How Sting Turned Heartbreak Into The Police’s 1983 Hit “King of Pain”

By 1983, there was no other band quite like The Police. They fit into many different categories and genres at the same time. One of The Police’s strongest features was the power all three members brought to the trio. Sting was a standout songwriter while simultaneously laying down some of the smoothest bass riffs. On top of that, Sting’s unique and distinct high tenor voice carries the band and makes them instantly recognizable. Stewart Copeland’s drumming was from another planet. Never fearing to give the song too much, while giving it what it needs at the same time. Copeland blended influences of jazz, punk, and rock into a unique approach to the kit. The same goes for guitarist Andy Summers. He was doing a lot more on The Police’s songs than many realize. Rapid chord changes, high versatility, while maintaining composure.

The Police’s fifth and final album, Synchronicity, was the most successful release. It hit No. 1 in the US and the UK, driven by five successful singles. The third single released was “King Of Pain”, a song written by Sting during a dark time in his life. This song is the deepest you hear Sting’s writing in the band. That’s because Sting was going through a divorce at the time.

The Moment the Song Came to Sting in Jamaica

On the radio show In The Studio, Sting explained the moment the song came to him. “I’d just left my first wife, a very painful break, and I went to Jamaica to try and pull myself together. I was fortunate to be able to go to Jamaica, I have to say, and stayed at this nice house, and was looking at the sun one day. I was with Trudie, who is now my current wife, and said ‘Look, there’s a little black spot on the sun today’. And there’s a pause. I said, ‘That’s my soul up there.’ I was full of hyperbole.” Sting emphasized, “I said that! I went back in and wrote it down on a piece of stuff, and wrote some other stuff.”

The song relates symbols of pain to the soul throughout the track. It opens with Sting singing the first verse and chorus along, and Stewart Copeland’s snare crack brings in the rest of the band. Lyrically, Sting was inspired by psychologists such as Carl Jung when writing the Synchronicity album. That can be heard within the lyrics of King Of Pain.

“King Of Pain” was a massive hit for The Police. It peaked at No. 1 on the US Billboard Mainstream Rock chart and No. 3 on the Hot 100.

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