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 This criticism has later been withdrawn.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)
Nothing Achieving
The Police Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
'Cause I'm bigger than him
He says I make him sick now
I'm bigger than him
You see there's nothing worth achieving
All your dreams are just deceiving
And you told me to wait
You've got me backed into a corner
You're making me hate
I say there's nothing worth achieving
All your dreams are just deceiving
They say there's nothing worth achieving
All your dreams are just deceiving
Throwing stones that are reeling
From a reasonable light
You muscle in when I have a party
Ready to fight
I say there's nothing worth achieving
All your dreams are just deceiving
Nothing
Nothing
Nothing
The song "Nothing Achieving" by The Police is a poignant reflection on the disillusionment and frustration that often accompany one's pursuit of success and achievement. The singer of the song is trapped in a toxic relationship with his father, symbolized by the fact that his father's boots no longer fit him due to his physical growth. His father resents him for surpassing him, and their relationship is strained as a result. The singer is also grappling with a sense of hopelessness and despair, as he has been told that there is nothing worth achieving in life and that all dreams are just deceiving. He feels trapped and unable to pursue his goals, and his frustration grows as he becomes increasingly aware that his dreams will never be realized.
The lyrics paint a picture of a person who feels trapped and boxed in by circumstances beyond their control. The idea that there is nothing worth achieving is a deeply cynical one, and it speaks to the disillusionment and frustration that many people feel as they struggle to find their place in the world. The theme of disappointment and disillusionment is a common one in The Police's music, and "Nothing Achieving" is a particularly striking example of this.
Overall, "Nothing Achieving" is a powerful and thought-provoking song that speaks to the human desire for success and the pain of falling short. The lyrics are haunting and melancholy, and the song's somber tone perfectly captures the sense of hopelessness and despair that comes with the feeling that one's dreams will never be realized.
Line by Line Meaning
My daddy's boots don't fit me
I have outgrown my father and cannot follow in his footsteps
'Cause I'm bigger than him
I have surpassed my father in every way
He says I make him sick now
My father is jealous of my success
You see there's nothing worth achieving
Life has no real purpose or meaning
All your dreams are just deceiving
All aspirations are illusions that lead to disappointment
You've locked the doors on your good living
You have made choices that have limited your potential happiness
And you told me to wait
You have delayed my progress and success
You've got me backed into a corner
You have put me in a difficult or hopeless situation
You're making me hate
Your actions are causing me to feel intense anger or resentment
I say there's nothing worth achieving
I have come to the same conclusion that life is devoid of purpose
They say there's nothing worth achieving
Others have also expressed this same belief
Throwing stones that are reeling
Making hurtful remarks that have a lasting impact
From a reasonable light
Based on a sensible or logical perspective
You muscle in when I have a party
You intrude upon my personal life uninvited
Ready to fight
You are confrontational and aggressive
Nothing
Life is empty and meaningless
Nothing
Nothing
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: STEWART ARMSTRONG COPELAND
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
AnalogueFriend89
The vibe of the song and Sting’s vocals here remind me so much of very early Zeppelin, particularly the song “Communication Breakdown”.
daddysensei Silver
Yeah I know people change and all that, but man I miss Sting circa 78-80.
Miss Martha
They could be a part of the punk revolution.
sirvidia
@Rich Viola they were too old :)
Wicked Lee
@Rich Viola nope. Do t speak on what ya don’t know. Maybe at the time but they were embraced by the end of the 80’s.
Wicked Lee
I’ve been in the punk scene since the 80’s. All my friends love every Police record. This one is particularly revered.
Rich Viola
They were rejected by the punk community and viewed as frauds. They were part of the New Wave/No Wave revolution though.
mertcanarat7
i never tough that i would say "police rocks maaaaaaaaan"
Antonio Duràn Andrade
Today 43 years sound punk rock The Police......Congratulations.....!!!
Juani Ortelli
Never notice that the first guitarist of The Police was Carlos Tevez