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The Police — Walking In Your Footsteps
Album: Synchronicity
Avg rating:
6.8

Your rating:
Total ratings: 2105









Released: 1983
Length: 3:30
Plays (last 30 days): 5
Fifty million years ago
You walked upon the planet so
Lord of all that you could see
Just a little bit like me

Walking in your footsteps
Walking in your footsteps
Walking in your footsteps
Walking in your footsteps

Hey, Mr. Dinosaur
You really couldn't ask for more
You were God's favorite creature
But you didn't have a future

Walking in your footsteps
Walking in your footsteps
Walking in your footsteps
Walking in your footsteps

Hey, mighty brontosaurus
Don't you have a lesson for us?
Thought your rule would always last
There were no lessons in your past
You were built three stories high
They say you would not hurt a fly
If we explode the atom bomb
Will they say that we were dumb?

Walking in your footsteps
Walking in your footsteps
Walking in your footsteps
Walking in your footsteps

They say the meek shall inherit the Earth
They say the meek shall inherit the Earth

Walking in your footsteps
Walking in your footsteps
Walking in your footsteps
Walking in your footsteps
Walking in your footsteps
Walking in your footsteps
Walking in your footsteps
Walking in your footsteps
Comments (213)add comment
 Queue wrote:

"Murder by Numbers" was the tape/CD only track.  Sadly, all of us received  "Mother".

Q




Are you "the" Q? 
Probably my favorite track on this great album. I loved how Stewart Copeland's African rhythm perfectly matched Sting's inspired lyrics. And I'm assuming those are Andy's quirky, ambient sound effects throughout. They might not have liked each other, but they were perfect for each other.
It's like they're not even trying. A rare 1.
 CCSandman wrote:

"Walking in your food stamps!"


Lol, considering Sting's trademark nasal whining, allow for a slight modification: 'Squawking in your footsteps' 😜
 CCSandman wrote:

"Walking in your food stamps!"




Too funny!   LOL!   
I remember when this album first came out, and listening to this particular track at FULL volume in my car.  Summer 1983, what a blast!   I was between Sophomore and Junior years of college, living at the beach, and not a care in the world!  Life was good!
Every time I hear this I think of ‘Young Frankenstein’’

Inspector Kemp 
: Vee had better confeerm de fect dat Yunk Frankenshtein iss indeed VALLOWING EEN EES GANDFADDA'S VOOTSHTAPS

Villagers : What?

Inspector Kemp : Following in his grandfather's footsteps.

[looks at blank faces] 

Inspector Kemp : Footsteps! Footsteps!

Villagers : Ohhh. Footsteps.

"Walking in your food stamps!"
Love this song, but feels a bit to close to the mark at the moment....  
I hear more and more Police on RP. Is this a trend?
I don't like the police, but I do like The Police
 m_logie wrote:
When this song was released, the Brontosaurus had, for about 80 years, been considered to be a mistaken classification, and should actually be called Apatosaurus.  In 2015 a paper re-established it as a valid dinosaur genus.

Looks like The Police were ahead of their time.
 
I'm quite sure that Sting consulted multiple paleontologists when writing this song ... you know, for authenticity.
 z11355 wrote:
30 years old ??????   
 
37!
 (and counting)  ; )
Love anything Police that wasn't over played on the radio!  Love the "B" sides!
Reminds me to despair the sight of King Ozymandias
 martyn1 wrote:
never a fan of police
 
Neither am I, can't stand Sting's awful screeching falsetto voice. The Police have aged very poorly, pretty much unlistenable stuff.

When this song was released, the Brontosaurus had, for about 80 years, been considered to be a mistaken classification, and should actually be called Apatosaurus.  In 2015 a paper re-established it as a valid dinosaur genus.

Looks like The Police were ahead of their time.
I think it's their the best album! To jest ich najlepszy album moim zdaniem!
One of the weakest tunes on this otherwise strong album.
I know I'm a heretic but this is one of my favorite The Police albums. The other is either Reggatta de Blanc or Ghost in the Machine.
 LinThizzy wrote:
Oysterhead is the best thing to come from the police drummer Copeland.
 

