Every Breath You Take - wikipedia Every Breath You Take For the album, see Every Breath You Take : The Singles. `` Every Breath You Take '' Single by The Police from the album Synchronicity B - side `` Murder by Numbers '' Released 20 May 1983 Format 7 - inch 45 rpm record Recorded December 1982 -- February 1983 Genre New wave, soft rock Length 4 : 13 Label A&M ( AM 117 ) Songwriter ( s ) Sting Producer ( s ) The Police Hugh Padgham The Police singles chronology `` Secret Journey '' ( 1982 ) `` Every Breath You Take '' ( 1983 ) `` Wrapped Around Your Finger '' ( 1983 ) `` Secret Journey '' ( 1982 ) `` Every Breath You Take '' ( 1983 ) `` Wrapped Around Your Finger '' ( 1983 ) Music video Every Breath You Take on YouTube Audio sample file help `` Every Breath You Take '' is a song by English rock band The Police from their 1983 album Synchronicity. Written by Sting, the single was the biggest US and UK hit of 1983, topping the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart for eight weeks ( the band 's only number - one hit on that chart ), and the UK Singles Chart for four weeks. It also topped the Billboard Top Tracks chart for nine weeks. At the 26th Annual Grammy Awards the song was nominated for three Grammy Awards, including Song of the Year, Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals, and Record of the Year, winning in the first two categories. For the song, Sting received the 1983 British Academy 's Ivor Novello award for Best Song Musically and Lyrically. The song is considered to be both The Police 's and Sting 's signature song, and in 2010 was estimated to generate between a quarter and a third of Sting 's music publishing income. In the 1983 Rolling Stone critics and readers poll, it was voted `` Song of the Year ''. In the US, it was the best - selling single of 1983 and fifth - best - selling single of the decade. Billboard ranked it as the number - one song for 1983. The song ranked number 84 on the Rolling Stone list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time and is included in The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame 's 500 Songs that Shaped Rock and Roll. It also ranked number 25 on Billboard 's Hot 100 All - Time Top Songs. In 2015, the song was voted by the British public as the nation 's favourite 1980s number one in a poll for ITV. Contents 1 Origins and songwriting 2 Music video 3 Impact 4 Legacy 5 Accolades 6 Track listing 7 Personnel 8 Charts and certifications 8.1 Weekly charts 8.2 Year - end charts 8.3 End - of - decade charts 8.4 Certifications 9 Samples, cover versions, and in popular culture 10 See also 11 References 12 External links Origins and songwriting Sting wrote the song in 1982 in the aftermath of his separation from Frances Tomelty and the beginning of his relationship with Trudie Styler. Their split was controversial. As The Independent reported in 2006, `` The problem was, he was already married -- to actress Frances Tomelty, who just happened to be Trudie 's best friend ( Sting and Frances lived next door to Trudie in Bayswater, west London, for several years before the two of them became lovers ). The affair was widely condemned. '' In order to escape from the public eye, Sting retreated in the Caribbean where he started writing the song. The lyrics are the words of a possessive lover who is watching `` every breath you take ; every move you make ''. I woke up in the middle of the night with that line in my head, sat down at the piano and had written it in half an hour. The tune itself is generic, an aggregate of hundreds of others, but the words are interesting. It sounds like a comforting love song. I did n't realize at the time how sinister it is. I think I was thinking of Big Brother, surveillance and control. -- Sting Sting later said he was disconcerted by how many people think the song is more positive than it is. He insists it is about the obsession with a lost lover, and the jealousy and surveillance that follow. `` One couple told me ' Oh we love that song ; it was the main song