Difference between revisions of "Man In A Suitcase"

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!  colspan="2" | <big>'''"Man In A Suitcase"'''</big>
 
!  colspan="2" | <big>'''"Man In A Suitcase"'''</big>
 
|- style="background-color: #f9f9f9;"
 
|- style="background-color: #f9f9f9;"
−
|  colspan="2" align="center" | [[Image:45rpm.png|thumb|center|If song was released as a single, include single cover art. Otherwise, include album cover artwork to replace the 45 rpm, if available.]]
+
|  colspan="2" align="center" | [[Image:Police-album-zenyattamondatta.jpg|thumb|center|LP cover]]
 
|- style="background-color: #E6E6E6;"
 
|- style="background-color: #E6E6E6;"
 
!  colspan="2" | Recorded by [[The Police]]
 
!  colspan="2" | Recorded by [[The Police]]
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|- style="background-color: #f9f9f9;"
 
|- style="background-color: #f9f9f9;"
 
| <b>Recorded:</b>
 
| <b>Recorded:</b>
−
| 1980
+
| [[1980-07-07]] - [[1980-08-07]]
 
|- style="background-color: #f9f9f9;"
 
|- style="background-color: #f9f9f9;"
 
| <b>Length:</b>
 
| <b>Length:</b>
−
| SONG LENGTH
+
| 2:15
 
|- style="background-color: #f9f9f9;"
 
|- style="background-color: #f9f9f9;"
 
| <b>Album(s):</b>
 
| <b>Album(s):</b>
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|- style="background-color: #f9f9f9;"
 
|- style="background-color: #f9f9f9;"
 
| <b>Released as single?</b>
 
| <b>Released as single?</b>
−
| YES, B-SIDE, or NO
+
| B-SIDE
 
|}
 
|}
  
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=About the song=
 
=About the song=
−
''This section needs more information.''
+
[[Sting]] recorded the demo for this song in Dublin in the summer of [[1980]]. Considered to be about a rock star's everyday life on the road [[Sting]] has mentioned that it's actually about the British spy TV series of the same name.
 +
 
 +
The music he recorded was quite unlike the LP version - both versions are somehow similar (in speed) and yet totally different. The ingenuous bass lines aren't there yet, for example. The instrumental middle section is absent - instead [[Sting]] sings some "hio-o-oh"s to the verse's music. [[The Police]] could have tweaked the demo just a bit and it would still have been a great song. But the changes they made makes the LP version stand out as being even more "[[The Police]]".
 +
 
 +
The lyrics are similar, with just a few changes - most notably the repetition of "Running from the man inside of me".
  
 
=Personnel=
 
=Personnel=
−
''This section needs more information.''
+
* [[Sting]]
 +
* [[Stewart Copeland]]
 +
* [[Andy Summers]]
  
 
=Release History=
 
=Release History=
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| [[Zenyatta Mondatta]]
 
| [[Zenyatta Mondatta]]
 
| [[1980-10-03]]
 
| [[1980-10-03]]
 +
| UK
 +
|- style="background-color: #FFFFFF;"
 +
| [[Image:Police-album-messageinaboxthecompleterecordings.jpg|40px]]
 +
| [[Message In A Box: The Complete Recordings]]
 +
| [[1993-MM-DD]]
 
| UK
 
| UK
 
|}
 
|}
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|- style="background-color: #FFFFFF;"
 
|- style="background-color: #FFFFFF;"
 
| [[Image:stub.gif|40px]]
 
| [[Image:stub.gif|40px]]
−
| Catalog no.
+
| AM 47.006
−
| "[[A-side song]]"/"[[B-side song]]"  
+
| "[[De Do Do Do, De Da Da Da]]"/"[[Man In A Suitcase]]"
−
| [[YYYY-MM-DD]]
+
| [[1981-MM-DD]]
−
| Country
+
| Brazil
 +
|- style="background-color: #FFFFFF;"
 +
| [[Image:stub.gif|40px]]
 +
| AM 117
 +
| "[[Every Breath You Take]]"/"[[Murder By Numbers]]" / "[[Truth Hits Everybody (remix)]]"/"[[Man In A Suitcase]] (live)"  
 +
| [[1981-MM-DD]]
 +
| UK
 
|}
 
|}
  
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| Catalog no.
 
