So Lonely (song)
| So lonely | |
|---|---|
| The Police | |
| publication | 3rd November 1978 |
| length | 4:50 (album version), 3:10 (single / video version) |
| Genre (s) | Reggae , rock , post-punk |
| Author (s) | Sting |
| album | Outlandos d'Amour |
So Lonely is a song by the English rock band The Police , which was released in November 1978 as the third and final single of their debut studio album Outlandos d'Amour (1978) and again in February 1980. He combines ( punk ) rock with reggae elements .
The song has been covered several times, for example by Limbeck or The Militia Group .
Emergence
Sting wrote the piece, drawing inspiration from Bob Marley 's No Woman, No Cry :
“The people who knock out three chords didn't really interest us musically. Reggae became accepted in punk circles and became more musically demanding, and we could play it, so we went in that direction. I mean, let's be honest here: So Lonely was overtly inspired by Bob Marley & The Wailer's 'No Woman No Cry'. The same chorus. What we invented was the back and forth between Thrashpunk and Reggae. That was the little niche that we created for ourselves. "
Some verses are from Sting's song Fool in Love , which he played with Last Exit. The lyrics are about someone who is lonely after their heart has been broken. Sting denied that the text was meant ironically.
Publication and reception
So Lonely was released in November 1978 as the third and final single by Outlandos d'Amour , after Roxanne and Can't Stand Losing You . Similar to the other singles on the album, the song was unsuccessful when it was first released, but reached number 6 on the UK charts with its second release. The song reached number 7 in Ireland .
The b-side of the single No Time This Time was originally a non-album track, but the same recording later appeared on their Reggatta de Blanc album to make up for the short run time.
Music video
The video for the song shows the band in 1980 in Hong Kong and in the Tokyo subway . Lip sync is done using walkie talkies while Stewart Copeland drum fills anything like buses and items on display.
Individual evidence
- ↑ Official Singles Chart Top 100 | Official Charts Company. Accessed February 11, 2019 .