Actually, I love Copeland's album that he did in Africa, "The Rhythmatist."

But 'There Ain't No Cure for Suicide" is pretty cool too...
 martyn1 wrote:
never a fan of police

 
Your really missing out....
 thewiseking wrote:
The Police had their moments but their Reggae Shtick has grown old and now sounds very dated

 
Interestingly, I only enjoy Reggae when it's performed by bands like the Police.  
Oysterhead is the best thing to come from the police drummer copeland /with
Claypool

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Srwa2soqFI
never a fan of police
The Police had their moments but their Reggae Shtick has grown old and now sounds very dated
"Brontosaurus" and "lesson for us" must be one of the crassest rhymes ever in a pop song. Actually, I think that dinosaurs have had a bad press - after all, they survived for tens of millions of years, which is a feck of a sight longer than humans are going to be around. If not for that pesky asteroid they'd still rule the Earth.
I just loved this album when it came out.
 baylees wrote:
i thought walking on the moon was bad   sheeesh   this track  kill it then burn it with fire

 
i thought walking on the moon was good   sheeesh   this track. . .well, maybe not quite as good, but still pretty damn catchy.
Fifty million years
Let this moment last.
we all keep walking lightly
 baylees wrote:
i thought walking on the moon was bad   sheeesh   this track  kill it then burn it with fire

 
Musically, some interesting ideas. Lyrically, filler.
 Chumbawamba-1984 wrote:

...nothing worth reading.

 


i thought walking on the moon was bad   sheeesh   this track  kill it then burn it with fire
Isn't this in a Disney movie somewhere?
 Skydog wrote:
somebody knocked over a hornets nest below in the comments
.
okay, now i heard the song
i don't care for it
next song please 

 
.. and I was going to say something from the perspective of the Brontosaurus.. but, well, I guess it's too late now.
 Chumbawamba-1984 wrote:

Now this is a pompous and boring lecture about musical technique, not inspiration. Stuck into your pre-school band basics?

 
jeeeeez... give it a rest.  Why can't we talk about how songs are structured?  That's half the fun. 
somebody knocked over a hornets nest below in the comments
.
okay, now i heard the song
i don't care for it
next song please 
 
Hmph.  There's nothing more pompous and boring than a bitchy, insulting little troll with nothing substantive to contribute to the discussion.  

I know precious little about music theory, but as a lover of music I'm interested in all aspects of it.  This forum exists for the discussion of music (although plenty of other ground also gets covered) and I appreciate being able to learn from other music lovers through the expression of their knowledge, opinions and experiences with the music.  Instead of insulting your fellow RP listeners, why not express your opinion of the music and give us something interesting to consider and discuss?
 
Chumbawamba-1984 wrote:

Now this is a pompous and boring lecture about musical technique, not inspiration. Stuck into your pre-school band basics?

 

 Chumbawamba-1984 wrote:

Now this is a pompous and boring lecture about musical technique, not inspiration. Stuck into your pre-school band basics?



 
This is shorter but no less pompous.
 Chumbawamba-1984 wrote:

Now this is a pompous and boring lecture about musical technique, not inspiration. Stuck into your pre-school band basics?

 
I was responding to a question which was largely about musical technique and structure, perhaps you find that "boring and pompous"; that's not my problem.  However, I was never informed that all commentary here is limited to discussions of "inspiration".  Thank you, have a nice day.
 Chumbawamba-1984 wrote:

Now this is a pompous and boring lecture about musical technique, not inspiration. Stuck into your pre-school band basics?

 
Hmmm... I found this quite interesting and informative.  Music theory/technique and inspiration don't have to be mutually exclusive.
 
 Proclivities wrote:

This sounds like it moves around among a major chord, a 7th chord, and maybe a suspended 4th - but within the same root chord - so, more-or-less adornments of a single chord.  I think they were experimenting in Steve Reich sort of stuff with this tune.  "Chain Of Fools" by Aretha Franklin pretty much moves back and forth between a minor and a minor 7th of the same root chord.  However, "Thriller" has quite a few chords in the chorus; even the verses seem to have a I - IV progression.

