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The Police — Roxanne
Album: Outlandos D'amour
Avg rating:
7.4

Your rating:
Total ratings: 1331









Released: 1978
Length: 3:01
Plays (last 30 days): 0
''Ha ha ha ha''

Roxanne
You don't have to put on the red light
Those days are over
You don't have to sell your body to the night

Roxanne
You don't have to wear that dress tonight
Walk the streets for money
You don't care if it's wrong or if it's right

Roxanne
You don't have to put on the red light
Roxanne
You don't have to put on the red light

Roxanne (Put on the red light)
Roxanne (Put on the red light)
Roxanne (Put on the red light)
Roxanne (Put on the red light)
Roxanne (Put on the red light)
Ro-

I loved you since I knew you
I wouldn't talk down to you
I have to tell you just how I feel
I won't share you with another boy

I know my mind is made up
So put away your makeup
Told you once, I won't tell you again
It's a bad way

Roxanne
You don't have to put on the red light
Roxanne
You don't have to put on the red light

Roxanne (You don't have to put on the red light)
Roxanne (Put on the red light)
Roxanne (Put on the red light)
Roxanne (Put on the red light)
Roxanne (Put on the red light)
Roxanne (Put on the red light)
Roxanne (Put on the red light)
Roxanne (Put on the red light)
Roxanne (Put on the red light)
Roxanne (Put on the red light)
Roxanne (You don't have to put on the red light)
Roxanne (Put on the red light)
Roxanne (You don't have to put on the red light)
Roxanne (Put on the red light)
Roxanne (Put on the red light)
Comments (200)add comment
Had a good friend in high school in the early 80’s, named Roxanne. Poor thing?!
I still think of Eddie Murphy when I hear this!   
I still pity the poor girl I went to high school with that was saddled an unfortunate name when this was released...I'm sure she still has PTSD...
So the story goes that Sting showed up to record this after partying hard all night long, he thought the piano had the cover down so he sat down.   But it didn't, so it clanged out some odd notes and everyone laughed, and they kept it in the song.
 Grammarcop wrote:

Why do some men feel the need to sing about prostitutes? 



World's oldest profession + world's oldest art form. Makes sense to me.
 Stetsonman wrote:

Is this song about a pimps love for one his bitches?


Nah, it was a John or a boyfriend (or both).
Azam Ali: Endless Reverie > Norah Jones: Burn > The Police: Roxanne

Third weirdo beat in a row. Not that I'd mind.
 billybob123 wrote:

This song always reminds me of the first time I saw this band play live, in a bar called Dooley's, I think, in Phoenix in 78 or 79.  They played Roxanne during their set but then played it again for their encore.  I guess they ran out of songs!


Or... maybe they knew that their fans came for it.  It's not (or it wasn't, at least) uncommon for young bands to do this.  Especially with their first break out hit.
Is this song about a pimps love for one his bitches?
Good freaking good that's an awful song.
Know tyself. What's my reaction?
Great song! Curious that initially was conceived as a bossa nova. If you try to play it as a bossa nova with the guitar, though, you can tell that it works! 
 Grammarcop wrote:
Why do some men feel the need to sing about prostitutes? 

 
It is kind of hackneyed by now but it's long been a popular topic - ask Verdi or Puccini.  Also, the "hooker-with-the-heart-of-gold" formula seemed to be particularly popular in late-1970s and early-'80s popular culture.  Maybe it's more fun than writing a tune about a chimney-sweep or a court stenographer.
 Steely_D wrote:

There's no need to insult people personally for their tastes. Let's talk about the music.

 
I agree totally. Stop being jerks.

That said, I wonder if flogging these AOR warhorses really serves the cause of music appreciation.
Two Sting songs in 30 minutes? Does the B&M computer have an anti-music virus of some sort?   
 Coventry wrote:

Wow. What a mature and enlightened response. I guess once you finish your freshman year of college you'll discover more sophisticated critiques. 
 
There's no need to insult people personally for their tastes. Let's talk about the music.
 ljoergen wrote:
Argh, I cannot find the PSD button on my stereo.....Again!
Sting {#Arrow} {#Moon} ! 

 
Wow. What a mature and enlightened response. I guess once you finish your freshman year of college you'll discover more sophisticated critiques. 
Argh, I cannot find the PSD button on my stereo.....Again!
Sting {#Arrow} {#Moon} ! 
 Stingray wrote:
And why not? If I could, I would sing about the 69 prostitutes I have visited in my lifetime!
 
STD-ingray
...sounds great LIVE - Melbourne, Australia
 unclehud wrote:

Overheard on my submarine for months after this was released : "ROOOOOOOOOXanne!"  Sort of a universal shout-out for any reason including boredom.  Brings back warm and fuzzy memories.  Mostly fuzzy ones.



