Message in a Bottle (song)
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| "Message in a Bottle" | ||
|---|---|---|
 |
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| Single by The Police | ||
| from the album Reggatta de Blanc | ||
| Released | 1979 | |
| Format | 7" single | |
| Recorded | 1979 | |
| Genre | New Wave | |
| Length | 4:51 | |
| Label | A&M Records | |
| Writer(s) | Sting | |
| Producer(s) | Stewart Copeland Sting Andy Summers |
|
| Chart positions | ||
| The Police singles chronology | ||
| "Can't Stand Losing You" (1979) |
"Message in a Bottle" (1979) |
"Walking on the Moon" (1979) |
"Message in a Bottle" is a 1979 song by The Police, from their second album, Regatta de Blanc.
The song is ostensibly about a castaway on an island, who sends out a message in a bottle to seek help. A year later, he feels that there is no need for love. Later on, he sees "a hundred billion bottles" on the shore, finding out that there are more people like him out there.
"Message in a Bottle" may also be understood to be deal with isolation and loneliness caused by the loss of a loved one ("love can break your heart"): he seeks help but gets no reply, then realises that there are many more people out there like him, suggesting that everyone has to deal with loss and loneliness as part of the human experience. The island and the bottle are metaphors. By reaching out, the protagonist discovers he is not alone, and that other people share his feelings of alienation.[citation needed]
The single was The Police's first number one hit in the United Kingdom, but only reached number 74 in the United States.
[edit] Covers of the song
- The album The Joke's on You (1989) by Excel contains a cover of the song
- The album Mush (1992) by Leatherface contains a cover of the song
- The album The Burning Red (1999) by Machine Head contains a cover of the song
- The album "Any Given Thursday" (2003) by John Mayer contains a live cover of the song
- The album No Place to Be (2006) by Matisyahu contains a cover of the song
- The song "S.O.S. (Message in a Bottle)" (2005) by Filterfunk
- The song "S.O.S. (Message in a Bottle)" (2006) by Sander van Doorn
Sting performed "Message in a Bottle" with No Doubt during the halftime show at Super Bowl XXXVII. No Doubt and Incubus regularly play the song live on tour.
Jack's Mannequin performed this song during their West Coast Winter Tour in 2007.
The song is featured as a playable track in the video game Guitar Hero II.
An acoustic version of Message in a Bottle is performed by Sting in the documentary film "Bring on the Night", which documents the forming of Sting's first band after going solo.
[edit] References
| Preceded by "Cars" by Gary Numan |
UK number one single September 29, 1979 |
Succeeded by "Video Killed the Radio Star" by The Buggles |