 
Now this is a pompous and boring lecture about musical technique, not inspiration. Stuck into your pre-school band basics?


 ziakut wrote:
Intriguing tune...and somewhat risky. Not many songs hold your interest by staying on the same chord throughout the entire song. I personally find it a bit dull. There are a handful of tunes, that have charted,  that only have ONE chord that never change. "Coconut" by Harry Nillsson is a good example. "Thriller" by Michael Jackson I think qualifies. Can anyone else think of one? 

 
I can't believe I'm responding to a 3-year-old post, but...I would suggest that you think of the structure of this song as one key rather than one chord. The vocal plainly changes chords, but the root instrumentation would seem to be, um, rooted in one key. I don't see this as a weakness or detriment any more than I would see a pedal bass note in symphonic literature as a weakness or detriment. After all, any one key may contain a multiplicity of chords. I don't find the tune, then, dull in the least. BTW, I saw them on the Synchronicity tour. They were awesome.
 fitmartin wrote:
Best Police album, verrrry creative!
 
Let's not overlook Zenyatta too...
Best Police album, verrrry creative!
{#No}
I am not a fan of Police nor Sting...
{#Moon} 
 ziakut wrote:
Intriguing tune...and somewhat risky. Not many songs hold your interest by staying on the same chord throughout the entire song. I personally find it a bit dull. There are a handful of tunes, that have charted,  that only have ONE chord that never change. "Coconut" by Harry Nillsson is a good example. "Thriller" by Michael Jackson I think qualifies. Can anyone else think of one? 

 
Magic Bus by The Who?
 ziakut wrote:
Intriguing tune...and somewhat risky. Not many songs hold your interest by staying on the same chord throughout the entire song. I personally find it a bit dull. There are a handful of tunes, that have charted,  that only have ONE chord that never change. "Coconut" by Harry Nillsson is a good example. "Thriller" by Michael Jackson I think qualifies. Can anyone else think of one? 

 
This sounds like it moves around among a major chord, a 7th chord, and maybe a suspended 4th - but within the same root chord - so, more-or-less adornments of a single chord.  I think they were experimenting in Steve Reich sort of stuff with this tune.  "Chain Of Fools" by Aretha Franklin pretty much moves back and forth between a minor and a minor 7th of the same root chord.  However, "Thriller" has quite a few chords in the chorus; even the verses seem to have a I - IV progression.
 scraig wrote:
God's favorite creature? What, is God a 5-year-old now?
 
Ha!! I never really thought of it that way. :)

Reminded me of an Onion article though:

Paleontologists Unearth Earliest Known Dinosaur Stickers
{#Daisy}
 ziakut wrote:
Intriguing tune...and somewhat risky. Not many songs hold your interest by staying on the same chord throughout the entire song. I personally find it a bit dull. There are a handful of tunes, that have charted,  that only have ONE chord that never change. "Coconut" by Harry Nillsson is a good example. "Thriller" by Michael Jackson I think qualifies. Can anyone else think of one? 

 

Tomorrow Never Knows. 
Sounds like Sting doing vocals with Talking Heads during Remain In Light era.
 scraig wrote:
God's favorite creature? What, is God a 5-year-old now?

 
Who's to say he/she/it isn't?  Bet they like trains, too.
God's favorite creature? What, is God a 5-year-old now?
 reviep wrote:
How can this song be 30 years old?  It seems less dated than I am.

 
Bizarrely enough, I'll thank you for pointing out the temporal reference (I hate thinking about how old I am relative to how old I feel).  Perhaps people could appreciate the lyrics a bit more if they understood it was written during  the Cold War.  Although I'm guessing half the audience has no clue what I'm talking about. 
 ziakut wrote:
Intriguing tune...and somewhat risky. Not many songs hold your interest by staying on the same chord throughout the entire song. I personally find it a bit dull. There are a handful of tunes, that have charted,  that only have ONE chord that never change. "Coconut" by Harry Nillsson is a good example. "Thriller" by Michael Jackson I think qualifies. Can anyone else think of one? 

