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 This criticism has later been withdrawn.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)
Sting / If I Ever Lose My Faith In You
The Police Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You could say I lost my belief in the holy Church
You could say I lost my sense of direction
You could say all of this and worse, but
If I ever lose my faith in you
There'd be nothing left for me to do
Some would say I was a lost man in a lost world
You could say I'd lost my belief in our politicians
They all seemed like game show hosts to me
If I ever lose my faith in you
There'd be nothing left for me to do
I could be lost inside their lies without a trace
But every time I close my eyes I see your face
I never saw no miracle of science
That didn't go from a blessing to a curse
I never saw no military solution
That didn't always end up as something worse, but
Let me say this first
If I ever lose my faith in you
There'd be nothing left for me to do
The lyrics of "If I Ever Lose My Faith In You" by The Police seem to be a personal reflection of Sting (the lead singer and lyricist of the band) on his life and his beliefs. The song is a declaration of his reliance on his loved one as the only constant in his life, despite his disillusionment with the world around him. The opening lines suggest that Sting has lost faith in science and progress, and the holy church, which might have been a source of inspiration or guidance. This loss could indicate that he feels disillusioned with the idea that knowledge and religion offer solutions to the problems of the world. The following lines suggest that he has also lost his sense of direction, which could represent his loss of purpose and motivation.
The song progresses to discuss how Sting has lost faith in the people on TV and politicians, who he views as "game show hosts." This loss of faith could be interpreted as a transition from idealism to disillusionment, where he believes that the people who wield power are more interested in maintaining it than serving the people. Despite his pessimism, the chorus suggests that if Sting ever loses his faith in his loved one, he would have nothing left to do. This line is significant as it shows his emotional investment in the relationship and how it is the only thing keeping him grounded.
The final verse touches on Sting's belief in science and military solutions, which he suggests are often misguided and lead to unintended consequences. However, he clarifies that his faith in his loved one is unwavering. The song ends with the same chorus, affirming the importance of the relationship in Sting's life.
Line by Line Meaning
You could say I lost my faith in science and progress
I have lost my belief in the idea that scientific advancements and progress can solve all of our problems.
You could say I lost my belief in the holy Church
I have lost my faith in organized religion and the notion that the Church can provide answers to life's big questions.
You could say I lost my sense of direction
I feel lost and aimless in my life, unsure of my purpose or where I am headed.
You could say all of this and worse, but
There are many negative things you could say about me and my current state, but there is one thing that is still constant.
If I ever lose my faith in you
If I were to lose my unwavering belief in you, my support system and guiding light, I would feel completely lost and helpless.
There'd be nothing left for me to do
Without you in my life, I would feel as though there is no purpose or direction for me to follow.
Some would say I was a lost man in a lost world
There are some who might view me as a hopeless individual, wandering aimlessly through a chaotic and confusing world.
You could say I lost my faith in the people on TV
I do not trust the media and the people portrayed on television as they seem insincere and manipulative.
You could say I'd lost my belief in our politicians
I do not have faith in the political leaders of our society, and I do not trust that they have our best interests at heart.
They all seemed like game show hosts to me
To me, politicians come across as fake and insincere, almost like they are trying to win something and don't care about the people they are supposed to represent.
I could be lost inside their lies without a trace
Without your influence and guidance, I could easily get caught up in the lies and deceit of the world around me and become completely lost.
But every time I close my eyes I see your face
Despite the negativity around me, whenever I think of you or envision your face in my mind, I feel reassured and comforted by your unwavering presence.
I never saw no miracle of science
I have never witnessed a scientific discovery or advancement that truly amazed me or convinced me that science holds all the answers.
That didn't go from a blessing to a curse
In fact, many scientific advancements that were once thought to be beneficial for society have turned out to have negative consequences.
I never saw no military solution
I have never witnessed a military intervention or solution that truly solved a conflict or created a long-lasting peace.
That didn't always end up as something worse, but
In fact, many military interventions have made situations worse and caused more harm than good.
Let me say this first
Before anything else, I want to convey this important message.
If I ever lose my faith in you
No matter what else happens in my life, if I were to lose my faith in you, my world would crumble.
There'd be nothing left for me to do
You are my beacon of hope and without you, I would have no direction or purpose in life.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: GORDON SUMNER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Panto Anticomunista y el queso fresco 🧀
LYRICS (YEAR 1993):
You could say I lost my faith in science and progress
You could say I lost my belief in the holy Church
You could say I lost my sense of direction
You could say all of this and worse, but
If I ever lose my faith in you
There'd be nothing left for me to do
Some would say I was a lost man in a lost world
You could say I lost my faith in the people on TV
You could say I'd lost my belief in our politicians
They all seemed like game show hosts to me
If I ever lose my faith in you
There'd be nothing left for me to do
I could be lost inside their lies without a trace
But every time I close my eyes I see your face
I never saw no miracle of science
That didn't go from a blessing to a curse
I never saw no military solution
That didn't always end up as something worse, but
Let me say this first
If I ever lose my faith in you
There'd be nothing left for me to do
deceiver
The chord progression on the chorus and the epic vocal delivery still send shivers down my spine 30 years later.
Red Skies
Hi I Recommend a song called 'The Bond Villain' by Robert Nix
Kenneth Meadows
Whoa that’s deep😮
Uruz Tarot y Oráculos
It does happen to me!!
Ninja Geiger
Definitely to me too! @deceiver9063 the words I couldn't form
Christopher Lee
❤❤❤
Iris
This song was my college ode to myself, it kept me motivated when all I wanted to do was give up. It got me through undergrad and grad school...I'm now 11 years into my career as a pediatric physical therapist. Thank you, Sting! ❤
paula blanc
May God bless u and ur patients!!
ian smith
Sting helped me mend people's feet; i've heard it all now
Veles
That's amazing !