History Music / ThePoLice

* TechnicianVersusPerformer: ''Big time''. Most punk and new wave bands in their were comprised of young, inexperienced musicians that had a raw, simple style both out of necessity and as a reaction to the perceived stuffiness of progressive rock and its ilk. Sting was a jazz musician, Andy was ''also'' a jazz musician and was originally part of the British Invasion whereas Stewart was a longtime former member of the prog band Curved Air.

* AbuseDiscretionShot: The song "Don't Stand So Close To Me" is about an inappropriate relationship between a teacher and an underage schoolgirl, but never actually says what happens between them. The first two verses are about the growing attraction between the two; the second verse ends "Wet bus stop, she's waiting, his car is warm and dry". Then the song cuts to the chorus. The third verse deals with the aftermath of the encounter.

* {{Overcrank}}: The video for "Wrapped Around My Finger".
* OlderAndWiser: Andy, over a decade older than the rest, with close to 20 years of music business experience when they started. Generally the guy that rocked the boat the least. Not that he didn't join in a fair bit of course.

* RagtagBunchOfMisfits: A middle-aged British Invasion-era guitarist, a former army brat turned Prog Rock drummer, and a former schoolteacher/Jazz bassist from a tiny northern England town.

* SmallRoleBigImpact: Andy Summers was in the 60's British Rock scene, along with all the biggest names in music, but never ended up making much of a splash. What he ''did'' do however, was sell one Eric Clapton the Les Paul guitar he ended up using in Cream - the one that ended up defining rock guitar up to present day.

* TitleOnlyChorus: The Police love this trope, particularly in their earlier stuff - "[[HookerWithAHeartOfGold Roxanne]]," "So Lonely," "[[TeacherStudentRomance Don't Stand So Close to Me]]," "Walking in Your Footsteps," "[[DrivenToSuicide Can't Stand Losing You]]", "[[LongTitle When the World is Running Down You Make the Best of What's Still Around]]," "[[DemonicPossession Spirits in the Material World]]" (more or less), "[[SleepingSingle The Bed's Too Big Without You]]," "[[ImOkay It's Alright for You]]", "[[BreakupSong Hole in my Life]]," "Born in the '50s", "[[AwfulTruth Truth Hits Everybody]]," "[[TearJerker Driven to Tears]]," "[[HumanityIsSuperior Rehumanize Yourself]]", "[[CreatorBreakdown Someone to Talk to]]", and there are probably a few more.

* CoolOldGuy: All of them on the 2007 reunion tour.
** Andy in general counts, since he was already pushing 40 when he joined the band, and was an industry veteran.

* LongTitle: "Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic"; "When the World Is Running Down, You Make the Best of What's Still Around".

* WretchedHiveOfScumAndVillainy: The one in "Low Life" sounds like a pretty fun one.

* ADayInTheLife:
** A really {{crapsack|World}}y life if "Synchronicity II" is anything to go by.
** "On Any Other Day" from ''Regatta de Blanc'' is a more humorous example of this, and "Once Upon A Daydream" is a [[DarkerAndEdgier very dark version]].

** "Synchronicity II" is a cheerful, energetic song about a dysfunctional family, including a mother who attempts suicide and a grandmother with psychosis.

[[caption-width-right:300:The classic line-up of The Police.[[note]]'''L-to-R:''' [[Music/TheAnimals Andy Summers]], Stewart Copeland? and Music/{{Sting}}[[/note]]]]

[[caption-width-right:300:The classic line-up of The Police. L - R: [[Music/TheAnimals Andy Summers]], Stewart Copeland and Music/{{Sting}}.]]

->''"Walked out this morning, don't believe what I saw.\\
A hundred billion bottles washed up on the shore.\\
Seems I'm not alone at being alone.\\
A hundred billion castaways, looking for a home."''
-->--"'''Message in a Bottle'''"

* PrecisionFStrike: "Someone To Talk To". Additionally, "Rehumanize Yourself" has one instance of "{{c|ountryMatters}}unts", as does "Dead End Job" (it's hidden under repeating sound effects and other dialogue regarding help wanted ads), and "On Any Other Day" starts with StudioChatter where Stewart says "... the other ones are complete bullshit".

* TitleOnlyChorus: The Police love this trope, particularly in their earlier stuff - "[[HookerWithAHeartOfGold Roxanne]]," "So Lonely," "[[TeacherStudentRomance Don't Stand So Close to Me]]," "[[EverythingsBetterWithDinosaurs Walking in Your Footsteps]]," "[[DrivenToSuicide Can't Stand Losing You]]", "[[LongTitle When the World is Running Down You Make the Best of What's Still Around]]," "[[DemonicPossession Spirits in the Material World]]" (more or less), "[[SleepingSingle The Bed's Too Big Without You]]," "[[ImOkay It's Alright for You]]", "[[BreakupSong Hole in my Life]]," "Born in the '50s", "[[AwfulTruth Truth Hits Everybody]]," "[[TearJerker Driven to Tears]]," "[[HumanityIsSuperior Rehumanize Yourself]]", "[[CreatorBreakdown Someone to Talk to]]", and there are probably a few more.

* BreakupSong: "Every Breath You Take," "Can't Stand Losing You," "The Bed's Too Big Without You," and "Someone To Talk To".

* GratuitousFrench:
** The second album title, ''Reggatta de Blanc''. It means "White reggae", a term they considered their music at the time fit into.
** The lyrics of "Hungry for You (J'aurais toujours faim de toi)" are almost entirely in French, apart from an English chorus towards the end. Unsurprisingly, Sting trips over French grammar in the chorus, awkwardly singing ''Mais non pouvons faire ce que nous voulons'' instead of ''Mais ne pouvons pas faire ce que nous voulons'' ("but we cannot do what we want"). In all fairness, the original line already has to strain to roll of the tongue, and the correct negative would just wreck the whole rhythm. The title itself is also grammatically suspect. He almost certainly means "j'aurai" (I will), not "j'aurais" (I would).