 
Actually Thriller has lots of chords, but the verse is pretty much based around a single chord.  How about Everyday People by Sly and the Family Stone?  Technically a few chords, but the bass sticks on one note for the whole thing...
 dsd wrote:


Glad you are back.  Glad you are in church.

 
Not sure Sting could get his ego thru your churches front door though.  He's got talent, heh, but he ain't God's gift (like he seems to think/act). 

So it goes.
What is the difference between Stink and Mick Jagger ?   

Nothing.   Both are Sucko-Barfo.
 
 reviep wrote:
How can this song be 30 years old?  It seems less dated than I am.

 
I feel the same way. {#Confused}
How can this song be 30 years old?  It seems less dated than I am.
Not a good lyrical day for sting when he wrote this, clearly.
30 years old ??????  {#Sad}
A less than profound message from Mr Sumner...

Hey, mighty brontosaurus
Don't you have a lesson for us?


 

 Lazarus wrote:

Everybody in my church loves this magnificent classic...

 

Glad you are back.  Glad you are in church.

Everybody in my church loves this magnificent classic...


Not sure this is an example of one of their best, but worth noting that they produced something else. The chorus almost sounds like "Walking in Your Food Stamps" - a sign of the times??
My favorite Police song... Thanks RP!! {#Cheers}
Intriguing tune...and somewhat risky. Not many songs hold your interest by staying on the same chord throughout the entire song. I personally find it a bit dull. There are a handful of tunes, that have charted,  that only have ONE chord that never change. "Coconut" by Harry Nillsson is a good example. "Thriller" by Michael Jackson I think qualifies. Can anyone else think of one? 
Don't know why, but this really makes me want to hear We'll Make Great Pets.  The dinosaur reference, maybe.
The lyrics aside, ahem, the tune itself is a toe-tapper!

Everybody in my motel room left when this came on...
This just might be my favorite Police song!!!!   {#Cheers}
 romeotuma wrote:


Everybody in my hotel room loves this magnificent classic...

 
 

Could you invite coccyx over ???
No surprise that I don't recognize this crap from my 'best of' album :)
I STILL reallly LOVE this tune - yes....a classic!
Awesome!

I dont know why, but I never hear footsteps, whenever he says it I just hear foodstamps. I know makes no sense but I cant unhear it.


 fredriley wrote:

Ah, the h8rhater throws out some more h8. A bit of self-reflection is required on your part, I think.

 

Yeah, lots of tough guys on the internet these days.  He's probably a pussy cat in person.
 AliGator wrote:
I've been hearing a lot of Police songs on RP in the past few days. And that pleases me.
 

roger that...
Good album, not one of the best from it though.
 Ahnyer_Keester wrote:
John Coltrane to The Police. Didn't see that one coming but it works! This is probably my favorite Police album and a great song. Kind of a precursor to Sting's future in jazz.
 
John Coltrane to The Police to Bob Marley, didn´t see that one coming either.


 Art_Carnage wrote:

I'd think an astronomer would know better than to call a Brontosaurus Pluto.

 
The brontosaurus was named "Dino"; Pluto was a dog, silly.


John Coltrane to The Police. Didn't see that one coming but it works! This is probably my favorite Police album and a great song. Kind of a precursor to Sting's future in jazz.
 Art_Carnage wrote:
He rhymed "Brontosaurus" with "lesson for us"? There ought to be a law against that. And since it's from the '80s, I'll forgive the fact that the creature is actually called an Apatosaurus.
 
How is that bad? You want to create a law against using near rhymes? Every artist on the RP playlist would be doing hard time.
 AliGator wrote:

 Forgiving the Police for the Brontosaurus thing is like forgiving, oh, any astronomer for calling it Pluto.

