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Songfacts:  You can leave comments about the song at the bottom of the page.

This is about a man who falls in love with a prostitute. Sting got the idea for this after walking through the red-light district of Paris. He imagined what it would be like to fall in love with one of the prostitutes.

This was the first major-label release by The Police. A year earlier, they released the single "Fall Out" on an independent label owned by Stewart Copeland's brother.

When it was first released, this didn't chart. It was re-released and charted in early 1979 after The Police gained some popularity.

In the movie 48 Hours, Eddie Murphy sings a very off-key version of the song in a jail cell.

Sting still performs this at his concerts. He still likes it, and knows the fans will be upset if he doesn't play it.

The band was surprised that their manager, Miles Copeland, liked this and had it released as a single. They thought he would hate it because it was not typical of The Police.

Sting chose the name Roxanne because it has a rich history behind it. Roxanne was the name of Alexander The Great's wife and Cyrano DeBergerac's girlfriend.

In 1987, Steve Martin and Daryl Hannah starred in the movie Roxanne, which is based on the Cyrano DeBergerac story of a poet with a big nose who falls for a beautiful woman.

Sting considers the beat more of a Tango than Reggae.

The laughing at the beginning is Sting. It was recorded when he tripped in the recording studio and fell over the piano.

Sting performed this at Live Aid in 1985.

A remake of this song was featured in the 2001 movie Moulin Rouge. Christian (Ewan McGregor) sings this about Satine (Nicole Kidman) when he becomes enraged in a fit of jealously. And guess what? They made it into a tango so this song can no longer be mistaken for a reggae beat... Sting must be very proud. (thanks, Kristy - La Porte City, IA)

The Police performed this when they were inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame in 2003. With the exception of a drunken jam at Sting's wedding in 1992, it was the first time they played together since they broke up in 1986 over personal differences. At the ceremony, guitarist Andy Summers joked, "I'd like to make it very clear that there is no ego in our band whatsoever."

This song is the basis for a popular drinking game of the same title: men drink when it says "Roxanne," women drink when it says "Red Light." (thanks, Alex - Charleston, WV)

When The Police reunited in 2007, their first public performance came at the Grammy Awards, where they played this to open the show.

Comments:

Hey Don from Phoenix, that was "Walking On The Moon," not "Roxanne." At least in the interview I heard.
- TheGripester, Wellington, New Zealand

I love this song it is the best, and one of my aunties named her baby roxanne without knowing that there was a song so (ummm whats the word) right....dirty but yeah i love this song yeah and this song is so addictive it is impossible not to sing to it
- Cristina, Long Beach, CA

I used to run and hide every time i heard this song, being as how i didn't enjoy the attention or repetition of my name. Then when i learned it was about a prostitute, my hatred for the song grew. However, now I have grown to love the song and feel awesome that I have a song with my name in it, (cause not every one does) It is also an impossible drinking game. There is just something about knowing people are getting drunk in the honor of "Roxanne" hahaha And my favorite question is, "have you ever heard that song?" my sarcastic reply.."No, i have no idea what you're talking about, how does it go?"
- Roxanne, Dallas, TX

I was amused by Sting's reminiscence in an interview about the moment they knew they had really "arrived" as legitimate recording artists: They were staying in a hotel in Amsterdam and a window washer was working his way up the exterior of the building, and they could hear him whistling "Roxanne."
- Don, Phoenix, AZ

I was at the police concert on 3/22/83 at the Special Events Center in Austin and I heard Sting say to the audience why Austin was special to them - "There was a record called Roxanne, which came out in England. Nobody gave a f*** about it. Nobody played it. By accident it ended up in a radio station in Austin, Texas. I'm not bullsh***ing, this is true. They played it on the radio station and people phoned up and said they liked it. The radio station next door picked it up and the town next to that picked it up. And we found ourselves with a hit. This all happened in Austin, Texas." The radio station they were referring to was KLBJ-FM.
- Paul, Austin, TX

The Police's flagship song. Knocks spots off 'Dont stand...', 'Walking on moon', 'Message in bottle', 'Every breath...'. Was there a donkey in 'Every little thing she does is magic'? Eeyore, Eeyore, Eeyore, Eeyore.
- PHIL, Bradford, United Kingdom

I absolutely love this song. I met my husband to this song, it was our first song at our wedding (yes, I know, weird song for a wedding.. but hey!).
- Vanessa, St, Louis, IL

I like this song a lot. I have been listening to it for as long as i can remember and I don't really care that it is about a guy who loves a prostitute, it is still a great song with a great beat and nice bass.
- Rebecca, Vancouver, BC

They are really great in concert. I saw them in June. The only thing was Sting couldn't go high when he sang the chorus, so he sang it lower. Oh well I respect him, and i know it is probably because he doesn't have the same range he used to anymore, but when they played in in June it was still great!
- Rebecca, Vancouver, BC

I hate this song, when it first came out I was teased so bad that it turned me against it. Now some 30 some years later I still hate this song. Some guy just came into the office and when he heard my name, he started singing this song. GOD HOW I HATE THAT.
- Roxanne, Denver, CO

