Message In A Bottle (4:51)
1,559,563 plays (349,360 listeners)
“Message in a Bottle” is a 1979 song by The Police, from their second album, Reggatta de Blanc.
The song is ostensibly about a castaway on an island, who sends out a message in a bottle to seek help. A year later, he feels that there is no need for love. Later on, 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 live television.
“Message in a Bottle” may also be read as a lament of isolation and loneliness caused by the loss of a loved one (“love can break your heart”): he seeks help but gets no reply, then realises that there are many more people out there like him, suggesting that everyone has to deal with loss and loneliness as part of the human experience. The island and the bottle are metaphors; by reaching out, the protagonist discovers he is not alone, and that other people share his feelings of alienation.
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 reformed 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 favourite in his book One Train Later) and Kanye West performing a rap verse over the chorus of the song.
The song is ostensibly about a castaway on an island, who sends out a message in a bottle to seek help. A year later, he feels that there is no need for love. Later on, 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 live television.
“Message in a Bottle” may also be read as a lament of isolation and loneliness caused by the loss of a loved one (“love can break your heart”): he seeks help but gets no reply, then realises that there are many more people out there like him, suggesting that everyone has to deal with loss and loneliness as part of the human experience. The island and the bottle are metaphors; by reaching out, the protagonist discovers he is not alone, and that other people share his feelings of alienation.
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 reformed 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 favourite in his book One Train Later) and Kanye West performing a rap verse over the chorus of the song.
Video
Added by jedzxor
keeyo! Compiled from Youtube clips.
I hope that this video will make you happy, especially if you can't make it to the show. Maybe this video will convince you that a serious phenom is touring the…
Share Video
See 8 more
I hope that this video will make you happy, especially if you can't make it to the show. Maybe this video will convince you that a serious phenom is touring the…
Related Tracks
-
Walking On The Moon
The Police -
Roxanne
The Police -
Englishman In New York
Sting -
Sultans Of Swing
Dire Straits -
Money For Nothing
Dire Straits -
More Than A Feeling
Boston
Albums featuring this track
-
The Very Best Of
Various Artists Buy- Download Album
- Amazon MP3 Search
- 7digital Search
- iTunes Search
- Buy Album
- Amazon Search
- eBay Search
-
The Very Best Of Sting And The Police
Sting Buy- Download Album
- Amazon MP3 $7.99
- 7digital Search
- iTunes Search
- Buy Album
- Amazon Search
- eBay Search
-
Every Breath You Take : The Classics
The Police Buy- Download Album
- Amazon MP3 Search
- 7digital $7.77
- iTunes
- Buy Album
- Amazon Search
- eBay Search
-
Message In A Box
The Police Buy- Download Album
- Amazon MP3 Search
- 7digital $44.99
- iTunes $39.99
- Buy Album
- Amazon Search
- eBay Search
Shouts
-
wackersska wrote:
a year has passed since i broke my nose!!! haha
-
agorapocalypse wrote:
classic
-
chickadizzle wrote:
message in a bottlee :D
-
theviperchick wrote:
i can't i can't i can't stand losin' (wrong song but I like it....;)
-
bluestringling wrote:
Markpercival1 : I've seen him with a moustache, looked terrible, he's gotten to look much better with age :]. I love Sting & The Police :]
-
Corvair1963 wrote:
Saw a clip of an all-star tribute to James Taylor where different artists went up and played a James Taylor tune, with ol' James sitting there in the front row. Anyhoo, Sting got up and did one, "You Can Close Your Eyes" I think, and it was bloody 'orrible. Just excruciating. And I felt so bad for James to have to sit there and endure that.
-
cram99 wrote:
This song will ALWAYS be amazing.
-
Sandy07 wrote:
"Love can mend your life but love can break your heart". <3
-
Congelamento wrote:
Sounds like some reggae shit if you listen close....They've made better
-
Markpercival1 wrote:
has any one seen stings beard?
-
Pe1er wrote:
SOS
-
chlindh wrote:
What a classic.
-
guitarwizard85 wrote:
Sting was more tolerable to listen to when he was with The Police. T___T
-
ImpossibleSmurf wrote:
Great, great song!
-
HighSynergy wrote:
i shall never get sick of this song!
-
ledluva66 wrote:
sting has an awesome voice!!!
-
bigmanbmoney wrote:
sorry, great song but played to death... <NEXT>
-
SweenyLyn wrote:
Man, das war mal das Lieblingslied meiner Eltern xD
-
keysrgood wrote:
They made some excellent pop records but really irritated me later in their career by denigrating many of the awards they received, especially from fans/members of the public. So ungrateful.
-
CAVermeer wrote:
I hear ya, I am rather MEH on Sting myself, not fond of his solo stuff for the most part, too MOR (good MOR but not my cup of tea), and he comes across as a pretentious git. Do love the other 2/3 of the group, though.
The Police
Message In A Bottle
full track
Listeners
-
iamsosweet
Listening now
-
sfj1981
Listening now
-
EightDiagrams
Listening now
-
Capoeira44
Top Listener
-
Shiroh
Top Listener
-
moviesistem
Top Listener
Recent Activity
-
ronleeanv, aNLokxMusiK, khaniUK and 2 other people loved The Police – Message In A Bottle. 3 minutes ago
-
andros123 added Message In A Bottle to andros123’s library. yesterday evening
-
andros123 added Message In A Bottle to the playlist Party. yesterday evening
-
metalkoksz added Message In A Bottle to their Loved Tracks. yesterday evening
-
gesuchtgefunden added Message In A Bottle to gesuchtgefunden’s library. yesterday evening
-
Coltrane2010 added Message In A Bottle to Coltrane2010’s library. yesterday evening
-
Coltrane2010 added Message In A Bottle to the playlist. yesterday evening
-
coxxyy added Message In A Bottle to their Loved Tracks. yesterday evening
-
shortbuzzrider added Message In A Bottle to shortbuzzrider’s library. yesterday evening
-
shortbuzzrider added Message In A Bottle to the playlist Best Songs Of The 80s. yesterday evening
Related Journals
-
Anything but do what i have to do.
by Aislinge |
12 Dec 2009 | Add comment
-
"La Housse à Gratte" du Mardi 13 Janvier 2009 - Playlist
by MelonMan1981 |
18 Jan 2009 | Add comment
-
Boas vindas a mim mesmo?
by Kanistro |
24 Dec 2008 | Add comment