 

35 years ago-March 1979

{#No}     It hurts my ears.

 


not much Sting songs played here the last months. But the last days! Whats up with the BG team!?
Roxanne is a police car.

Overheard on my submarine for months after this was released:

"ROOOOOOOOOXanne!" 

Sort of a universal shout-out for any reason including boredom. Brings back warm and fuzzy memories. Mostly fuzzy ones.


 thats a good selection below
———————

treatment_bound wrote:
There really should be more cuts than just Roxanne from the debut.  1, 2, 6, 7 & 8 all work for me... 

Not the best song on this album, but it'll do in a pinch.  I personally like the strange punk funk brew of Masoko Tango best.  Plus it hasn't been played to death.
 Stingray wrote:

And why not? If I could, I would sing about the 69 prostitutes I have visited in my lifetime!

 
You need to turn your life around.
Honeymoon on Maui.
One of my Top 50 songs of all time . . . the Police at their best!  Woo hoo!
Wait!  Wait!  Oh, wow—I finally GET it!  This is a fucking JOKE, right?  The inane lyrics, the utterly execrable performance (from a guy who can, in a pinch, actually sing) . . . it's a JOKE!  

I still hate it. 
 Grammarcop wrote:
Why do some men feel the need to sing about prostitutes? 
 
And why not? If I could, I would sing about the 69 prostitutes I have visited in my lifetime!
Why do some men feel the need to sing about prostitutes? 

12


PS

The 26 retirees from the Seagrass-home send their united vote

of "1". Let's send them some applause for trying...!


 smackiepipe wrote:

BAAATMAN,
You don't have to put on the black tights...

 

hahahahaha, now I won't mind hearing this song...for a little while anyway.
There really should be more cuts than just Roxanne from the debut.  1, 2, 6, 7 & 8 all work for me...

Track Listing
1 - Next to You
2 - So Lonely
3 - Roxanne
4 - Hole in My Life
5 - Peanuts
6 - Can't Stand Losing You
7 - Truth Hits Everybody
8 - Born in the 50's
9 - Be My Girl - Sally
10 - Masoko Tanga


 Dgradeworkunit wrote:
Perfectly horrible.
 
half right...

PERFECT

Perfectly horrible.
 h8rhater wrote:

Calm DOWN and take your Ritalin,... Poindexter. 

 
well put.

TEN

 sirdroseph wrote:
Yea, I have no problem never hearing this song again for the rest of my life. I am perfectly fine with that.
 
Amen to that.

The only thing better than this song is this song in Moulin Rouge!
 sirdroseph wrote:
Yea, I have no problem never hearing this song again for the rest of my life. I am perfectly fine with that.
 
I agree 100%!!
I want to hear the Eddie Murphy version.
 reason06 wrote:
THIS IS WITHOUT A DOUBT THE MOST WORTHLESS STUPID BADLY SUNG PIECE OF C*** IN THE WORLD!!!!
 
Calm DOWN and take your Ritalin,... Poindexter. 

I love that I've been hearing more Sting & Police!  Nice surprise and memories!
 kaiserman155 wrote:
It was good for about first hundred times I've heard this song. 
 

Yes, and that was 1979.{#Stop}
Yea, I have no problem never hearing this song again for the rest of my life. I am perfectly fine with that.
 mandolin wrote:
...sing this entire song, but replace the title lyrics with 'batman'...
 
BAAATMAN,
You don't have to put on the black tights...

...sing this entire song, but replace the title lyrics with 'batman'...
 oenyaw wrote:
NO!
 
YES!

Roxanne was the first exposure to the Police for a great many Americans. It seems to have worked.
NO!

What's with all the Sting and Police lately?

(That said, this song is a definite 9.)


 billybob123 wrote:
This song always reminds me of the first time I saw this band play live, in a bar called Dooley's, I think, in Phoenix in 78 or 79.  They played Roxanne during their set but then played it again for their encore.  I guess they ran out of songs!
 

Can't you think of another reason...?
 Essbee wrote:
The first time I heard this, in high school when everyone listened to hair bands, I thought is was awful simply because it was "airy" without heavily layered guitars and non-stop sound. Pauses in music and up-front cymbals was alien to me. Along with The Ramones, the Police jump-started my interest in music as being more than just what you should expect.
 
Great post, thanks!

This song always reminds me of the first time I saw this band play live, in a bar called Dooley's, I think, in Phoenix in 78 or 79.  They played Roxanne during their set but then played it again for their encore.  I guess they ran out of songs!

and then we heard Eddie Murphy singing it in the prison cell in 48 Hours and you appreciated it again, right?

 kaiserman155 wrote:
It was good for about first hundred times I've heard this song. 
 


