by luddite lady on 23 Mar 2011 05:21
I always thought of this song as the audio version of one of those video collages that bombards the viewer with a multitude of somewhat disconnected images flashed across the screen at a speed almost too quick to fully take in. The listener responds to the song on an emotional level rather than a rational one. And the emotions vary from person to person as the images evoke different feelings from each listener. It's very subjective. The lines "it's alright for you" may be sarcastic for "you and you", but may be sincere for the next "you and you".
As far as I can see, the images themselves represent flashes of moments in the day-to-day life of the up and coming band that The Police was at the time. For Sting, Andy and Stewart, things were happening in real life at a speed that left little time for contemplation. Indeed, for a contemplative guy like Sting, things may have been happening a little too fast. In my view, the last images suggest thoughts of suicide which one might have when they find their life spinning out of control. The lack of a coherent rhyming scheme reinforces this idea of a life racing forward without structure or routine.
Having said all that, I don't think Sting put much thought into these lyrics. The words may have been place holders just as was the case with most of "Does Everyone Stare". However, if these were words that just popped into Sting's head, I believe they say a lot about what was going on in that head at the time.
I've always really liked this song. Thanks, Gio, for giving me an occasion to really think about it, and figure out why I like it so much.
In Dallas, the only game that really mattered was in the word gamelan.