Sting said that he wrote the song when he was drunk:
“I was drunk in a hotel room in Munich, slumped on the bed with the whirling pit when this riff came into my head. I got up and starting walking round the room singing : "Walking round the room, walking round the room". That was all. In the cool light of morning I remembered what had happened and I wrote the riff down. But "Walking round the room" was a stupid title so I thought of something even more stupid which was "Walking on the moon."
In his autobiography, Sting alludes that the song was partially inspired by an early girlfriend:
“Deborah Anderson was my first real girlfriend...walking back from Deborah's house in those early days would eventually become a song, for being in love is to be relieved of gravity."
The video for the song was filmed at Kennedy Space Center on October 23, 1979. It features the band members pantomiming to the song amidst spacecraft displays, interspersed with NASA footage. Both Sting and Andy Summers strum guitars (not bass) in the video, and Stewart Copeland strikes his drumsticks on a Saturn V moon rocket.
Walking on the Moon
The Police Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Walking on the moon
I hope my leg don't break
Walking on the moon
We could walk forever
Walking on the moon
We could live together
Walking on, walking on the moon
Walking back from your house
Walking on the moon
Walking back from your house
Walking on the moon
Feet they hardly touch the ground
Walking on the moon
My feet don't hardly make no sound
Walking on, walking on the moon
Some may say
I'm wishing my days away
No way
And if it's the price I pay
Some say
Tomorrow's another day
You stay
I may as well play
Giant steps are what you take
Walking on the moon
I hope my leg don't break
Walking on the moon
We could walk forever
Walking on the moon
We could be together
Walking on, walking on the moon
Some may say
I'm wishing my days away
No way
And if it's the price I pay
Some say
Tomorrow's another day
You stay
I may as well play
Keep it up, keep it up
Keep it up, keep it up
Keep it up, keep it up
Keep it up, keep it up
Keep it up, keep it up
Keep it up, keep it up
Keep it up, keep it up
Keep it up, keep it up
Keep it up, keep it up
Keep it up, keep it up
Keep it up, keep it up
Keep it up, keep it up
Keep it up, keep it up
Keep it up, keep it up
The lyrics to The Police's "Walking on the Moon" describe an elevated state of being both metaphorically and physically. The song begins by acknowledging the giant steps taken while walking on the moon, a reference to the Apollo moon landing in 1969. The line "I hope my leg don't break" could be interpreted as a fear of losing this elevated state or a reminder of the fragility of life.
The chorus repeats the idea of walking on the moon as a metaphor for an ideal state of being where one could walk forever and live together. The sense of weightlessness is further emphasized by the imagery of feet hardly touching the ground and making no sound. However, the verse ends with the recognition that some may see this desire to stay in this idealized state as a waste of time.
The repeated refrain of "keep it up" could be interpreted as an encouragement to maintain this elevated state or a plea to continue striving towards a better state of being.
Line by Line Meaning
Giant steps are what you take
You move with a commanding stride
Walking on the moon
You are experiencing the feeling of lightness and floating like an astronaut walking on the moon
I hope my leg don't break
You are aware of the risk of injury from this unique experience
Walking on the moon
You are still experiencing the feeling of lightness and floating like an astronaut walking on the moon
We could walk forever
You feel free from the constraints of gravity and could keep walking forever in this weightless state
Walking on the moon
You are still experiencing the feeling of lightness and floating like an astronaut walking on the moon
We could live together
You feel so free and weightless that you could imagine living together with someone else in this weightless environment
Walking on, walking on the moon
You continue to experience the joy and incredible feeling of moving in a weightless state like an astronaut walking on the moon
Walking back from your house
You are now on Earth and reminiscing about a previous experience walking on the moon
Walking on the moon
You still cannot forget the feeling of lightness and floating that you experienced on the moon
Walking back from your house
You are still thinking back to that previous experience while walking on Earth
Walking on the moon
You would give anything to be able to experience that feeling of weightlessness again
Feet they hardly touch the ground
Your feet feel like they are barely making contact with the ground because the memory of the weightless feeling still lingers
Walking on the moon
You are still reminiscing about that incredible experience of walking on the moon
My feet don't hardly make no sound
Your steps are almost soundless, like they were on the moon's surface
Walking on, walking on the moon
You are still thinking about the extraordinary feeling of lightness and floating like an astronaut on the moon
Some may say
People may think that you are wasting your life by always thinking about that one experience
I'm wishing my days away
You long for the feeling of weightlessness and can't stop thinking about it
No way
You reject the idea that you are wasting your life by not forgetting about that experience
And if it's the price I pay
Even if people think you're wasting your life on this memory, it's a price you're willing to pay to keep that feeling of lightness alive
Some say
People have differing views on what is important in life
Tomorrow's another day
You feel positive about tomorrow bringing new experiences and opportunities to feel that weightless feeling again
You stay
Others may stay where they are, but you want to move and experience the world
I may as well play
You might as well enjoy life while you can
Keep it up, keep it up
You encourage yourself to keep striving for more experiences
Keep it up, keep it up
You remind yourself to never give up chasing your dreams
Keep it up, keep it up
You tell yourself to keep going, keep pursuing what you want in life
Keep it up, keep it up
You keep motivating yourself to keep moving forward and live life to the fullest
Keep it up, keep it up
You refuse to give up and will keep fighting for what you want in life
Keep it up, keep it up
You refuse to let others drag you down and will always strive to move forward
Keep it up, keep it up
You reassure yourself that you can do this, and you will keep pushing forward
Keep it up, keep it up
You know that you will face obstacles, but you must keep pushing forward to reach your goals
Keep it up, keep it up
You remind yourself to stay focused on what you want and keep working hard to achieve it
Keep it up, keep it up
You will never stop striving for greatness and will keep moving forward no matter what
Keep it up, keep it up
You encourage yourself to keep the positive momentum going and never give up on your dreams
Keep it up, keep it up
You know that life will have its ups and downs, but you must keep moving forward with determination
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Gordon Sumner
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@riccardotralli76
Me: What instrument do you play?
Sting: Bass and vocals
Andy: Guitar
Stewart: The Saturn V
@joehynes5452
🤣🤣
@steph8227
Heavy and powerful instrument... Start engine Stewart!
@NormAppleton
Technically the F1 engine of the Saturn V, but I digress....
@MsBellatrixa
It'd be a great pick up line 😂😂
@stiltomonkey6137
The ears
@edmaster6902
These guys were on a whole different level, rock style influenced by punk, reggae and jazz. Absolutely brilliant!
@einarabelc5
One was a jazz/60s rock guitarist and the other two were prog with Egyptian influences and jazz
@jamesbong4928
Yeah I was into these guys, and as a kid, on a couple of occasions, I swore I saw that drummer maestro on the streets.
But I could've been right innit
@russellhamer8690
@@jamesbong4928 Copeland n Sting famously reside in N.Y with Sting openly admitting he would Walk the streets at night looking for coke dealers because he thought it made Him play better... I'm glad he is rid of those Demons these days....