It was good for about first hundred times I've heard this song. 
I will never hear this song again without thinking of the Flight of the Conchords.... {#Lol}
And, what exactly your remark about "I remember how surprised I was that the singer wasn't Latino" is supposed to mean?  and, perhaps, more importantly, what is that have to do with the song?

rocco1207 wrote:
Sting and the band sure think its one of their best since they play it so much. I disagree. I remember how surprised I was that the singer wasn't Latino.



this song ruined the name roxanne for girls.  anyone who named their daughters roxanne after this might as well have stapled a big KICK ME sign to their back.
I had a girlfriend named Roxanne shortly after this song came out—and everyone thought they were so clever by singing this song when they saw her. Didn't help that Roxanne was very high-maintenance.

As it is, this song gets way too much air time. Maybe you feel differently, flyboy.


flyboy wrote:
I had a neighbor growing up named Roxanne. Total MILF. I think about her every time I hear this song.




How these guys became so hugely popular I'll never understand. I could see a steady underground following, but multi-platinum albums just don't make sense to me. Sting sounds like a young boy with a throat problem singing in a tunnel.
The songs great...stands the test of time..without Stings voice..which doesn't
THIS IS WITHOUT A DOUBT THE MOST WORTHLESS STUPID BADLY SUNG PIECE OF C*** IN THE WORLD!!!!
I had a neighbor growing up named Roxanne. Total MILF. I think about her every time I hear this song.
The first time I heard this was in junior high school. There was a wild redhead named Roxanne who (rightly or wrongly) was duly branded with the tune. Then she grew up, got pregnant, and had to marry my cousin. I always wondered if they played this tune at the wedding... or at the divorce that came 15 years later....
TheFriendlyCat wrote:
hmm. i still like the Moulin Rouge version better. But this isn't bad.
Gotta agree there. Moulin Rouge really made the most of this song.
youngers wrote:
Stewart Copeland's drumming is amazing.
And it still is - he shone the most of the three on the latest tour. One of the few drummers you can recognise by style.
Remember the first few times you heard this one? Unlike the comment that precedes this one (or the one before it), I thought it was an utterly insane tune. I was fifteen, pretty much had the world figured out and thought this song EXPLODED with all the things I needed.
I remember when this came out. I thought it was so terrible that it was cool. I instantly bonded with it. As time went on I got to where I hated it when a police tune was played. Still like this one though.
Stewart Copeland's drumming is amazing.
First time I heard this I was living in Seattle, and they came to play in concert and I'll never forget it. That was in 1979...a lot has happened since then and now...
The first time I heard this, in high school when everyone listened to hair bands, I thought is was awful simply because it was "airy" without heavily layered guitars and non-stop sound. Pauses in music and up-front cymbals was alien to me. Along with The Ramones, the Police jump-started my interest in music as being more than just what you should expect.
crushedvelvet wrote:
My name is Bernadette, and people of a certain age ask me if I know the Four Tops.........but i dig that.
Yeah, but there isn't Roxanne's dodgy reputation that this song addresses...
These three dudes were pretty good at Madison Square Garden last Friday... worth checking out if they're in your area.
Play "Deathwish" from Reggatta De Blanc...
hmm. i still like the Moulin Rouge version better. But this isn't bad.
I was working as a DJ at a Top 40 radio station when this song came out. Almost 30 years later it still sets my teeth on edge! Aieeee!
I wonder how many women called Roxanne are sick and tired of upon being introduced to somebody, that person going "Rooooxxaannne...."...
Welly wrote:
Probably my least fave Police song. Sounds like an alley cat.
I like that about it, actually. :)
meydele wrote:
There are a lot of great Police tunes hidden away. . . but that doesn't make this one any less great. I still love it, even on the 12,000,000,001st hearing.
Sting and the band sure think its one of their best since they play it so much. I disagree. I remember how surprised I was that the singer wasn't Latino.
anyone see the Police on tour this year? All I have to say is WOW! Saw both nights at Fenway dead center on the field. Great sound and lighting and amazing music. Only took me 23 years to see it!
Roxanne, put on another police song............
Alifreckles50 wrote:
with so many great Police tunes hidden away, why does it ALWAYS come down to "Roxanne"? by far, not their best. especially not the 12,000,000,000th time you hear it.
There are a lot of great Police tunes hidden away. . . but that doesn't make this one any less great. I still love it, even on the 12,000,000,001st hearing.
Probably my least fave Police song. Sounds like an alley cat.
dionysius wrote:
Still rather hear it than any solo Sting, especially if he's totin' a lute.