played at our wedding ! ' I thought, ' Well, good luck. ' '' When asked why he appears angry in the music video Sting told BBC Radio 2, `` I think the song is very, very sinister and ugly and people have actually misinterpreted it as being a gentle little love song, when it 's quite the opposite. '' According to the Back to Mono box - set book, `` Every Breath You Take '' is influenced by a Gene Pitney song titled `` Every Breath I Take ''. Led Zeppelin 's song, D'Yer Mak'er ( 1973 ), also contains the words `` every breath I take ; every move I make ''. The song has an AABACABA structure. The demo of the song was recorded in an eight - track suite in North London 's Utopia studios and featured Sting singing over a Hammond organ. A few months later he presented the song to the other band members when they reconvened at George Martin 's AIR Studios in Montserrat to work on the Synchronicity album. While recording, Summers came up with a guitar part inspired by Béla Bartók that would later become a trademark lick, and played it straight through in one take. He was asked to put guitar onto a simple backing track of bass, drums, and a single vocal, with Sting offering no directive beyond `` make it your own. '' Summers remembers : This was a difficult one to get, because Sting wrote a very good song, but there was no guitar on it. He had this Hammond organ thing that sounded like Billy Preston. It certainly did n't sound like the Police, with that big, rolling synthesiser part. We spent about six weeks recording just the snare drums and the bass. It was a simple, classic chord sequence, but we could n't agree how to do it. I 'd been making an album with Robert Fripp, and I was kind of experimenting with playing Bartok violin duets and had worked up a new riff. When Sting said ' go and make it your own ', I went and stuck that lick on it, and immediately we knew we had something special. -- Andy Summers The recording process was fraught with difficulties as personal tensions between the band members, particularly Sting and Stewart Copeland, came to the fore. Producer Hugh Padgham claimed that by the time of the recording sessions, Sting and Copeland `` hated each other '', with verbal and physical fights in the studio common. The tensions almost led to the recording sessions being cancelled until a meeting involving the band and the group 's manager, Miles Copeland ( Stewart 's brother ), resulted in an agreement to continue. Keyboard parts were added from Roland guitar synthesizers, a Prophet - 5 and an Oberheim synthesiser. The single - note piano in the middle eight was recommended by Padgham, inspired by similar work that he had done with the group XTC. The drum track was largely created through separate overdubs of each percussive instrument, with the main backbeat created by simultaneously playing a snare and a gong drum. To give the song more liveliness, Padgham asked Copeland to record his drum part in the studio 's dining room in order to achieve some `` special sound effects ''. The room was so hot, that his drum sticks had to be taped to Copeland 's hands to make sure they did n't fly off. According to Stewart Copeland : In my humble opinion, this is Sting 's best song with the worst arrangement. I think Sting could have had any other group do this song and it would have been better than our version -- except for Andy 's brilliant guitar part. Basically, there 's an utter lack of groove. It 's a totally wasted opportunity for our band. Even though we made gazillions off of it, and it 's the biggest hit we ever had. -- Stewart Copeland Music video The song had a music video ( directed by duo Godley & Creme ) loosely based on Gjon Mili 's 1944 short film Jammin ' the Blues. Shot in black - and - white, the video depicts the band, accompanied by a pianist and string section, performing the song in a darkened ballroom as a man washes the floor - to - ceiling window behind them. Sting performs his part on upright bass rather than bass guitar. The video was praised for its cinematography ; MTV ( 1999 ), Rolling Stone ( 1993 ), and VH1 ( 2002 ) named it as one of the best music videos ever, placing it 16th, 61st, & 33rd in their respective top 100 lists. Daniel Pearl won the first MTV cinematography award for his work on the video. Released in the early days of MTV, Every Breath You Take was one of the earliest videos to enter heavy rotation, a fact that significantly contributed to the popularity of the song. Pop star Richard Marx remembers that `` The first video I watched over and over was Every Breath You Take. It was like seeing a Bergman film. Directors usually spelled out every word of the lyrics in a video, but this was the first video I knew that did n't do that. It was abstract. '' According to A&M co-founder Jeff Ayeroff, `` ( The video for ) Every Breath You Take probably cost $75,000 to $100,000, and we sold over 5 million albums. With a good video, the return on your investment was phenomenal. '' Impact `` Every Breath You Take '' was released as a single in 1983, with `` Murder by Numbers '', a composition by Andy Summers and Sting, on the B - side. `` Every Breath You Take '' reached the No. 1 spot in the United Kingdom, the United States, Canada, Israel, Ireland, and South Africa. In the 1983 Rolling Stone critics and readers poll, it was voted `` Song of the Year ''. Legacy `` Every Breath You Take '' quickly established itself as one of the most popular songs in The Police 's repertoire, closing the band 's performances before the encores in the Synchronicity Tour ( 1983 -- 84 ) and later in The Police Reunion Tour ( 2007 -- 08 ). Sting performed the song at Live Aid at London 's Wembley Stadium in 1985, with Phil Collins providing additional vocals, to an estimated global audience of 1.9 billion people watching the live broadcast. Sting performed it again, 20 years later, at Live 8. In 1999, `` Every Breath You Take '' was listed as one of the Top 100 Songs of the Century by BMI. In 2003, VH1 ranked the song the No. 2 greatest Break - up song of all time. And also as of 2003, Sting was still taking in an average of $2000 per day in royalties for the then 20 - year - old song. The Police performed the song at their induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2003 with Gwen Stefani, Steven Tyler and John Mayer on backing vocals. In 2007 Andy Summers called his photography book I 'll Be Watching You : Inside The Police 1980 -- 1983 after the lyrics of the song. In October 2007, Sting was awarded a Million - Air certificate for 9 million airplays of `` Every Breath You Take '' at the BMI Awards show in London, with only Van Morrison 's `` Brown Eyed Girl '' a close second at 8 million air plays. Accolades `` Every Breath You Take '' has been ranked as the 94th best song of all time, as well as the third best song of 1983, in an aggregation of critics ' lists at acclaimedmusic.net. Rolling Stone magazine 's list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time placed it at No. 84. It is one of The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame 's Songs that Shaped Rock and Roll. It ranked No. 25 on Billboard 's Hot 100 All - Time Top Songs. In 1989, `` Every Breath You Take '' was voted No. 95 by Rolling Stone on its list of the `` 100 Best Singles of the Last 25 Years ''. In 2001, the RIAA 's Songs of the Century placed the song 44th ( out of 365 ). The song came in at No. 424 in Q 's list of the `` 1001 Greatest Songs Ever '' in 2003. In 2004, `` Every Breath You Take '' was ranked No. 216 in WXPN 's list of The 885 All - Time Greatest Songs. In 2005, Blender ranked the song at No. 315 on its list of `` The 500 Greatest Songs Since You Were Born ''. In 2000, the song appeared at No. 42 on Rolling Stone 's list of `` 100 Greatest Pop Songs '', compiled by Rolling Stone and MTV music critics to rank songs released since The Beatles ' breakthrough. In 2015 `` Every Breath You Take '' topped the poll in ITV 's `` The Nation 's Favourite 80s Number One '' show. VH1 ranked the song No. 46 on the `` 100 Greatest Songs of the 