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 This criticism has later been withdrawn.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)
Darkness
The Police Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I don't see any flaws till I get to my feet
I wish I never woke up this morning
Life was easy when it was boring
I could make up big words so dark
I could be replaced by any bright spark
But darkness makes me fumbleFor a key, to a door that's wide open
Instead of worrying about my clothes
I could be someone that nobody knows
I wish I never woke up this morning
Life was easy when it was boring
I can dream up schemes when I'm sitting in my seat
I don't see any flaws 'til I get to my feet
I wish I never woke up this morning
Life was easy when it was boring
The lyrics to The Police's song, Darkness, convey a sense of disillusionment and dissatisfaction with life. The singer expresses a longing for the simplicity of life before they were burdened with the weight of responsibility and expectation. The opening lines suggest that the singer finds it easier to come up with solutions to problems when they are in a passive state, sitting in their seat. But as soon as they get up to take action, they become aware of the flaws and difficulties of their situation. The singer seems to be grappling with a sense of inadequacy; they feel replaceable and uncertain of their place in the world.
As the song progresses, the singer meditates on the idea of darkness, both literal and metaphorical. They suggest that darkness makes them 'fumble' for a key to a door that is wide open, hinting at a sense of blindness or confusion. The line "I could be someone that nobody knows" suggests that the singer longs for anonymity and freedom from the pressures of society's expectations. Ultimately, the singer appears to be weighed down by the burdens of life, longing for the ease of boredom that they remember from their youth.
Line by Line Meaning
I can dream up schemes when I'm sitting in my seat
I can come up with grand ideas and plans when I'm comfortable and not actually doing anything.
I don't see any flaws till I get to my feet
I don't notice any issues or problems with my ideas until I start acting on them.
I wish I never woke up this morning
I regret having to face reality and deal with my problems today.
Life was easy when it was boring
I long for the simplicity and lack of responsibility in the monotony of daily life.
I could make up big words so dark
I have the ability to craft complex, ominous language that sounds profound but really means nothing.
I could be replaced by any bright spark
My superficial ideas and language are not unique or particularly valuable, anyone could do the same thing.
But darkness makes me fumble
When I'm confronted with actual challenges and difficulties, my empty ideas and language are useless.
For a key, to a door that's wide open
I struggle to find a solution to a problem that is actually simple and easily solvable.
Instead of worrying about my clothes
I should focus on what really matters, rather than getting caught up in superficial details of my appearance.
I could be someone that nobody knows
I have the opportunity to explore new experiences and be someone different from my ordinary self.
I wish I never woke up this morning
Again, I regret having to face reality and deal with my problems today.
Life was easy when it was boring
Reiterating the idea that life seemed easier and more manageable when nothing new or challenging was happening.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Stewart Armstrong Copeland
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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