 
I'd think an astronomer would know better than to call a Brontosaurus Pluto.

Shark jump was done quite a while ago. 

Went to a concert of his a while back when he mailed it in.  Last stop on his tour, but apparently my $90 per ticket wasn't worth him putting in the effort.

 
chyk5 wrote:
Sting's latest is "Symponicities". Has he officially "jumped the shark" or did this happen awhile ago and I missed it?!
 


An ideal song for the times we live..prophetic
"I'd like you to meet my daugher, Dors"?

 
AliGator wrote:

Hey, mighty Brontosaurus, see if Art_Carnage can floor us...

Sheesh, I dunno. How would you rhyme with the word Brontosaurus, when you're not being utterly pedantic? Forgiving the Police for the Brontosaurus thing is like forgiving, oh, any astronomer for calling it Pluto.

 


 Art_Carnage wrote:
He rhymed "Brontosaurus" with "lesson for us"? There ought to be a law against that. And since it's from the '80s, I'll forgive the fact that the creature is actually called an Apatosaurus.
 
Hey, mighty Brontosaurus, see if Art_Carnage can floor us...

Sheesh, I dunno. How would you rhyme with the word Brontosaurus, when you're not being utterly pedantic? Forgiving the Police for the Brontosaurus thing is like forgiving, oh, any astronomer for calling it Pluto.

I've been hearing a lot of Police songs on RP in the past few days. And that pleases me.
He rhymed "Brontosaurus" with "lesson for us"? There ought to be a law against that. And since it's from the '80s, I'll forgive the fact that the creature is actually called an Apatosaurus.


 h8rhater wrote:

and you.

 
Ah, the h8rhater throws out some more h8. A bit of self-reflection is required on your part, I think.

 chyk5 wrote:
Sting's latest is "Symponicities". Has he officially "jumped the shark" or did this happen awhile ago and I missed it?!
 
Ha Ha! Isn't making a Christmas album the most obvious sign. Somebody else can back me up on this one, but I think he jumped the shark with "Ten Sumoner's Tales." The title alone speaks volumes. At least with his first three solo albums he was actively attempting to stretch his musical repertoire. It's been sixteen years of Sting making easy-listening, unadventurous elevator music. His music used to be soooo good. Once you lute, you never go back. 

No more sting , please!!
Sting's latest is "Symponicities". Has he officially "jumped the shark" or did this happen awhile ago and I missed it?!
 fredriley wrote:

Quite. Dinosaurs ruled the earth for 100 million years or so (can't remember the figures) which makes them pretty successful by anyone's yardstick, and if the asteroid strike theory is correct, and there's a lot of evidence for it, they were pretty unlucky to snuff it. And, of course, dinosaurs are cool (literally).

Still, if we're talking of dinosaurs as extinct creatures from a bygone age, that could be easily applied to Sting and The Police...

 
and you.

 Queue wrote:

"Murder by Numbers" was the tape/CD only track.  Sadly, all of us received  "Mother".

Q
 
IIRC Murder by Numbers was the B-side to Every Breath...

Rock on Stewart!!  Sting needs the cash based on his latest tour promos....
So much bummer discussion about how humans are snuffing ourselves ...

OK, I can see the validity in that.
 Queue wrote:

"Murder by Numbers" was the tape/CD only track.  Sadly, all of us received  "Mother".

Q
 

Hey, I like Mother! Always liked the quirkyness of Stewarts and Andy's songs.
 vit wrote:
You know when you think about it the dinosaurs really had a good go of it. I think we're pretty far from walking in their footsteps since we mammals will be a blink compared to their run at this rate.
 
Quite. Dinosaurs ruled the earth for 100 million years or so (can't remember the figures) which makes them pretty successful by anyone's yardstick, and if the asteroid strike theory is correct, and there's a lot of evidence for it, they were pretty unlucky to snuff it. And, of course, dinosaurs are cool (literally).

Still, if we're talking of dinosaurs as extinct creatures from a bygone age, that could be easily applied to Sting and The Police...

