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 This criticism has later been withdrawn.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)
Peanuts
The Police Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You're not the same
Your famous name
The price of fame
Oh no, try to liberate me
I said oh no, stay and irritate me
I said oh no, try to elevate me
Don't want to hear about the drugs you're taking
Don't want to read about the love you're making
Don't want to hear about the lives you're faking
Don't want to read about the muck they're raking
You sang your song
For much too long
There's something wrong
Your brain is gone
Oh no, try to liberate me
I said oh no, stay and irritate me
I said oh no, try to elevate me
I said oh no, just a fallen hero
Don't want to hear about the drugs you're taking
Don't want to read about the love you're making
Don't want to hear about the lives you're faking
Don't want to read about the muck they're raking
It's all a game
You're not the same
Your famous name
The price of fame
Oh no, try to liberate me
I said oh no, stay and irritate me
I said oh no, try to elevate me
I said oh no, just a fallen hero
Oh you're just a fallen hero
Don't want to hear about the drugs you're taking yeah
Don't want to read about the love you're making
Don't want to hear about the lives you're faking
Don't want to read about the muck they're raking
Don't want to find about the drugs you're taking
Don't want to read about the love you're making
Don't want to hear about the lives you're faking
Don't want to read about the muck they're raking
Don't want to find out what you've been taking
Don't want to read about the love you're making
Don't want to hear about the lives you're faking
Don't want to read about the muck they're raking
Don't want to find out what you've been taking
Don't want to read about the love you're making
Don't want to hear about the lives you're faking
Don't want to read about the muck
Peanuts, peanuts
Peanuts
Oh no no
Oh no no
Oh no no
Oh no no
Oh no no oh
In "Peanuts," the 1980 hit by The Police, frontman Sting sings about the corrupting influence of fame and the emptiness of celebrity culture. Sting uses the metaphor of a game to illustrate how fame and celebrity are fleeting and ultimately unsatisfying. The song seems to be directed at a specific famous person, with lyrics like "don't want to hear about the drugs you're taking" and "don't want to read about the love you're making" suggesting that the subject is someone who is in the public eye and whose personal life is constantly being scrutinized by the press.
Sting is clearly critical of the subject's behavior and the veneer of fame, singing "your brain is gone" and referring to them as a "fallen hero." He acknowledges the allure of fame with lines like "your famous name, the price of fame," but ultimately argues that it is a hollow pursuit. The repetition of the refrain "oh no," coupled with the high-energy tempo of the song, lends a sense of urgency to Sting's message.
Overall, "Peanuts" is a condemnation of the culture of celebrity and an argument in favor of living a life that is focused on genuine connection and personal fulfillment rather than fame.
Line by Line Meaning
It's all a game
The world of fame is a game where the winner takes all.
You're not the same
Celebrities are different from regular people because they are forced to live life in the public eye.
Your famous name
The name recognition that accompanies fame is valuable but not without its drawbacks.
The price of fame
Fame comes with a price, including constant media attention, unrealistic expectations, and the temptation to use drugs and other unhealthy coping mechanisms.
Oh no, try to liberate me
Some celebrities feel trapped by their fame and are desperate for a way out.
I said oh no, stay and irritate me
Others feel they have no choice but to continue in their path to fame, even if it irritates them or others.
I said oh no, try to elevate me
Some celebrities seek to use their fame to do good or change the world for the better.
I said oh no, just a fallen hero
Many celebrities have fallen from grace due to drug abuse, scandals, or other personal problems.
Don't want to hear about the drugs you're taking
People are tired of hearing about the vices and unhealthy coping mechanisms of celebrities.
Don't want to read about the love you're making
People don't want to hear about the private lives and romances of celebrities.
Don't want to hear about the lives you're faking
People are distrustful of celebrities who put on a fake persona or claim to be something they're not.
Don't want to read about the muck they're raking
People are tired of the media's constant coverage of negative news and gossip about celebrities.
You sang your song
Celebrities often become famous for a specific skill, talent, or attribute that they are known for.
For much too long
There comes a point where celebrities begin to overstay their welcome and become tiresome to the public.
There's something wrong
Sometimes celebrities become so wrapped up in their own fame that they begin to lose touch with reality.
Your brain is gone
Some celebrities succumb to the pressure of fame and drug abuse and suffer permanent damage to their mental health.
Oh you're just a fallen hero
Celebrities who were once on top and admired by the public are now viewed as fallen and tarnished.
Peanuts, peanuts
This refrain emphasizes the idea that the petty problems of celebrities are unimportant to most people.
Oh no no
This refrain emphasizes the disgust and disappointment that people feel toward celebrities who have lost their way.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Stewart Armstrong Copeland, Gordon Matthew Sumner
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Daniel
on Roxanne
Algum leitor sabe a letra de Saludos Caballeros ?
Até agora não conseguí !
daprendiz1@gmail.com