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 ā 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 This criticism has later been withdrawn.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)
If Somebody Set Them Free
The Police Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Free, free, set them free.
Free, free, set them free.
Free, free, set them free.
If you need somebody, call my name.
If you want someone, you can do the same.
If you want to keep something precious,
You want to hold on to your possessions, don't even think about me.
If you love somebody, if you love someone,
If you love somebody, if you love someone set them free.
(Free, free, set them free.)
Set them free.
(Free, free, set them free.)
Set them fee.
(Free, free, set them free.)
Set them free.
(Free, free, set them free.)
If it's a mirror you want just look into my eyes,
Or a whipping boy, someone to despise.
Or a pris'ner in the dark tied up in chains you just can't see
or a beast in a gilded cage; that's all some people ever want to be.
If you love somebody, if you love someone,
If you love somebody, if you love someone set them free.
(Free, free, set them free.)
Set them free.
(Free, free, set them free.)
Set them fee.
(Free, free, set them free.)
Set them free.
(Free, free, set them free.)
You can't control an independent heart,
(Can't love what you can't keep)
Can't tear the one you love apart.
(Can't love what you can't keep)
Forever conditioned to believe that we can't live,
We can't live here and be happy with less.
With so many riches, so many souls,
With ev'rything we see that we want to possess.
If you need somebody, call my name.
If you want someone, you can do the same.
If you want to keep something precious,
Got to lock it up and throw away the key.
You want to hold on to your possessions, don't even think about me.
If you love somebody, if you love someone,
If you love somebody, if you love someone set them free.
(Free, free, set them free.)
Set them free.
(Free, free, set them free.)
Set them fee.
(Free, free, set them free.)
Set them free.
(Free, free, set them free.)
(Free, free, set them free.)
Set them free.
(Free, free, set them free.)
Set them fee.
(Free, free, set them free.)
Set them free.
(Free, free, set them free.)
The lyrics to The Police's song "If Somebody Set Them Free" encourage the listener to let go of their possessive instincts and allow the ones they love to be free. The repeated refrain of "free, free, set them free" emphasizes the importance of not holding onto someone so tightly that it inhibits their ability to grow and be themselves. The verses present various scenarios in which people may try to control or possess others, such as "a pris'ner in the dark tied up in chains you just can't see" or "a beast in a gilded cage." In each case, the message is clear: if you love someone, let them be free to be who they are.
The last verse speaks to the idea that we have been conditioned to believe that we need material possessions and people to be happy. However, the song encourages the listener to let go of this mindset and focus on finding happiness within themselves and their own lives. The repeated lines of "if you need somebody, call my name" and "if you want someone, you can do the same" suggest that we can still have meaningful relationships, but without the possessiveness and control that often come with them.
Overall, the lyrics to "If Somebody Set Them Free" present a powerful message of letting go of possessiveness and control in our relationships with others. By doing so, we can allow the ones we love to be free to be themselves and find true happiness in our own lives.
Line by Line Meaning
Free, free, set them free.
The repeated line emphasizes the importance of setting someone free.
If you need somebody, call my name.
If you need help, ask for it.
If you want someone, you can do the same.
If you want someone in your life, pursue them.
If you want to keep something precious, Got to lock it up and throw away the key.
To protect something valuable, you have to guard it fiercely.
You want to hold on to your possessions, don't even think about me.
If you are possessive, I'm not the one for you.
If it's a mirror you want just look into my eyes, Or a whipping boy, someone to despise.
If you're looking for someone to blame or someone who will mirror your emotions, look elsewhere.
Or a pris'ner in the dark tied up in chains you just can't see or a beast in a gilded cage; that's all some people ever want to be.
Some people choose to be trapped and bound by their own choices, rather than being free.
You can't control an independent heart, (Can't love what you can't keep) Can't tear the one you love apart. (Can't love what you can't keep)
You can't control someone else's feelings or make them stay if they want to leave. Trying to do so will only cause pain and destruction.
Forever conditioned to believe that we can't live, We can't live here and be happy with less.
Society conditions us to always strive for more, but true happiness can be found in simplifying and living with less.
With so many riches, so many souls, With ev'rything we see that we want to possess.
We are surrounded by material possessions and people we desire, but it's important to let go of our obsession with ownership.
Set them free.
Emphasizes the importance of letting go and setting someone free.
Set them fee.
Typo: should be 'Set them free.'
(Free, free, set them free.)
The chorus repeats the message of the importance of setting someone free.
Lyrics Ā© Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: GORDON SUMNER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@PScooter63
An older post mentioned overlays. This was a pretty intricate video production, if you scrutinize it carefully.Ā
Think about it... everyone had to be filmed separately, against a green screen (except for the Kenny Kirkland, the keyboardist, who appears to be the only one on the real set).Ā The others were uniquely composited into each shot:
* Sting - radiates "heat waves" whenever he sings, they fade when he takes a breath. Notice the ripples alter the view of whomever/whatever is behind him.
* Brandford Marsalis (sax) - transparent when not playing.
* Daryl Jones (bass) - monochromatic while playing (starting about 0:16).
* Dolette McDonald and Janice Pendarvis (vocals/tambourine) - varying frame rates, time-freezes and time-jumps.
* Omar Hakim (drums) - aggessively green-screened (so that the chrome of his set "bleeds" into the background unnaturally, along with the rug tassels), and there's a subtle vibration applied to the camera shooting him.Ā
Every time they changed camera angles, the video's director had to plan the spatial arrangement... who is in front of/behind who? Not to mention continuity between shots.
Really eye-catching at the time.
@terencebrownlee202
Oh my...
If you love somebody
If you love someone
If you love somebody
If you love someone set them free
(Free, free, set them free)
Set them free
(Free, free, set them free)
Set them free
(Free, free, set them free)
Set them free
(Free, free, set them free)
i haven't heard this song in over 25 years. My Dad loved this song. He played it over and over.
I have had this video/song on repeat for over 1 hour. I can't turn it off.
This I do believe has to be one of the best collaborated songs ever assembled.
I really can't describe this sound. It's Soulful, Jazzy, Bluesy, Rocky, It's an outstanding record. (That's what we called it back in the day). lol-lol-lol
Look at that Bass player....He thumb slappin them strings and walking the dog.
The keyboardist, Oh my, just listen at him. His sound hold's it all together.
Drummer is stank slappin them skins.
Please tell me yall hear them horns.
Even the cymbals make a really nice mark.
Then, then, then STING all on top of it. WHEW!!!
This record is so well put together.
Just watch the video. It's breathtaking!!!
@tbee1638
The backup singers are EVERYTHING ā¤
@TimONeillCMH
2:48!
@freezing71
100 percent!
@user-sq4ex9wf5x
I thought so too!!!I can't keep from watching them !! EVERYTHING!!!
@deathbygrinning
Killer line-up that made beautiful music together! Amazing musicianship.
@empoweredselfishnesstv4102
Still listening in 2023.
I just lost my dad and my sister eight months apart. This song is timely for me.
I set my dad and sister free to soar!šš¾ā¤
@220773
So soar you two! š
@TMANN-jo1ps
Sorry about both of your losses.
@azzz4708
ā@@TMANN-jo1psCondolences on such major losses. š
@eulissbenoit816
May they rest in God my friend