Just like Molly,MA. I thought the same thing about this song.
- michaela, brooklyn, NY

I just saw their concert in Brisbane and WOW. This was probably one of the only crowd-moving song played, this and Every Breathe You Take. This song is so awesome!
- Chris, Brisbane, Australia

I HATE this song.I was born before it was released and my brother named me,but I hate meeting someone and the first thing they do is sing this song. My husband thinks it is so funny that i get so mad.
- roxanne, dover, DE

Just as most people have songs they love and will go out of their way to hear, there are those songs people hate with a passion. For me, this song is one of those that will make me get up and turn the radio off the minute I hear it. Most of the songs the Police made, I like immensely. Why people like this is beyond me. I think Sting (and the rest of the Police) were right to be amazed by its promotion. Regardless of what this song means or seems to mean, its a piece of terrible music history.
- Drake, Monroe, LA

The First sounds of the song aren't 'in time' with the rest, due to a delayed start of the Mastertape. Listen! And indeed, Sting fell over the piano. What a great start of a career!!
- Frank, Best, United States

i think fall out boy did this song too. but FOB's version sucked. i never knew it was about a prostitute thought it was 'bout some girl he met.
- molly, boston, MA

why the heck is every song eventually connected to the same F-ing songs, if people have different tastes and likes then why is every song connected to the same songs the ones above. this site is some how rigged
- I. Orta, austin, TX

I never knew that this song was about a prostitute.Until my father told me that was very awkword.
- shannon, bakersfield, CA

This song never gets old. Kick ass song !
- Mike, Hueytown , AL

i love this song and so did my mother that she named me after this song. but i dont have an "e" at the end!!! she loved hearing him say Roxanne and so do i!!!!
- Roxann, Austin, TX

sting and his shocking romances first he writes of a teacher an student, than a man falling for a prostitute. good song lyrics are not the great but good beat.
- danielle, palm coast, FL

10 years after hearing it for the first time and still loving more than ever
- shane, perth, WA

in moulin rouge, isn't it the argentinian who sings roxanne, not christian?
- karol, toronto, Canada

does anyone know if this has to do with daniel defoe's novel, "roxana"?
- karol, toronto, Canada

I don't know if this is true, but I heard it was a DJ on KLBJ in Austin, Tx that kept playing this song over and over and it eventually caught on all the way to national prominence. Can anyone confirm this?
- Ted, Indianapolis, IN

Just before the laughing at the beginning, there is an off key "bong" which sounds like a synthesizer being leaned on by accident. I always thought this was an accident and the laugh was as a result of it (and they left it in to stay true to their original "punk" roots). I now wonder if this was added after Sting's trip or if it was as a result of his trip over the "piano" on the way into the studio.
- Sean, Brockton, MA

johnny=well
- rob, vancouver, Canada

rob=sick. Jeez. This Song Rocks!!!
- Johnny, Los Angeles, CA

Was it a tear?....or maybe something else.heheh
- rob, vancouver, Canada

"Don't stand so close to me" wasn't about a pro....sting was an english teacher before the Police and it was about one of his students...but i'm almost sure that "mother" was about a hooker
- rob, vancouver, Canada

And didn't Eddie Murphy showcase his huge musical potential when he sang this in "48 Hours"?
- rob, vancouver, Canada

I remember I went up to Tijuana Mexico, and they played this song at a brothel... it was such a trip... brought a tear to my eye.
- Juan Loire, Vallarta, Mexico

Fall out Boy did a cover for this song its great!
- tay, ltown, NE

One of the best songs in history! And watching it on Moulin Rouge was simply mind-blowing. Classic.
- Jo-C, Lima, Peru

Actually, the song 'Don't Stand So Close To Me' was also about a prostitute... Amy, Melbourne, Australia
- Amy, Melbourne, Australia

This song is sorta refered to in Episode 10, Season 8 of Friends, Pheobe wants Ross to get tickets to a Sting concert because Ross's son goes to the same school as Stings (apparently) anyway she says Rosssssssssssssssssssssss cann.. like Roxxxxxxannnneee.. hmm
- lexie, sydney, Australia

I used to go by Roxy till this song came out again
- Saralysette, ashland, OR

This song was featured in an episode of the popular action series "The 'A'-Team" in 1985, where B.A. Baracus throws Murdock's radio off an elevator when they were pretending to be window cleaners. No wonder the song became a firm favourite of radio stations in the 1980s!
- Dave, Cardiff, Wales

I would like to say that ever since Moulin Rouge had the "tango" version of this song, it has become very additctive! I love it - Thanks to Sting for writing it!
- Amanda, Canberra, Australia

I was in an English Pub a short while ago and they played a drinking game when this song came on. Every time the name 'Roxanne' is mentioned, the patrons tipped their beers. Think about it - that's a lot of tipping! No wonder they were such a jolly lot.
- Adam, Jupiter, FL