I cringe every time I hear someone covering The Police song (by Sting) Every Breath You Take or using it as part of another song. The reason this is so cringeworthy is that people use this song as if it is a romantic and heartfelt declaration of love. As many people who have actually paid attention to the lyrics have surmised, it’s a song about stalking.
Think about the lyrics, as exemplified by ‘every breath your take I’ll be watching you.’ Watching. Not loving. Not thinking about you or missing you. Watching you. Yes, Every Breath You Take is about a stalker.
The “Stalker” vs. “Lover” Debate
If it were me, I would have hesitated to write a song about a stalker because, inevitably, people will assume that you are the stalker. This hardly matters since I would have been unable to write such a brilliant song in the first place.
While fans may wonder whether Sting’s explanation for Every Breath You Take is a case of revisionist history, sometimes, the revision is much clearer, as in the “updated” explanation for Maneater by Hall & Oates.
Surveillance and the “Big Brother” Influence
But, people will think, once they figure it out, that you are creepy. So, it’s no wonder that this song gets listed as one of the creepiest songs ever and that people, therefore, sometimes think Sting is creepy for writing it. However, this song was not meant to be Sting writing about himself (duh). He was writing about his own imagining of an obsessive lover who is watching everything you do. As he said, it sounds like a comforting love song, but he was thinking more of big brother, of surveillance and control.
The 1982 Jamaica Sessions: A Dark Blueprint
Some have claimed that the song telling a true story of Sting’s OWN experience of being stalked by an obsessed former lover. While the song did follow his contentious split with wife France Tomelty after his affair with next-door neighbor and Tomelty’s best friend Trudie Styler, there is no evidence that Sting himself experienced any such thing. One could imagine that he may have been worried about repercussions and freeing himself of the bad feelings and controversy that had occurred, however.
Regardless, Every Breath You Take is probably one of the most misinterpreted songs in history. There is nothing gentle or loving about it. Sting explained his own frustration with people misunderstanding the song by saying:
I think this song is very, very sinister and ugly and people have actually misinterpreted it as being a gentle little love song, when it’s quite the opposite.
The Revisionist Question: Did Sting Change the Story?
Some music critics have wondered if the “stalker” narrative is a bit of revisionist history. The theory is that Sting realized—after the fact—how creepy the lyrics sounded and pivoted to the “sinister” explanation to save face.
The “Questionable” History: From Teacher to Songwriter
However, given his history as a teacher writing transgressive songs like Don’t Stand So Close to Me, it’s more likely that he was comfortable in the “questionable” zone from the start. He wasn’t writing a love song that accidentally became creepy; he was intentionally using a pretty melody to Trojan Horse a very dark story about control. Whether it’s about a literal stalker or the metaphorical “Big Brother,” the mechanics remain the same: someone is watching, and it isn’t out of love.
The Smoking Gun: The 1983 NME Interview
The ultimate proof lies in the timeline. Sting didn’t wait for the song to become a wedding staple before labeling it ‘creepy.’ In a 1983 interview with New Musical Express (NME)—the very year the song was topping the charts—Sting was already explicitly calling it ‘sinister’ and ‘ugly.’ He noted even then that it was about the ‘nasty side’ of jealousy and obsession. This confirms that the dark undercurrent wasn’t a later discovery; it was the intended forensic design from the moment he sat down at that desk in Jamaica.
Session Notes: The Andy Summers Effect
While Sting provided the lyrical “surveillance” blueprint, the song’s global success is largely due to Andy Summers’ iconic guitar contribution.
- The “Pretty” Mask: Summers spent six weeks perfecting the guitar part, which was inspired by Béla Bartók. By using a cyclical, shimmering arpeggio, he created a beautiful sonic “mask” that made the listener feel safe, effectively hiding the dark intent of the lyrics.
- Mechanical Precision: The guitar was recorded in one take after weeks of rehearsal. Its “clockwork” precision reinforces the theme of a machine-like, unwavering obsession.
- The Mix Tip: The guitar was processed through a Roland JC-120 amplifier, giving it that ultra-clean, “glassy” 80s tone that contrasts perfectly with the “ugly” lyrical themes.
Quick Facts
- Release Date: May 1983 (Synchronicity)
- Producer: The Police and Hugh Padgham
- Studio: Air Studios, Montserrat
- Chart Peak: No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 (for 8 weeks)
- Grammy Wins: Song of the Year and Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal (1984).
Further Reading
- One Vision: Why Freddie Mercury Says “Fried Chicken” – A perfect example of how a studio joke can become a permanent part of rock history.
- 25 or 6 to 4: Time of Day or Drugs? – Debunking the drug myths and looking at the literal mechanics of a 3:35 AM songwriting session.
- Unchained Melody: Who Did It First? – Tracing the complex origins of one of the most recorded songs in history.
- Angel of the Morning: The Original Version – Discovering the artist who laid the blueprint before it became a 1980s pop staple.