It was the first single to be released in the United Kingdom from the album Ghost in the Machine and it reached number 2 in the charts. In all other territories, "Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic" was chosen as the lead single from the LP.
Due to the subject of the song, Bono from rock group U2 performed duets of it with Sting when U2 and The Police appeared at the same concerts: the first such instance was in 1982 at a festival in Gateshead, England, and two subsequent instances occurred at the last two shows of Amnesty International's A Conspiracy of Hope Tour in 1986.
The song is a departure from Police songs before it; "Invisible Sun" contains a dark, looping synthesizer beat, and powerful, haunting lyrics. Among other things, the lyrics refer to the ArmaLite rifle used by paramilitary organizations, but mainly by the Provisional Irish Republican Army[1]. The music video for "Invisible Sun" features a collection of video clips taken from the conflict in Northern Ireland. Due to its subject matter, it was banned by the BBC.
Northern Irish rock band Therapy? recorded a cover of the song in 1993 while the Swedish progressive death metal act Edge of Sanity covered the song on their 1995 LP Until Eternity Ends. Champaign, IL band Hum covered the song in concert on more than one occasion.
Sting collaborated with Aswad on a reggae version of this song for the X-Files in 1998.
Invisible Sun
The Police Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Whoa-oh, oh, whoa-oh
Whoa-oh, oh, whoa-oh
Whoa-oh, oh, whoa-oh
Whoa-oh, oh, whoa-oh
I don't want to spend the rest of my life
Looking at the barrel of an Armalite
Keeping out of trouble like the soldiers say
I don't want to spend my time in hell
Looking at the walls of a prison cell
I don't ever want to play the part
Of a statistic on a government chart
There has to be an invisible sun
It gives its heat to everyone
There has to be an invisible sun
That gives us hope when the whole day's done
It's dark all day and it glows all night
Factory smoke and acetylene light
I face the day with my head caved in
Looking like something that the cat brought in
There has to be an invisible sun
It gives its heat to everyone
There has to be an invisible sun
That gives us hope when the whole day's done
Whoa-oh, oh, whoa-oh
Whoa-oh, oh, whoa-oh
And they're only going to change this place
By killing everybody in the human race
They would kill me for a cigarette
But I don't even wanna die just yet
There has to be an invisible sun
It gives its heat to everyone
There has to be an invisible sun
That gives us hope when the whole day's done
Whoa-oh, oh, whoa-oh
Whoa-oh, oh, whoa-oh
Whoa-oh, oh, whoa-oh
Whoa-oh, oh, whoa-oh
Whoa-oh, oh, whoa-oh
Whoa-oh, oh, whoa-oh
Whoa-oh, oh, whoa-oh
Whoa-oh, oh, whoa-oh
Whoa-oh, oh, whoa-oh
Whoa-oh, oh, whoa-oh
The Police's song "Invisible Sun" speaks of the struggles faced by ordinary people living in the midst of war, violence, and oppression. The lyrics express a deep longing for a better world, a world where people are not forced to live in fear or spend their days hiding from danger. The opening lines of the song underline this sentiment by juxtaposing a playful counting rhyme with serious lyrics about the harsh realities of life in conflict zones.
The line, "I don't want to spend the rest of my life looking at the barrel of an Armalite," refers to the Armalite rifle, a weapon commonly used in the Northern Irish conflict. The singer expresses a desire for peace, rejecting a life filled with violence and repression. He also challenges the idea of blindly following orders, suggesting that it is not enough to merely stay out of trouble by doing what soldiers say. Instead, he craves a life of freedom, where he can pursue his own dreams and aspirations.
The chorus of the song embodies the hope that the singer has for a future where things get better. The "invisible sun" refers to a metaphorical source of hope that gives light and warmth to everyone, regardless of their circumstances. Even in the bleakest situations, there is the possibility of a better life, a brighter future. The song suggests that hope is something that everyone needs, no matter how hard their life may be.
Line by Line Meaning
One, two, three, four, five, six
The song starts with a count to muster attention
I don't want to spend the rest of my life
Looking at the barrel of an Armalite
The singer doesn’t want to live in a war-torn world where he constantly fears for his life
I don't want to spend the rest of my days
Keeping out of trouble like the soldiers say
The singer doesn’t want to live in a world where he has to constantly watch his back to avoid getting caught in conflict
I don't want to spend my time in hell
Looking at the walls of a prison cell
The singer is opposed to a life of criminality and the resulting imprisonment
I don't ever want to play the part
Of a statistic on a government chart
The singer doesn’t want to be defined as a number in a government report
There has to be an invisible sun
It gives its heat to everyone
There has to be an invisible sun
That gives us hope when the whole day's done
The singer is hopeful that there is some intangible force of goodness or hope that can sustain people through dark times
It's dark all day and it glows all night
Factory smoke and acetylene light
I face the day with my head caved in
Looking like something that the cat brought in
The world is a bleak place, full of pollution and weariness
And they're only going to change this place
By killing everybody in the human race
They would kill me for a cigarette
But I don't even wanna die just yet
The singer is critical of those who would resort to violence to create change and, despite some adversity, still has a will to live
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Songtrust Ave
Written by: Gordon Sumner
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@johnaylmer3690
@@phibsterletgamer1774 The sad thing is todays Teen is lead to believe Ed Sheeran is talented,so if your unlucky enough as a teen where your parents/older sibling was into shite music in the first place before Simon Cowell and the likes came and murdered music, created a horrible picture of popular music where teens think because it's played on the radio it must be good,most people around them are listening to the same shite because that's all they have ever heard,so they know no better!!
We can't judge Teens for that! In reality the finger should be pointed at other people..
Just go and pick any random week from the 60's/70's/80's and look at the top 50 singles charts, you will know probability 10 and more of these tracks from each week
that you will not only know, you will love so many of those tracks...
In a way I feel privileged to grow up in a time where music was real,fresh,new and with
a concept behind it that you were learning about the world around you without even knowing at times.....But sadly those time are gone:(
Now shaking your ass and having a cool hairstyle sells records..
Please listen to the 2018 British Christmas singles chart number one!!!!
Seriously,How did we get here?
@purplepelican69
The Police weren't around very long as a unit - but long enough to become one of the greatest bands of all time. Immortality guaranteed.
@purple8289
About as long as the Beatles were which seems long enough.
@britgilbert8736
Absolutely
@macmacreynolds8712
They managed to make five albums between 1978 and 83, which is an impressive achievement!
@macmacreynolds8712
@D Z The Beatles lasted a little longer than the Police. 1962-70 and 1977-84, respectively.
@johnblanchett9691
@@macmacreynolds8712 Beatles were playing in Hamburg starting August of 1960 ... if we are getting factual✌
@bop52465
When this is the only footage you get to seen of Northern Ireland (as a Yank) in the early 80s, it stays with you.
@paulmcdonough1093
i was a soldier there in belfast
@rheattegainer3368
Exactly
@jerryhoward8133
Three extremely talented people who made some of the most relevant and powerful music ever created.