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Background
The Police, one of the most talented acts of the 1980s, successfully fused elements of punk, new-wave, and reggae music to forge a new
direction for popular music. The groups early material didnt so much combine these elements as place them side by sidetheir first album,
Outlandos d'Amour (1979), includes not only such hard-edged punk-like songs as Next To You and Peanuts, but also the heavily reggaeinflected hits Roxanne and Cant Stand Losing You. During the course of their short recording career (their recorded their last studio
album, Synchronicity, in 1983), however, they would develop a sound that integrated elements of these and other musical idioms, unveiling
hit after hit, each offering its own unique blend of preexisting and new musical styles. In 2007, the band reunited its hiatus of more than
twenty years only increasing its appeal; most venues on its world tour sold out within hoursin some cases, minutesof tickets going on
sale.

Timed listening guide

Dont Stand So Close to Me, a hit single from the 1980 album Zenyatt Mondatta, showcases the Polices ability to capture the airy textures
and floating rhythms of reggae without precisely replicating its rhythmic features. The lyric tells of the discomfort experienced by a
schoolteacher as a result a students crush. The musical setting expresses this tension in numerous ways, including the suspenseful,
foreboding opening, the unsettled, oscillating harmonies, the subtle timekeeping, and the odd, voiceless statement of the final verse. All of
these features seem to underscore the uneasy state of mind of the young teacher who asks the student to keep her distance, but may wish
her next to him as he says it.
0:00
Intro
An ominous bass-register drone begins the song. Guitarist Andy Summers performs a
nervous riff over the drone, which shifts briefly to another note and then quickly
returns. Summers and drummer Steward Copeland lay down a light reggae-inflected
groove, preparing for Stings vocal entrance.
Verse 1
0:36
Sting, a high-voiced tenor, sings the first verse in an atypically low register,
Young teacher, the subject of schoolgirl
accompanying himself in harmony for the third and fourth lines. Summers shifts from
fantasies
his reggae groove to one rhythmically in unison with Stings vocal line. Copeland
keeps his line simple, using kick drum, snare drum, and hi-hat
Chorus 1
1:03
The chorus is marked by a move to the major mode. Summers picks a bright series of
Dont stand, dont stand so
chords, and Copeland plays a characteristically active and unpredictable ride-cymbal
line that brings the section to life.
Verse 2
1:19
The intensity increases as Sting sings a full octave higher than he had in the first
Her friends are so jealous
verse, accompanying his own vocals at a higher register yet. Copelands drumming
becomes more active, and Stings bouncier bass line replaces the drone from the first
verse. Summers proceeds as before.
Chorus 2
1:46
Dont stand, dont stand so
Verse 3
2:01
Stings singing (apart from the change in lyrics), his bass-playing, and Summerss
Loose talk in the classroom
guitar line remain unchanged, but Copelands drumming, subtly, becomes more
assertive in the final verse.
Chorus 3
2:28
Summers continues his guitar tag to the chorus twice as long as before, building the
Dont stand, dont stand so
listeners suspense as to what will come next.
Verse 4
2:47
There are no discernable lyrics in the fourth verseinstead, synthesizer swells mix
with various indefinable noises as the Police lay down the groove from the verse with
increased energy. In the distance, Stings melodic moans float in and out.
Chorus 4
3:14
The final chorus repeats until it fades out, with the added element of a new vocal line
Dont stand, dont stand so
(please dont stand so close to me) that Sting sings over the top of his other lines.
Copeland is more active than ever, making creative use of both hi-hat and ride
cymbal.

Key Features
Unresolved lyrics about an unresolved situation.
Words and melody in the forefront.
Oscillating harmonyindicating oscillating emotions?
Reggae-inspired rhythms avoid the first beat.