LOL! Luters should be shot on sight, IMO :)
I was never their hugest fan but they're a plain good band. I must say I really enjoyed watching them live on tv a couple months ago, playing this song. What broadcast was that, I forget. Anyhow it was especially great to see Stewart playing his guts out.
Alifreckles50 wrote:
with so many great Police tunes hidden away, why does it ALWAYS come down to "Roxanne"? by far, not their best. especially not the 12,000,000,000th time you hear it.
I so agree
dionysius wrote:
Still rather hear it than any solo Sting, especially if he's totin' a lute.
Well said.
Alifreckles50 wrote:
with so many great Police tunes hidden away, why does it ALWAYS come down to "Roxanne"? by far, not their best. especially not the 12,000,000,000th time you hear it.
Still rather hear it than any solo Sting, especially if he's totin' a lute.
with so many great Police tunes hidden away, why does it ALWAYS come down to "Roxanne"? by far, not their best. especially not the 12,000,000,000th time you hear it.
milehighYinzer wrote:
It starts in late May
28 May 2007
Mugro wrote:
I actually watched the Grammys for the first time ever to see the Police perform this tune. When is the tour?
It starts in late May
celadonstone wrote:
Cant say I saw it but yeah, it happened at the 2007 Grammys and they're going to tour.
the rumours are true.i got my tickets for the vancouver show. the amazing thing about this reunion is all of the memories that are flooding my conciousness of those teenage years. isn't music magical?
hhhmmmm, Victoria by the Kinks was in this set today as well. eskles wrote:
Hated this when it came out....then liked it somewhat....now really find it annoying, especially when compared to the other songs in this set (Victoria by the Kinks just buries Sting's whininess).
I actually watched the Grammys for the first time ever to see the Police perform this tune. When is the tour?
Cant say I saw it but yeah, it happened at the 2007 Grammys and they're going to tour.
ce wrote:
Their first hit single, 30 years ago. This spurred rumours about a Police reunion: (click here) (click here) A bit of internet searching returns many similar rumours over the years, so don't hold your breath.
Looks like the rumours are a bit more substantial this time: (click here) I have been waiting a looong time for this!
BABYYYYYYYY, WHAT A SET!!!!! THX, RP!!!!!!!!!
Their first hit single, 30 years ago. This spurred rumours about a Police reunion: (click here) (click here) A bit of internet searching returns many similar rumours over the years, so don't hold your breath.
Super tune! Saw them on their first foray into the states, small bar gig, set up their own equip. Roxanne was magic - after that song everyone there that night knew they had witnessed something very special.
This brings back memories. When this song came on the radio, my friends and I all began "harmonizing" with the chorus until we were all laughing uncontrollably. "ROCKSZANNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN"
emeraldrose63 wrote:
This brings back memories of my teen years.. Wanting to be cool, and fit in with the crowd..lol
Wanting to be cool while hating the cool people. Wanting to fit in with the crowd while hating the crowd. Not wanting to belong to any club that would let you in. Teen years are hell. Come to think of, so are the adult years...aack!
Hated this when it came out....then liked it somewhat....now really find it annoying, especially when compared to the other songs in this set (Victoria by the Kinks just buries Sting's whininess).
Great track (I mean, it is the Police after all, with the always amazing Mr. Copeland), but I'm sooooooooo freaking burned out on it. Think I'll just focus on the drumming and see if I can filter out the rest ... ... Ahhhhh, that's better.
Contender for that "Great Songs That Need a Rest" forum from a few months back. Be amusing if someone uploaded the Reggie Hammond version.
When this album and song first came out I heard a couple of Pittsburgh DJ's "rate" the song and the group.On a scale of 1-10 the song got a 3 and the group got a 2.One DJ said it was the worst attempt at singing he has ever heard.What an idiot!
QueenLucia wrote:
One word: WHINEY!!
Oh, no no no. It's much worse than whiny. Shrieking, perhaps. Caterwauling, maybe. Worst damned song ever recorded, for sure.
One word: WHINEY!!
Krispian wrote:
I still do!
recommended : everyone stares, a fun copeland documentary about the Police, from the inside!
Aud wrote:
March 1979-this song will forever be associated with what was happening with me
You were being tortured?
I've got to give it an 8 because it's soooo much fun to sing along to!
emeraldrose63 wrote:
This brings back memories of my teen years.. Wanting to be cool, and fit in with the crowd..lol
March 1979-this song will forever be associated with what was happening with me
ChardRemains wrote:
mmmm I had a big crush on Stuart Copeland once...
I still do!
Every time I hear this song, I think of Eddie Murphy in "48 Hours." I kind of like his version a bit more - guilty pleasure on my part.