One of the greatest things about Sting as a song writer is that he never talks down to his audience in his lyrics. The Police give you a mixture of rock, pop, and reggae but the truth is the band always had its own unique take on each of those forms that superseded such labels.
I was big on The Police and like with many of my favourite bands of that time you need look on further an towards the BBC2 TV The Old Grey Whistle Test a test bed for my developing musical tastes. After watching their first television appearance a week or so later I was laying on my bed listening to their newly release album Outlandos d'Amour, I was hooked well and truly.
What else is left to say about this tune, which has to be as nearly perfect as any mustered since The Beatles' reign over the music world? Musically, Sting proves himself quite a master as well, always able to take advantage of both simple and complex compositional impulses without making the slightest misstep. Summers' wonderful, haunting guitar riff is just as important to the song's success as the lyrics, but the structure of the piece itself is a foundational lesson in pop song writing.
The song reach top of the UK singles chart and at the 26th Annual Grammy Awards winning Song of the Year and Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals. Sting received the 1983 British Academy's Ivor Novello award for Best Song Musically and Lyrically.
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