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 This criticism has later been withdrawn.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)
Every Breath YYou Take
The Police Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Every bond you break, every step you take, I'll be watching you
Every single day and every word you say
Every game you play, every night you stay, I'll be watching you
Oh, can't you see you belong to me
How my poor heart aches with every step you take
Every smile you fake, every claim you stake, I'll be watching you
Since you've gone I've been lost without a trace
I dream at night, I can only see your face
I look around but it's you I can't replace
I feel so cold and I long for your embrace
I keep crying, "Baby, baby, please"
Oh, can't you see you belong to me
How my poor heart aches with every step you take
Every move you make and every vow you break
Every smile you fake, every claim you stake, I'll be watching you
Every move you make, every step you take, I'll be watching you
I'll be watching you
Every breath you take and every move you make
Every bond you break, every step you take (I'll be watching you)
Every single day and every word you say
Every game you play, every night you stay (I'll be watching you)
Every move you make, every vow you break
Every smile you fake, every claim you stake (I'll be watching you)
Every single day and every word you say
Every game you play, every night you stay (I'll be watching you)
Every breath you take and every move you make
Every bond you break, every step you take (I'll be watching you)
Every single day and every word you say
Every game you play, every night you stay (I'll be watching you)
Every move you make, every vow you break
Every smile you fake, every claim you stake (I'll be watching you)
Every single day and every word you say
Every game you play, every night you stay (I'll be watching you)
The lyrics of The Police's "Every Breath You Take" appear to be a love song at first glance, but upon further analysis, it is evident that the song is about a possessive and obsessive ex-lover. The lyrics suggest that the singer "will be watching" their former partner's every move, implying that he cannot let go of the relationship and is unwilling to move on. Despite their breakup, the singer still claims that his ex-lover "belongs" to him, and his "poor heart aches" every time she takes a step away.
The second verse suggests that the singer is suffering from separation anxiety, as he is "lost without a trace" since his ex-partner left him. He dreams of her every night and cannot replace her, leading him into a state of coldness, longing for her embrace, and incessant crying. The third verse reiterates the obsessive nature of his love, saying that every move she makes, vow she breaks, and every smile she fakes, he will still be watching her.
The message of the song is quite clear, that true love can cross a line into obsession, leading to toxic behavior. It is a warning to those who may confuse obsessive stalking with love, that such behavior is unhealthy and can be dangerous.
Line by Line Meaning
Every breath you take and every move you make
I am always aware of your existence, even the slightest things that you do, like breathing or moving.
Every bond you break, every step you take, I'll be watching you
If you try to cut ties with me or move away from me, I won't let you do it easily. I'll be constantly monitoring your actions.
Every single day and every word you say
I pay attention to every day you live and every word you express.
Every game you play, every night you stay, I'll be watching you
You lead your life as if you're playing a game, and even when you go to bed at night, I'll be keeping an eye on you.
Oh, can't you see you belong to me
I have a strong sense of ownership over you, and I expect you to recognize that.
How my poor heart aches with every step you take
I experience deep pain and discomfort whenever you distance yourself from me.
Every move you make, every vow you break
I am well-aware of all your actions, including the promises you make and break.
Every smile you fake, every claim you stake, I'll be watching you
You may try to deceive me and make false claims, but I will always see through your facade and keep tabs on you.
Since you've gone I've been lost without a trace
Since you left my life, I haven't been able to find my way back. I'm lost and alone.
I dream at night, I can only see your face
I am haunted by thoughts of you, and see your image in my dreams every night.
I look around but it's you I can't replace
I've tried to fill the void you left with other people, but no one can replace you.
I feel so cold and I long for your embrace
Without your physical presence, I feel empty and cold. I yearn for your affectionate touch.
I keep crying, "Baby, baby, please"
I cry out to you, begging for your return.
I'll be watching you
I will never stop keeping an eye on you, no matter what.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Gordon Sumner
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@alynesinc
Every breath you take
Every move you make
Every bond you break
Every step you take
I'll be watching you
Every single day
Every word you say
Every game you play
Every night you stay
I'll be watching you
Oh, can't you see
you belong to me
How my poor heart aches
with every step you take
Every move you make
Every vow you break
Every smile you fake
Every claim you stake
I'll be watching you
Since you've gone I've been lost without a trace
I dream at night, I can only see your face
I look around but it's you I can't replace
I feel so cold and I long for your embrace
I keep crying, "Baby, baby, please"
@woahwoahwalter
I danced with my girl in the woods to this song. It was a summer evening; the sun was going down. Everything was perfect. I will never forget that experience. She's beautiful.
EDIT: YES. I know that this song is about a stalker, I knew that long before we danced. 😂😂😂
We first kinda of bonded over Stranger Things… and so we kinda started talking about the Snowball, and slow dancing together as time went on…since Mike and Eleven danced to this song at the end of the season, we thought it would be romantic for us to do it as well… AND we’re both onto classic 80’s music like this too, so it just made sense.
Also, the likes are insane… Thank you all! ❤
@alberttjahjadi3124
Anyone watching in April 2024?
@Fokettos._.
Me :>
@ey3s0re_christ12
Right here with ya.✌️
@princessyunyun23
Me 5/4/24
@user-im9km7qs2i
Hello😊
@watcher171
One of the best song ever
@mrmajikjr
This is the kind of song a father dedicates to his son-in-law...
@OliverSalt
mrmajikjr hahaha
@boshjairdlee9682
Genius !
@mrmajikjr
@Andreas Petrikkos That parts to the daughter he lost, and if the son-in-law slips up... he'll be watching him.