"So Lonely" - The Police

Submitted by albertomg05 t3_zvlfrz in Music

Hey guys, hope y'all are doing well and spending a good Xmas holiday with your families 👍. The Police is one of my favorite rock bands and there's one song about their 1st album that always cheers me up. Although "So Lonely" has got depressive lyrics the way all the instruments blend into the song it's pretty cheerful and I always listen to this song when I'm sad or when I'm extremely happy. Don't know if you as well so I'd be so glad to know if you feel the same as me when you listen to this song.

211

Comments

You must log in or register to comment.

stateit t1_j1pp3cc wrote

If you're British and of an age where you heard it when it came out, you'll likely know the song as 'Sue Lawley'.

17

Peircez t1_j1pqfwc wrote

That whole first album is fantastic.

66

BeachedBottlenose t1_j1pr78s wrote

I’ve battled depression all my life so a teenage me connected to this song, as well as Does Everyone Stare and Contact. They were absolutely my favorite band at the time - this is when they were active. I saw them in 1980 and then two more times. Then Sting a few years later.

11

trimondo_blondomina t1_j1psliv wrote

Replying to Peircez (#1,070,722)

All five of their albums are fantastic. About 50-60 percent of what they wrote could’ve been singles. There’s one or two duds an album, but when they’re firing on all cylinders, they’re the greatest pop band of their era.

39

ClivesKebab t1_j1puao0 wrote

Seriously, how good a drummer is Stewart Copeland. ‘So Lonely’ is a perfect song

36

objective267 t1_j1purgv wrote

Love this song! You've just reminded me to go listen to it again.

2

dotnetdotcom t1_j1pv480 wrote

I feel low low low
I feel low low low
I feel low low lo o o

9

christien t1_j1q3567 wrote

great song.....love the key change near the end

3

More-Stick9980 t1_j1q3uta wrote

First album I ever bought, and still one of my favourites.

3

TheMysticBard t1_j1q6600 wrote

I remember always listening to this song and album on the bus in high school on my dads cassette and player. Such an underrated song

3

eightdx t1_j1q72gd wrote

No surprise, no mystery

1

Bizznitchy t1_j1q7cjc wrote

My buddy and I play a drinking game to So Lonely....take a sip every time they sing "So Lonely"..here's a hint,tt takes more than one beer and you hafta try to move away from your lips in between each So Lonely(2nd half of song...) Best played to live versions!

1

mnstormfront t1_j1q8d8r wrote

One of the best songs is Walking on the moon... talented dudes

12

albertomg05 OP t1_j1q940p wrote

Replying to mnstormfront (#1,073,248)

I've got started playing bass around 2 months ago and I find it more interesting than playing guitar, it's a matter fact that it's easier playing than playing guitar but I think that following the whole song with a changing tab along it is very entertaining and because you can play For Whom The Bell Tolls' bass intro 😉

2

albertomg05 OP t1_j1qa1sq wrote

Replying to mnstormfront (#1,073,371)

Dunno why but I am able to learn difficult tabs so fast, for example I learnt Peace Sells bass intro in almost 10 minutes, it may sound so easy for some people but for my is a great goal XD. But the only problem is that I don't know anything about music theory and I don't know how to tune the bass and I only can tune it memorizing the studio version sound and trying to replicate it.

1

MrHappy4 t1_j1qa5cs wrote

They hit it out of the park with their discography. My favorites are Does Everyone Stare, King of Pain and Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic. But I could put them all on chronologically and never skip anything.

3

Nightdocks t1_j1qcrqf wrote

The reason why you feel it’s “cheerful” is because the bassline is the same as no woman no cry

1

GitchigumiMiguel74 t1_j1qdi2i wrote

This song is incredible. The drums coming in at the end of the solo are perfection

2

E-Fay t1_j1qdxcn wrote

That song is the perfect representation of the dichotomy of The Police. Sting, clinically depressed, and copeland with his proto reggae beats, that combination freed them to properly express dark thoughts in a sunny song. That's why they couldn't stay around for too long, that balance of geniosa is hard to maintain when ego gets involved. It's like Waters and Gilmore, eventually someone's gonna get fed up.

2

pleasework_forgard t1_j1qgbzr wrote

I find the Police woefully under appreciated by younger generations. I might not like myself for writing it…but maybe it’d be great for them to get into the TikTok game where one song gets loads of play then people check out their entire catalogue, and suddenly they’re in an ad and movie again etc etc.

7

dancingmeadow t1_j1qh1j1 wrote

It's got the fairly rare charm of making me happy to be lonely, when I'm lonely, and happy to be not lonely when I'm not lonely.

