The Police
Outlandos d’Amour (1978)
Sting
Roxanne launched The Police into stardom by blending the energy of post-punk with a distinctive Jamaican-inspired rhythm. Its narrative storytelling and minimalist arrangement revolutionized the rock landscape of the late 1970s.
The song is distinctive for its structural use of parallel keys. The verse employs a moody, downward-drifting Aeolian sequence typical of European folk and reggae influences, while the chorus employs a high-energy G-C-F-G cycle. This creates a psychological sh…
Sting wrote the song while the band was in Paris to perform at the Nashville Club. He was inspired by the prostitutes he saw near the band's seedy hotel. The name 'Roxanne' was taken from a poster for the play 'Cyrano de Bergerac' which was hanging in the hote…
“Sting accidentally sat down on a piano keyboard in the studio during the beginning of the recording, which created the atonal chord and the laugh heard at the start of the track.”
The song is distinctive for its structural use of parallel keys. The verse employs a moody, downward-drifting Aeolian sequence typical of European folk and reggae influences, while the chorus employs a high-energy G-C-F-G cycle. This creates a psychological shift from the 'seedy' narrative of the verse to the urgent, pleading energy of the chorus. The transition is smoothed by the 'G major' resolution at the very end of the verse cycle, which acts as a pivot chord.
Sting wrote the song while the band was in Paris to perform at the Nashville Club. He was inspired by the prostitutes he saw near the band's seedy hotel. The name 'Roxanne' was taken from a poster for the play 'Cyrano de Bergerac' which was hanging in the hotel foyer.
Roxanne launched The Police into stardom by blending the energy of post-punk with a distinctive Jamaican-inspired rhythm. Its narrative storytelling and minimalist arrangement revolutionized the rock landscape of the late 1970s.
Detailed analysis of this section is not yet available for this song.
Genre
Rock
Era
70s
Mood
Urgent
Tempo
Mid-tempo
Key
Minor
Texture
Sparse
Sound
Guitar-driven
Feel
Syncopated
12.6M
Plays
1.8M
Listeners
759K
Genius Views
7
Annotations
100%
Popularity
3:08
Duration
4/4
Time
From the album Outlandos d’Amour
Harmony The song is distinctive for its structural use of parallel keys. The verse employs a moody, downward-drifting Aeolian sequence typical of European folk and reggae influences, while the chorus employs a high-energy G-C-F-G cycle. This creates a psychological shift from the 'seedy' narrative of the verse to the urgent, pleading energy of the chorus. The transition is smoothed by the 'G major' resolution at the very end of the verse cycle, which acts as a pivot chord. Deep Analysis Available Detailed analysis of this section is not yet available for this song. Request Full Analysis
No musician information available for this song yet.
Composition Sting wrote the song while the band was in Paris to perform at the Nashville Club. He was inspired by the prostitutes he saw near the band's seedy hotel. The name 'Roxanne' was taken from a poster for the play 'Cyrano de Bergerac' which was hanging in the hotel foyer. Inspiration: The prostitutes in the red-light district of Paris and the character Roxane from the play Cyrano de Bergerac. Recording Studio: Surrey Sound Studios Producer: The Police and Nigel Gray Sting accidentally sat down on a piano keyboard in the studio during the beginning of the recording, which created the atonal chord and the laugh heard at the start of the track. The band initially didn't think much of the song until Miles Copeland heard it, immediately recognized it as a hit, and secured a deal with A&M Records. The recording was done on a very low budget, as the band was essentially using the studio's spare time.
Chord Sheet Chords Used Hide functions Gm i T F VII D Eb VI T Dm v D Cm iv P F VII D G I T Progression by Section Chorus G I T C IV P F bVII T G I T Verse Gm i T F VII T Eb VI Dm v D Cm iv P Fsus4 VIIsus4 D G I T Chord Fingerings Gm Standard F Standard Eb Standard Dm Standard Cm Standard F Standard G Standard Harmony Analysis The song is distinctive for its structural use of parallel keys. The verse employs a moody, downward-drifting Aeolian sequence typical of European folk and reggae influences, while the chorus employs a high-energy G-C-F-G cycle. This creates a psychological shift from the 'seedy' narrative of the verse to the urgent, pleading energy of the chorus. The transition is smoothed by the 'G major' resolution at the very end of the verse cycle, which acts as a pivot chord. Find Tabs & Chords Songsterr Interactive tabs Ultimate Guitar Chords & tabs Cifra Club Chords
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