Date: July 9, 1983
Weeks: 8
Of course this song is famous for its misinterpretation as a love song. The conventional wisdom suggests it's a song about a stalker, but I don't really read that in the lyrics, either. I think it's more of a tormented break-up song. "Every move you make, and every vow you break, every smile you fake, every claim you stake, I'll be watching you." He's anguishing about how he wasn't ready to break up, and the complex feelings of both wanting to get back together while also lingering over all the bad times.
Musically, the song is very simple, with a really basic guitar and snare drum progression. There's not a lot of variation in the chorus, either, with just a little extra synthesized string coming in to the song. Sting's vocals are also pretty tame throughout most of the song. It's pretty tedious, actually. The good thing is that right in the middle of the song there's an excellent bridge that brings in a stronger guitar and a piano while Sting's vocals get very intense. It lasts less than 30 seconds, but it single-handedly injects just enough life into the song to keep it interesting. This section also includes the best, most turned-inward and self-aware lyrics in the song. "I look around but it's you I can't replace." Regardless of the fault he's casting at his ex through most of the rest of the song, this section admits his pwn failings, and it's wonderful to get that admission in the middle of the song.
My verdict: Like it. It's catchy, touching, and while it may be a little too subtle overall, it has a nice explosion of sound that saves it.
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