Heard on the radio this morning that it's Sting's birthday today.  Happy birthday, Gordon!
 doctec wrote:


"The light that shines half as long shines twice as bright, and your light has shined so brightly Roy; revel in your time!"
 
I want more life, fucker!

human reptilan brain
dinosuars

 vit wrote:
You know when you think about it the dinosaurs really had a good go of it. I think we're pretty far from walking in their footsteps since we mammals will be a blink compared to their run at this rate.
 

"The light that shines half as long shines twice as bright, and your light has shined so brightly Roy; revel in your time!"


 jpfueler wrote:
I used to love playing my tape of this and making folks guess who it was when Mother came on. Everyone had the album, and Mother was Tape only(remember those days?)
I love both songs btw

 
"Murder by Numbers" was the tape/CD only track.  Sadly, all of us received  "Mother".

Q


You know when you think about it the dinosaurs really had a good go of it. I think we're pretty far from walking in their footsteps since we mammals will be a blink compared to their run at this rate.
 Taraincognito wrote:
 kaybee wrote:

And even if the dinosaurs hadn't been killed by an asteroid, but just died out due to being too big or whatever, they still had been around a few 100 million years longer than humans have and caused a lot fewer problems in that time.  So they still deserve our respect.
 
 
I'm sorry.  I just can't respect them.  The fossil record suggests that they were shiftless and drank too much.


I heard an interview with Andy Summers a couple of days ago. He's very into photography, and he was talking about his new photography book titled, "Desirer Walks the Streets".
 romeotuma wrote:


still love it...
 

You took the words right out of my mouth!  I was just coming here to post it!

{#Lol}

hey sting... would you like some cheese with your whine?
I wish these guys and the Talking heads could each put aside their issues and make music like they used to.  This is good stuff!
 Pyro wrote:
I think "Mother" could easily have been a King Crimson or Robert Fripp song. Yoko? Don't even go there.
 
I always thought that, too. Considering Andy had just finished his second collaborative album with Fripp (Bewitched), it's not far off the mark that the influence would creep in. I still enjoy their first pairing, "I Advance Masked."

 SuzenJueL wrote:
Can hardly stand the Police
LOVE STING
can't really say  much for the Police though....
 
I guess that's the beauty of opinoin - While I believe the majority of folks would agree that Stewart and Andy's collaborations brought out the very best in Sting, and that many, not all, of Sting's solo albums were sadly misplaced efforts, you SuzenJuel, would disagree,

OR

As John McEnroe often says :YOU CAN'T BE F*^&(&)()9G SERIOUS


 SuzenJueL wrote:
Can hardly stand the Police
LOVE STING
can't really say  much for the Police though....
 

*COUGH*  —GAG—  Say....what??!  Geez, give a little more warning next time before tossing out such casual musings.   
 kaybee wrote:

And even if the dinosaurs hadn't been killed by an asteroid, but just died out due to being too big or whatever, they still had been around a few 100 million years longer than humans have and caused a lot fewer problems in that time.  So they still deserve our respect.
 
I think the most respect goes to the life form that can influence the world around them the quickest and most effectively.  We win that comparison...now if only we could figure out how to use it for good influences...

 kaybee wrote:

And even if the dinosaurs hadn't been killed by an asteroid, but just died out due to being too big or whatever, they still had been around a few 100 million years longer than humans have and caused a lot fewer problems in that time.  So they still deserve our respect.
 


Can hardly stand the Police
LOVE STING
can't really say  much for the Police though....
 fredriley wrote:
Presumably this is an attempt to say that humanity is following the path of the dinos to extinction, but this was written before the asteroid extinction hypothesis which is now accepted to be highly likely to have bumped off the dinosaurs. In fact they were a highly successful lifeform and were just plain unlucky. Respect to the diplodocus :o)
 
And even if the dinosaurs hadn't been killed by an asteroid, but just died out due to being too big or whatever, they still had been around a few 100 million years longer than humans have and caused a lot fewer problems in that time.  So they still deserve our respect.