say to you
De-do-do-do, de-da-da-da
Their innocence will pull me through
De-do-do-do, de-da-da-da
Is all I want to say to you
De-do-do-do, de-da-da-da
They're meaningless and all that's true
The lyrics to The Police's "De Do Do Do De Da Da Da" are a commentary on the power and limitations of language. The singer confesses that words are difficult for him to find, likening them to "cheques I've left unsigned." He suggests that his mind is a chaotic place, full of ideas that he struggles to express. And yet, he finds solace in a simple, meaningless phrase: de do do do, de da da da. These sounds have no real meaning, but they are comforting to him nonetheless. The innocence of the phrase, and the lack of any real content, seems to help him escape the thorny tangle of language and logic that can tie him up and "rape" him.
The song also critiques those who use words to manipulate others. The stanza about poets, priests, and politicians is particularly pointed in its criticism. These figures are all in positions of power, and they use language to scream for our submission. They are able to convince us of their ideas and agendas simply through their eloquence. But the singer suggests that this power is not always benign; it can be used to tie us up and rape us, just as language can be confusing and limiting for him.
Overall, the song seems to suggest that language is a double-edged sword. It can be beautiful and powerful, but it can also be used to oppress and manipulate. Sometimes, the best we can do is escape into meaningless, innocent sounds like de do do do, de da da da.
Line by Line Meaning
Don't think me unkind
Please don't misinterpret what I'm about to say as me being uncaring or unfeeling.
Words are hard to find
I'm struggling to express myself properly because conveying my emotions through words is challenging.
They're only cheques I've left unsigned
The words I've been trying to articulate are like checks I've written but haven't signed yet. I know what I want to say, but I can't quite get it out.
From the banks of chaos in my mind
My thoughts are jumbled and chaotic, making it difficult to formulate a cohesive message.
And when their eloquence escapes me
Sometimes I lose my train of thought or struggle to say what I mean in a clear and elegant way.
Their logic ties me up and rapes me
In those moments when I can't communicate effectively, it feels like my own thoughts are holding me captive in a sense, leaving me feeling violated.
De-do-do-do, de-da-da-da
Sometimes it feels like the only thing I can do is rely on meaningless sounds to express myself, like these syllables.
Is all I want to say to you
Even though I know my words are insufficient, I still want to say something to you.
Their innocence will pull me through
Even though my words may be nonsensical or trivial, I hope their purity and sincerity will still carry some weight.
They're meaningless and all that's true
While my words might be empty, vacuous or devoid of substance, they are still sincere and true to how I feel.
Poets, priests and politicians
These people occupy positions of power by using their words and influence to move others in a certain direction.
Have words to thank for their positions
These individuals have harnessed the power of words to achieve their status and maintain their authority.
Words that scream for your submission
The words these people use aren't just persuasive, they can also be coercive and manipulative, seeking to subjugate others to their will.
And no one's jamming their transmission
Even though some people might resist or try to shut down the kind of messaging that these powerful individuals espouse, often their voices cannot be silenced.
De-do-do-do, de-da-da-da
This refrain still feels like the only way I can express myself in a way that's both honest but also inadequate.
Is all I want to say to you
Regardless of how diminished my words may be, I still want to try and communicate something to you.
Their innocence will pull me through
Despite the potential for my words to feel ridiculous or superficial, I hope the sincerity and naivete behind them will speak to you in some way.
They're meaningless and all that's true
My words may be silly and empty, but they are still authentic and reflect my true feelings.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Gordon Sumner
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@cellperfecto421
The Virgin Tooru vs The Chad Joshu.
@nuffer_j
can't wait for their epic battle
@fluffyyutyrannus
Joshu the simp that destroys simps
@axelnahuelvelardes6011
@@fluffyyutyrannus The simp master 9000
@ludwigvansolo1999
Correct
@blu2954
Bruh all Joshu has to do is make Tooru see his hair. That hairstyle will make any enemy stand user immediately retire.
@JimSting
Not just an iconic 80s band. An iconic band, period.
@ArthurMorg4n
Timeless
@bonhyungkoo5475
We all pursue for great music like this at times of calamity
@Paulcitomusic
I hope so. There's a standing message to this song too. In such times, trust yourselves but don't trust what leaders or talkmasters ("important" people) are telling you through the TV screen. For example, you may like, or may not like, Pope Francis. That is up to you. But he has nothing to offer you, like him or not. You are on your own. And it's very unfair and very hard but it is possible you can help your neighbor as you might get helped in such a time.