Sending Out An SOS -The Police
Just a castaway
An island lost at sea
Another lonely day
With no one here but me
More loneliness
Than any man could bear
Rescue me before I fall into despair
I’ll send an SOS to the world
I’ll send an SOS to the world
I hope that someone gets my
Message in a bottle [x2]
A year has passed since I wrote my note
But I should have known this right from the start
Only hope can keep me together
Love can mend your life
But love can break your heart
I’ll send an SOS to the world
I’ll send an SOS to the world
I hope that someone gets my [x3]
Message in a bottle [x2]
Walked out this morning
Don’t believe what I saw
A hundred billion bottles
Washed up on the shore
Seems I’m not alone at being alone
A hundred billion castaways
Looking for a home
I’ll send an SOS to the world
I’ll send an SOS to the world
I hope that someone gets my [x3]
Message in a bottle [x2]
Sending out an SOS
“Message in a Bottle” is a 1979 song by The Police, from their second album, Reggatta de Blanc.
The song is ostensibly about a story of a castaway on an island, who sends out a message in a bottle to seek love. A year later, he has not received any sort of response, and despairs, thinking he is destined to be alone. The next day, he sees “a hundred billion bottles” on the shore, finding out that there are more people like him out there. The Police debuted the song on a live television show called “Rock Goes to College“, filmed at Hatfield Polytechnic College in Hertfordshire, England. The Police donated all money earned from the show to the school.
The single was The Police’s first number one hit in the United Kingdom, but only reached #74 in the United States. An alternate “Classic Rock” mix is available on Every Breath You Take: The Classics. This is Sting’s favorite song as confessed to Jools Holland of BBC fame.
The Police performed at Live Earth, a 2007 charity concert to raise awareness of global warming and other environmental hazards and performed “Message in a Bottle” as the US finale, with John Mayer playing guitar with Andy Summers (who described the track as a personal favorite in his book One Train Later) and Kanye West performing a rap verse over the chorus of the song.
| “Message in a Bottle” | |||||||||||
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| Single by The Police | |||||||||||
| from the album Reggatta de Blanc | |||||||||||
| B-side | “Landlord” | ||||||||||
| Released | September, 1979 | ||||||||||
| Format | 7″ single | ||||||||||
| Recorded | 1979 | ||||||||||
| Genre | Rock, New Wave | ||||||||||
| Length | 3:50 (7″ single edit) 4:50 (Full-length album version) |
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| Label | A&M - AMS 7474 | ||||||||||
| Writer(s) | Sting | ||||||||||
| Producer | Nigel Gray, Stewart Copeland,Sting, Andy Summers | ||||||||||
| Certification | Gold (BPI) | ||||||||||
| The Police singles chronology | |||||||||||
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