Today’s #SongLyricsSunday theme is “Hurt/Pain/Agony/Suffer.” from Jim at An Unique Title For Me. When I thought about this week’s theme, I immediately thought about The Police.
Which The Police song did I choose? Click to find out!
If you didn’t put the two clues together, don’t worry, I got you covered. The song I picked this week was The Police’s 1983 song “King of Pain”. Yes, I talked about The Police last month with my favorite song “I Burn For You”. However, I love The Police as they were a revolutionary and talented group.
Sting wrote the lyrics to the song. He explained that the lyrics were about the separation with his first wife. “I conjured up symbols of pain and related them to my soul,” the English rocker said in an interview, “A black spot on the sun struck me as being a very painful image, and I felt that was my soul up there on there on the sun. It’s just projecting your state into the world of symbolism, which is what poetry’s all about, really.”[1] He would later revisit this pain from a nasty divorce in songs like “Every Breath You Take” and “Fortress Around Your Heart”.
I really love “King of Pain” and not just because of the lyrics. I think my favorite part of the song is Andy Summer’s guitar solo during the bridge. I just totally love that solo!
How about you? Do you like “King of the Pain” or any of The Police discography?
What kind of songs do you associate “Hurt/Pain/Agony/Suffer”?
Tell me in the comments below!
Here are the lyrics:
There’s a little black spot on the sun today
It’s the same old thing as yesterday
There’s a black hat caught in a high tree top
There’s a flag-pole rag and the wind won’t stop
I have stood here before inside the pouring rain
With the world turning circles running ’round my brain
I guess I’m always hoping that you’ll end this reign
But it’s my destiny to be the king of painThere’s a little black spot on the sun today
That’s my soul up there
It’s the same old thing as yesterday
That’s my soul up there
There’s a black hat caught in a high tree top
That’s my soul up there
There’s a flag-pole rag and the wind won’t stop
That’s my soul up thereI have stood here before inside the pouring rain
With the world turning circles running ’round my brain
I guess I’m always hoping that you’ll end this reign
But it’s my destiny to be the king of painThere’s a fossil that’s trapped in a high cliff wall
That’s my soul up there
There’s a dead salmon frozen in a waterfall
That’s my soul up there
There’s a blue whale beached by a springtime’s ebb
That’s my soul up there
There’s a butterfly trapped in a spider’s web
That’s my soul up thereI have stood here before inside the pouring rain
With the world turning circles running ’round my brain
I guess I’m always hoping that you’ll end this reign
But it’s my destiny to be the king of painThere’s a king on a throne with his eyes torn out
There’s a blind man looking for a shadow of doubt
There’s a rich man sleeping on a golden bed
There’s a skeleton choking on a crust of breadKing of pain
There’s a red fox torn by a huntsman’s pack
That’s my soul up there
There’s a black-winged gull with a broken back
That’s my soul up there
There’s a little black spot on the sun today
It’s the same old thing as yesterday
I have stood here before in the pouring rain
With the world turning circles running ’round my brain
I guess I always thought you could end this reign
But it’s my destiny to be the king of pain
King of pain
King of pain
King of pain
I’ll always be king of pain
The Rules
If you want to participate, here are the rules:
- Post the lyrics to the song of your choice, whether it fits the theme or not.
- Please try to include the songwriter(s) – it’s a good idea to give credit where credit is due.
- Make sure you also credit the singer/band and if you desire you can provide a link to where you found the lyrics.
- Link to the YouTube video, or pull it into your post so others can listen to the song.
- Ping back to this post will eventually work, as long as you are being patient, but you can also place your link in the comments if you don’t like to wait.
- Read at least one other person’s blog, so we can all share new and fantastic music and create amazing new blogging friends in the process.
- Feel free to suggest future prompts.
- Have fun and enjoy the music.