80s '' countdown in its series The Greatest. Track listing 7 `` : A&M / AM 117 `` Every Breath You Take '' -- 4 : 13 `` Murder by Numbers '' -- 4 : 31 2x7 `` : A&M / AM 117 `` Every Breath You Take '' -- 4 : 13 `` Murder by Numbers '' -- 4 : 31 `` Man in a Suitcase '' ( Live ) -- 2 : 18 `` Truth Hits Everybody ' 83 '' -- 3 : 34 Rare 2x7 '' single Personnel Sting -- lead and backing vocals, bass guitar, keyboards Andy Summers -- guitars, piano Stewart Copeland -- drums Charts and certifications Weekly charts Chart ( 1983 ) Peak Position Australia ( Kent Music Report ) Austria ( Ö3 Austria Top 40 ) 8 Belgium ( Ultratop 50 Flanders ) 9 Canada Top Singles ( RPM ) Canada ( CHUM ) France ( IFOP ) Germany ( Official German Charts ) 8 Ireland ( IRMA ) Italy ( FIMI ) Netherlands ( Single Top 100 ) Netherlands ( Dutch Top 40 ) 6 New Zealand ( Recorded Music NZ ) 6 Norway ( VG - lista ) South Africa ( Springbok Radio Top 20 ) Spain ( AFYVE ) Sweden ( Sverigetopplistan ) Switzerland ( Schweizer Hitparade ) 6 UK Singles ( Official Charts Company ) US Billboard Hot 100 US Adult Contemporary ( Billboard ) 5 US Mainstream Rock ( Billboard ) US Billboard Dance / Disco Top 80 26 US Cash Box Top 100 Chart ( 2011 ) Peak Position Canada ( Canadian Digital Songs ) 43 US Rock Digital Songs ( Billboard ) 21 Chart ( 2015 ) Peak Position Poland ( Polish Airplay Top 100 ) 60 Year - end charts Chart ( 1983 ) Rank Australia ( Kent Music Report ) 10 Belgium ( Ultratop 50 Flanders ) 42 Canada Top Singles ( RPM ) France ( SNEP ) 50 Germany ( Official German Charts ) 38 Italy ( FIMI ) 10 Netherlands ( Single Top 100 ) 45 Netherlands ( Dutch Top 40 ) 42 New Zealand ( Recorded Music NZ ) 35 UK Singles ( Official Single Charts ) 16 US Billboard Hot 100 US Cash Box Top 100 End - of - decade charts End - of - decade chart ( 1980 -- 1989 ) Rank US Billboard Hot 100 5 Certifications Region Certification Italy ( FIMI ) Gold United Kingdom ( BPI ) Silver United States ( RIAA ) Gold Samples, cover versions, and in popular culture Six months after the release of `` Every Breath You Take '', singer Ray Parker, Jr. released the single `` I Still Ca n't Get Over Loving You '', the lyrics of which bore a striking similarity to `` Every Breath You Take '', even including the lines `` Every breath you take, I 'll be watching you. '' Sting also riffs on the lyrics in his song `` Love Is the Seventh Wave '', singing `` Every breath you take / every move you make / every cake you bake / every leg you break... '' The Shadows did an instrumental version on Moonlight Shadows ( 1986 ). The Puff Daddy song `` I 'll Be Missing You '' ( 1997 ) samples the guitar, drum, and bass parts of the song, and the chorus is an interpolation of the lyrics. American Punk Rock band Strung Out covered the song for a collection entitled Before You Were Punk 2, released in 1999. Swirlies alias group The Yes Girls covered the song on Casio keyboard and guitar on their 2000 album. Juliana Hatfield covered the song for her album `` Gold Stars 1992 - 2002 : The Juliana Hatfield Collection ''. The soundtrack in 2004 from 50 First Dates cover version with UB40 closing credits with Adam Sandler. The `` woo - hoo '' line in the song 's closing adlib is sampled in the chorus of The Black Eyed Peas ' 2009 song `` I Gotta Feeling ''. In 2011 episode of Skins, a character references lyrics by quoting to his son, `` Every move you make, every step you take, I 'll be watching you. '' In 2012 soundtrack of Every Breath U Take film soundtrack cover of Piolo Pascual. In 2016, a cover by Denmark & Winter appeared on season 7, episode 1 of Pretty Little Liars. In 2016 Cassetteboy used the music with edited videos of David Cameron and Theresa May as part of protests against the Draft Investigatory Powers Bill. In 2017, the song was featured in the ending sequence of the second season of the Netflix original series Stranger Things. See also List of RPM number - one singles of 1983 List of number - one singles of 1983 ( Ireland ) List of number - one singles from the 1980s ( UK ) List of Billboard Hot 100 number - one singles of 1983 List of number - one mainstream rock hits ( United States ) References ^ Jump up to : Buskin, Richard ( March 2004 ). `` Classic Tracks : The Police 's ' Every Breath You Take ' ''. Sound on Sound. Jump up ^ `` New wave hits of the 80s : all the best new wave songs ''. Like Totally 80s. Jump up ^ `` The Concise Encyclopedia of American Radio - Google Books ''. Books.google.com. Jump up ^ Lister, David, Pop ballads bite back in lyrical fashion, The Independent, 28 May 1994 Jump up ^ According to Sting 's former publisher Tom Bradley. `` Writing a Super Hit '' by David Hepworth, The Word No. 86, April 2010, p. 74 Jump up ^ Billboard Year - End Hot 100 singles of 1983 Jump up ^ `` Archived copy ''. Archived from the original on 17 March 2010. Retrieved 2008 - 01 - 12. ^ Jump up to : `` The Billboard Hot 100 All - Time Top Songs ''. Billboard. 20 September 2008. Retrieved 8 July 2009. Jump up ^ Westbrook, Caroline ( 25 July 2015 ). `` The Nation 's Favourite 80s Number One : 12 more classic 80s chart - toppers which did n't make the cut ''. Metro. Retrieved 27 July 2015. Jump up ^ `` Trudie Styler : The truth about Trudie ''. The Independent. Retrieved 2017 - 04 - 15. Jump up ^ `` Interview Date : May 1993 ''. Jump up ^ American Top 40 broadcast with Casey Kasem. Jump up ^ `` Song Library : Every Breath You Take ''. BBC Radio 2. Retrieved 8 July 2009. ( Spoken in the second Sting audio clip. ) Jump up ^ Summers, Andy ( 2006 ). One Train Later : A Memoir, Thomas Dunne Books, pp. 323 -- 324. ^ Jump up to : `` Interview Date : April 2000 ''. Jump up ^ Fisher, Bob. `` A Conversation with Daniel Pearl ''. International Cinematographers Guild. Archived from the original on 19 October 2006. Retrieved 25 October 2006. Jump up ^ Craig Marks and Rob Tannenbaum, I Want My MTV : The Uncensored Story of The Music Video Revolution, Dutton, New York, 2011 Jump up ^ `` Top 100 Songs of the Century ''. Bmi.com. 13 December 1999. Retrieved 25 August 2011. Jump up ^ `` Complete list of Top 100 Songs ''. Archer2000.tripod.com. Retrieved 25 August 2011. Jump up ^ `` CBS -- 60 Minutes II ' Sting : All This Time ' ''. CBS News. 19 December 2003. Jump up ^ `` 2007 BMI London Awards ''. Bmi.com. 16 October 2007. Retrieved 25 August 2011. Jump up ^ `` Experience the Music : One Hit Wonders and the Songs that Shaped Rock and Roll ''. Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Retrieved 5 February 2015. Jump up ^ `` Forum -- ARIA Charts : Special Occasion Charts -- Cahrt Positions Pre 1989 ''. Australian-charts.com. Hung Medien. Archived from the original on 20 October 2013. Retrieved 24 June 2016. Jump up ^ `` Austriancharts.at -- The Police -- Every Breath You Take '' ( in German ). Ö3 Austria Top 40. Retrieved 24 June 2016. Jump up ^ `` Ultratop.be -- The Police -- Every Breath You Take '' ( in Dutch ). Ultratop 50. Retrieved 24 June 2016. Jump up ^ `` Top RPM Singles : Issue 6267. '' RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved 24 June 2016. Jump up ^ `` CHART NUMBER 1379 -- Saturday, June 18, 1983 ''. Archived from the original on 7 November 2006. Retrieved 24 June 2016. CS1 maint : BOT : original - url status unknown ( link ). CHUM. Jump up ^ `` Le Détail par Artiste ''. InfoDisc ( in French ). Select `` The Police '' from the artist drop - down menu. Retrieved 24 June 2016. Jump up ^ `` Offiziellecharts.de -- The Police -- Every Breath You Take ''. GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved 24 June 2016. Jump up ^ `` The Irish Charts -- Search Results -- Every Breath You Take ''. Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved 24 June 2016. Jump up ^ `` PoliceIndice per Interprete : P ''. musicline.de. Retrieved 24 June 2016. Jump up ^ `` Dutchcharts.nl -- The Police -- Every Breath You Take '' ( in Dutch ). Single Top 100. Retrieved 24 June 2016. Jump up ^ `` Nederlandse Top 40 -- week 25, 1983 '' ( in Dutch ). Dutch Top 40 Retrieved 24 June 2016. Jump up ^ `` Charts.org.nz -- The Police -- Every Breath You Take ''. Top 40 Singles. Retrieved 24 June 2016. Jump up ^ `` Topp 20 Single uke 25, 1983 -- VG - lista. Offisielle hitlister fra og med 1958 '' ( in Norwegian ). VG - lista. Retrieved 24 June 2016. Jump up ^ `` SA Charts 1969 -- 1989 ''. rock.co.za. Retrieved 24 June 2016. Jump up ^ Salaverri, Fernando ( September 2005 ). Sólo éxitos : año a año, 1959 -- 2002 ( 1st ed. ). Spain : Fundación Autor - SGAE. ISBN 84 - 8048 - 639 - 2. Jump up ^ `` Swedishcharts.com -- The Police -- Every Breath You Take ''. Singles Top 100. Retrieved 24 June 2016. Jump up ^ `` Swisscharts.com -- The Police -- Every Breath You Take ''. Swiss Singles Chart. Retrieved 24 June 2016. Jump up ^ `` Official Singles Chart Top 100 ''. Official Charts Company. Retrieved 24 June 2016. Jump up ^ `` The Police Chart History ( Hot 100 ) '' Billboard. Retrieved 24 June 2016. Jump up ^ `` The Police Chart History ( Adult Contemporary ) '' Billboard. Retrieved 24 June 2016. Jump up ^ `` The Police Chart History ( Mainstream Rock ) '' Billboard. Retrieved 24 June 2016. Jump up ^ `` Billboard July 30, 1983 '' ( PDF ). Billboard. New York, NY, USA. 30 July 1983. p. 39. Retrieved 24 June 2016. Jump up ^ `` Cash Box Top 100 Singles -- Week ending JULY 16, 1983 ''. Retrieved 6 June 2014. archive - url = is malformed : timestamp ( help ). Cash Box magazine. Jump up ^ `` The Police - Chart History ''. Billboard Charts # Canadian Charts. for The Police. Retrieved 24 June 2016. Jump up ^ `` The Police - Chart History ''. Billboard Charts Rock Digital Songs. for The Police. Retrieved 24 June 2016. Jump up ^ `` Listy bestsellerów, wyróżnienia : : Związek Producentów Audio - Video ''. Polish Airplay Top 100. Retrieved 23 November 2015. Jump up ^ `` Forum -- ARIA Charts : Special Occasion Charts -- Top 100 End of Year AMR Charts - 1980s ''. Australian-charts.com. Hung Medien. Archived from the original on 28 August 2014. Retrieved 24 June 2016. Jump up ^ `` Ultratop Jaaroverzichten 1983 ''. Ultratop 50 ( in Dutch ). Archived from the original on 26 January 2014. Retrieved 24 June 2016. Jump up ^ `` Top RPM Singles : Issue 6699. '' RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved 24 June 2016. Jump up ^ `` Top - 1983 ''. top.france.free.fr ( in French ). Retrieved 24 June 2016. Jump up ^ `` Top 100 Single - Jahrescharts 1983 ''. GfK Entertainment Charts ( in German ). Retrieved 24 June 2016. Jump up ^ `` Hit Parade Italia - I singoli più venduti del 1983 ''. FIMI ( in Italian ). Retrieved 24 June 2016. Jump up ^ `` Dutch Jaaroverzichten Single 1983 ''. Single Top 100 ( in Dutch ). Retrieved 24 June 2016. Jump up ^ `` Top 100 - Jaaroverzicht van 1983 ''. Dutch Top 40 ( in Dutch ). Retrieved 24 June 2016. Jump up ^ `` Official New Zealand Music Chart - End of Year Charts 1983 ''. Recorded Music NZ. Retrieved 24 June 2016. Jump up ^ Scapin, Peter, ed. ( 1984 ). `` Top 100 singles : 1983 ''. BPI Year Book 1984. British Phonographic Industry. pp. 42 -- 43. ISBN 0 - 906154 - 04 - 9. Jump up ^ `` Top 100 Hits for 1983 ''. Billboard Hot 100. Retrieved 24 June 2016. Jump up ^ `` The Cash Box Year - End Charts : 1983 ''. Retrieved 29 November 2013. archive - url = is malformed : timestamp ( help ). Cash Box magazine. Jump up ^ `` The Top 20 Billboard Hot 100 Hits of the 1980s ''. Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. Retrieved July 14, 2015. Jump up ^ `` Italian single certifications -- The Police -- Every Breath You Take '' ( in Italian ). Federazione Industria Musicale Italiana. Retrieved 7 February 2013. Jump up ^ `` British single certifications -- The Police -- Every Breath You Take ''. British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 7 February 2013. Enter Every Breath You Take in the search field and then press Enter. Jump up ^ `` American single certifications -- The Police -- Every Breath You Take ''. Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved 7 February 2013. If necessary, click Advanced, then click Format, then select Single, then click SEARCH Jump up ^ `` Ray Parker, Jr. -- I Still Ca n't Get Over Loving You ''. BackToThe80s.com. Retrieved 12 September 2010. Jump up ^ `` Cassetteboy vs The Snoopers ' Charter ''. YouTube. Retrieved 10 April 2016. External links Classic Tracks : The Police 's ' Every Breath You Take ' Lyrics of this song at MetroLyrics Preceded by `` Electric Avenue '' by Eddy Grant Canadian `` RPM '' Singles Chart number - one single 2 July 1983 -- 9 July 1983 ( 2 weeks ) Succeeded by `` I 'm Still Standing '' by Elton John Preceded by `` Flashdance... What a Feeling '' by Irene Cara Canadian CHUM number - one single 18 June 1983 -- 9 July 1983 ( 4 weeks ) Succeeded by `` Electric Avenue '' by Eddy Grant Preceded by `` Words '' by F.R. David Irish IRMA number one single 4 June 1983 -- 25 June 1983 ( 4 weeks ) Succeeded by `` Baby Jane '' by Rod Stewart Preceded by `` Candy Girl '' by New Edition UK number one single 4 June 1983 - 25 June 1983 ( 4 weeks ) Preceded by `` Flashdance... What a Feeling '' by Irene Cara Billboard Hot 100 number one single 9 July 1983 -- 27 August 1983 ( 8 weeks ) Succeeded by `` Sweet Dreams ( Are Made of This ) '' by Eurythmics Preceded by `` Rock of Ages '' by Def Leppard Billboard Mainstream Rock number one single 11 June 1983 -- 6 August 1983 ( 9 weeks ) Succeeded by `` Other Arms '' by Robert Plant The Police Stewart Copeland Sting Andy Summers Henry Padovani Studio albums Outlandos d'Amour Reggatta de Blanc Zenyatta Mondatta Ghost in the Machine Synchronicity Live albums Live ! Certifiable : Live in Buenos Aires Compilations Every Breath You Take : The Singles Greatest Hits Every Breath You Take : The Classics The Very Best of Sting & The Police The Police Boxed sets Six Pack Message in a Box : The Complete Recordings Singles `` Fall Out '' `` Roxanne '' `` Ca n't Stand Losing You '' `` So Lonely '' `` Message in a Bottle '' `` Walking on the Moon '' `` Bring on the Night '' `` The Bed 's Too Big Without You '' `` Do n't Stand So Close to Me '' `` De Do Do Do, De Da Da Da '' `` Invisible Sun '' `` Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic '' `` Spirits in the Material World '' `` Secret Journey '' `` Every Breath You Take '' `` Wrapped Around Your Finger '' `` Synchronicity II '' `` King of Pain '' `` Do n't Stand So Close to Me ' 86 '' `` When the World Is Running Down, You Make the Best of What 's Still Around '' ( Different Gear vs. The Police ) Other songs `` Next to You '' `` Reggatta de Blanc '' `` Driven to Tears '' `` Behind My Camel '' `` Demolition Man '' `` Synchronicity I '' `` Tea in the Sahara '' `` De Do Do Do, De Da Da Da ' 86 '' Tours The Police Around the World Tour Zenyatta Mondatta Tour Ghost in the Machine Tour Synchronicity Tour A Conspiracy of Hope Tour The Police Reunion Tour Related articles Discography Songs Strontium 90 Strontium 90 : Police Academy Brimstone & Treacle ¡ Policia ! : A Tribute to the Police Everyone Stares Book Grammy Award for Song of the Year ( 1980s ) 1980 Kenny Loggins & Michael McDonald - `` What a Fool Believes '' 1981 Christopher Cross - `` Sailing '' 1982 Donna Weiss & Jackie DeShannon - `` Bette Davis Eyes '' Johnny Christopher, Mark James & Wayne Carson - `` Always on My Mind '' 1984 Sting - `` Every Breath You Take '' 1985 Graham Lyle & Terry Britten - `` What 's Love Got to Do with It '' 1986 Michael Jackson & Lionel Richie - `` We Are the World '' Burt Bacharach & Carole Bayer Sager - `` That 's What Friends Are For '' James Horner, Barry Mann & Cynthia Weil - `` Somewhere Out There '' Bobby McFerrin - `` Do n't Worry, Be Happy '' Complete list ( 1960s ) ( 1970s ) ( 1980s ) ( 1990s ) ( 2000s ) ( 2010s ) Billboard Year - End number one singles ( 1980 -- 1999 ) 1980 : `` Call Me '' -- Blondie 1981 : `` Bette Davis Eyes '' -- Kim Carnes 1982 : `` Physical '' -- Olivia Newton - John 1983 : `` Every Breath You Take '' -- The Police 1984 : `` When Doves Cry '' -- Prince 1985 : `` Careless Whisper '' -- Wham ! featuring George Michael 1986 : `` That 's What Friends Are For '' -- Dionne & Friends 1987 : `` Walk Like an Egyptian '' -- The Bangles 1988 : `` Faith '' -- George Michael 1989 : `` Look Away '' -- Chicago 1990 : `` Hold On '' -- Wilson Phillips 1991 : `` ( Everything I Do ) I Do It for You '' -- Bryan Adams 1992 : `` End of the Road '' -- Boyz II Men 1993 : `` I Will Always Love You '' -- Whitney Houston 1994 : `` The Sign '' -- Ace of Base 1995 : `` Gangsta 's Paradise '' -- Coolio featuring L.V. 1996 : `` Macarena ( Bayside Boys Mix ) '' -- Los del Río 1997 : `` Candle in the Wind 1997 '' / `` Something About the Way You Look Tonight '' -- Elton John 1998 : `` Too Close '' -- Next 1999 : `` Believe '' -- Cher Complete list ( 1946 -- 1959 ) ( 1960 -- 1979 ) ( 1980 -- 1999 ) ( 2000 -- 2019 ) Ivor Novello Awards -- Best Song Musically and Lyrically 1960s She 's Leaving Home ( 1968 ) 1970s Where Do You Go To ( My Lovely ) ? ( 1970 ) Something ( 1971 ) Do n't Let It Die ( 1972 ) Without You ( 1973 ) Daniel ( 1974 ) Streets of London * ( 1975 ) Do n't Cry for Me Argentina ( 1978 ) Baker Street ( 1979 ) 1980s The Logical Song ( 1980 ) Woman in Love ( 1981 ) Memory ( 1982 ) Have You Ever Been in Love ( 1983 ) Every Breath You Take ( 1984 ) Against All Odds ( 1985 ) Nikita ( 1986 ) Do n't Give Up ( 1987 ) Something Inside So Strong ( 1988 ) They Dance Alone ( 1989 ) 1990s The Living Years ( 1990 ) Sacrifice ( 1991 ) The Whole of the Moon ( 1992 ) Why ( 1993 ) If I Ever Lose My Faith in You ( 1994 ) Think Twice ( 1995 ) Common People ( 1996 ) Too Much Love Will Kill You ( 1997 ) Paranoid Android ( 1998 ) Believe ( 1999 ) 2000s Strong ( 2000 ) Babylon ( 2001 ) Walk On ( 2002 ) The Other Side ( 2003 ) Leave Right Now ( 2004 ) Dry Your Eyes ( 2005 ) Suddenly I See ( 2006 ) Elusive ( 2007 ) Love Is a Losing Game ( 2008 ) One Day Like This ( 2009 ) 2010s The Fear ( 2010 ) Becoming a Jackal ( 2011 ) The A Team ( 2012 ) Next to Me ( 2013 ) Strong ( 2014 ) Take Me to Church ( 2015 ) Was n't Expecting That ( 2016 ) * Awarded as The Best Song Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Every_Breath_You_Take&oldid=814740705 '' Categories : 1983 singles 1983 songs A&M Records singles Black - and - white music videos Billboard Hot 100 number - one singles Billboard Mainstream Rock number - one singles Grammy Award for Song of the Year Irish Singles Chart number - one singles Music videos directed by Godley and Creme Mason Dixon ( band ) songs RPM Top Singles number - one singles Song recordings produced by Hugh Padgham Songs written by Sting ( musician ) The Police songs UK Singles Chart number - one singles Works about stalking Hidden categories : CS1 maint : BOT : original - url status unknown CS1 French - language sources ( fr ) Pages with archiveurl citation errors CS1 Dutch - language sources ( nl ) CS1 German - language sources ( de ) CS1 Italian - language sources ( it ) Use dmy dates from May 2015 EngvarB from May 2015 Articles with hAudio microformats Singlechart usages for Austria Singlechart usages for Flanders Singlechart usages for Canadatopsingles Singlechart called without artist Singlechart called without song Singlechart making named ref Singlechart usages for Germany2 Singlechart usages for Ireland2 Singlechart usages for Dutch100 Singlechart usages for Dutch40 Singlechart usages for New Zealand Singlechart usages for Norway Singlechart usages for Sweden Singlechart usages for Swiss Singlechart usages for UK Singlechart usages for Billboardhot100 Singlechart usages for Billboardadultcontemporary Singlechart usages for Billboardmainstreamrock Singlechart usages for Poland Certification Table Entry usages for Italy Certification Table Entry usages for United Kingdom Certification Table Entry usages for United States Talk Contents About Wikipedia Čeština Deutsch Ελληνικά Español Euskara فارسی Français Italiano ქართული Nederlands 日本 語 Polski Português Русский Slovenčina Suomi Svenska Türkçe Українська Tiếng Việt Edit links This page was last edited on 10 December 2017, at 17 : 11. 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Question: what does the song every breath you take mean
Answer: the obsession with a lost lover