1

w0mba7 t1_j1qir68 wrote

When that single came out in the late 70’s, there was a famous BBC1 news presenter called “Sue Lawley”. A Radio 1 DJ pointed out that it sounded like Sting was singing her name throughout the chorus, and now that’s all I hear.

1

ItDoesntMatter59 t1_j1qkn4k wrote

Known in the UK as “Sue Lawley”. A tv presenter here.

“ i feel Sue Lawley”

2

Wewoo3 t1_j1qojvd wrote

This is one of my top pick me up songs. It's so good.

1

Fonzee327 t1_j1qxdjj wrote

Replying to stateit (#1,070,564)

When I was a teen my first job was at a deli making sandwiches and cheesesteaks. My friends and I changed many song lyrics to match the setting and this one was “salami, salami! Hahaha I still think it if the song comes on.

1

Independent_Mix4789 t1_j1qyzis wrote

bro the police is one of the best rock bands in existence u can’t change my mind

1

FarFuckingOut t1_j1r26m7 wrote

I used to work at a ski hill overlooking Vancouver. I would be up there an hour or two earlier than most of the staff, opening lifts in the dark, getting ready for the throngs of people to start filtering in, ferrying other early staff around the mountain.

I had mega loud little speaker, and a banger of a playlist.

So Lonely was the first song that would kick it off, playing it first for myself, working alone in the dark, and then again for the first chair of trail/park crew, then again for the first few guests.

It never got old.

2

LupinCANsing t1_j1r5ope wrote

I feel like "Can't Stand Losing You" has that same feel of very depressing lyrics but catchy and upbeat.

That said, my dad and I LOVE "So Lonely". We think it's so funny how he's screaming "LO-LAY-LO!" When he does that little interlude near the end. At one point, on his way to work, dad called me (it wasn't even 8am) and screamed "LO-LAY-LO!" at me because this song was playing on the radio in his truck. Couldn't stay annoyed long 🤣.

2

flipping_birds t1_j1r6tjn wrote

This is the “4 chords song” progression. Basically if you want to write a hit song, use these chords. There are a lot of them.

2

JackTheDrummerYT t1_j1rb2gb wrote

the Police’s first album is absolutely amazing, glad to see someone appreciating it!

1

Jetsagoodboy t1_j1rtfdc wrote

I saw them on the first tour of the states,in Berkeley at the zellerbach,front row,sting threw backstage passes at us,NY friend got one, he said sting refused to come out for the second set until he received his orange juice,what a show.

1

skinnyminnesota t1_j1rv25a wrote

Outlandos d'Amour rules, front to back. Years later, a doctor will tell Sting he has an IQ of 48 and he'll start making adult contemporary garbage

1

deathkidney t1_j1s5quy wrote

C G Am F ... rinse and repeat, but somehow fantastic

1

HoldenVT9C1 t1_j1smjwf wrote

I love the guitar solo in that song! It’s like it’s alive.

1

Dadittude182 t1_j1sswhk wrote

I told my wife years ago, that if The Police ever have a reunion, I don't care if we have to fly to England we're going. A few years after that statement, we bought tickets to see their reunion show in Hershey, PA. One of the best concerts I've ever seen. Great band live, and now they're gone. One of the best decisions I ever made.

2

gogozrx t1_j1stqgb wrote

Replying to save-therhino- (#1,072,839)

Funny... I like Mother quite a lot

Edit: just went and listened again. Yup, this is the song that got me into the band. The 7/4 signature, the absolutely brilliant guitar Solo.... Fuck yeah.

2

crudedrawer t1_j1tfi6u wrote

I love the live version of this on the Certifiable live album from 2008, Andy Summers' extended solo is great.

1

rooigevaar t1_j1tl4va wrote

Replying to gogozrx (#1,085,493)

I remember a Sting interview saying that, after a reunion of sorts, it had been great to be back together again, but soon the old frustrations returned, including Copeland's speeding up and slowing down.

Some love footage has confirmed that for me since then. Am I alone?

1

DiegoMrProducer t1_j1u55tv wrote

All The Police discography is paradigm changing! Zenyatta Mondatta changed the way we record drums. Especially the snare, bass drum and hi-hats! My favorite band along with The Beatles.

2

Motor-Caregiver-4617 t1_j1udree wrote

I was lucky enough to see them here in Phoenix for the Ghost and the Machine tour. They were the headliner, the B52’s and the GoGo’s were the opener. It was an amazing show! Still a fan of Copeland’s high hat work!!

1

MaggieRose70 t1_j1v0pae wrote

I LOVE that song!! I also love so close to me. It reminds me of my childhood and teens. I’m a genxer 1970 baby

1

Stunning_Ayy t1_j1vobj1 wrote

Definitely checking it out, good to know we got quite a number of diehard rock fans!

1