| Catalog no.
 
| "[[A-side song]]"/"[[B-side song]]" (add more songs as necessary)
 
| "[[A-side song]]"/"[[B-side song]]" (add more songs as necessary)
−
| [[1979-12-01]]
+
| [[YYYY-MM-DD]]
 
| Country
 
| Country
 
|}
 
|}
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=Lyrics=
 
=Lyrics=
 
'''Lyrics are property and copyright of their owners, and provided here for educational purposes only.'''
 
'''Lyrics are property and copyright of their owners, and provided here for educational purposes only.'''
 +
 +
* LP version:
  
 
<pre>
 
<pre>
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</pre>
 
</pre>
  
−
=Quotations and trivia=
+
* demo version:
−
''This section needs more information.''
 
  
−
=Alternative and cover versions=
+
<pre>
−
==Alternative versions==
+
I'd invite you back to my place
−
* Man In A Suitcase (demo) features some really different music and some different lyrics - here's the chorus and 2nd verse:
+
It's only mine because it holds my suitcase
 +
It looks like home to me alright
 +
But it's a hundred miles from yesterday night
 +
i-o-oh
  
−
<pre>
+
Must I be the man in a suitcase
−
Must I be man in a suitcase
+
Is it me, the man with the stranger's face
−
Is it me, man with the stranger's face
+
Must I be the man in a suitcase
−
Must I be man in a suitcase
 
 
Running from the man inside of me
 
Running from the man inside of me
  
−
Add another key to my collection
+
Add another key to my collection - woo-oh
−
Take a man for security as I race for my connection
+
Take a man / map (?) for security as I race for my connection - woo-o-oh
 
Bird in a flying cage, no time to get to know me well
 
Bird in a flying cage, no time to get to know me well
−
World's an oyster but my hotel room's a prison cell
+
World's my oyster but my hotel room's a prison cell
 +
 
 +
Must I be the man in a suitcase
 +
Is it me, the man with the stranger's face
 +
Must I be the man in a suitcase
 +
Running from the man inside of me
 +
 
 +
hio-o-oh
 +
hio-o-oh
 +
hio-o-oh
 +
hio-o-oh
 +
hio-o-oh
 +
hio-o-oh
 +
hio-o-oh
 +
hio-o-oh
 +
 
 +
Must I be the man in a suitcase
 +
Is it me, the man with the stranger's face
 +
Must I be the man in a suitcase
 +
Running from the man inside
 +
Running from the man inside
 +
Running from the man inside of me
 +
 
 +
Must I be the man in a suitcase
 +
Is it me, the man with the stranger's face
 +
Must I be the man in a suitcase
 +
Is it me, the man with the stranger's face
 +
Must I be the man in a suitcase
 +
Is it me, the man with the stranger's face
 
</pre>
 
</pre>
  
−
The demo doesn't feature the repetition of the 1st verse, but adds more choruses, lots of ey-oh-ohs and "running from the man inside of me"
+
=Quotations and trivia=
 +
''This section needs more information.''
  
−
* Man In A Suitcase (live) - released on the UK double single [[Every Breath You Take]] and on [[Message In A Box: The Complete Recordings]]
+
=Alternative and cover versions=
 +
==Alternative versions==
 +
* the [[Man In A Suitcase]] demo features some really different music and some different lyrics.
 +
* [[Man In A Suitcase]] (live) - released on the UK double single [[Every Breath You Take]] and on [[Message In A Box: The Complete Recordings]]
  
 
==Cover versions==
 
==Cover versions==
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=External links=
 
=External links=
−
''This section needs more information.''
+
* [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Man_in_a_Suitcase "Man In A Suitcase" TV series]
  
 
=References=
 
=References=

Latest revision as of 00:36, 23 November 2020

"Man In A Suitcase"
LP cover
Recorded by The Police
Released: 1980-10-03
Recorded: 1980-07-07 - 1980-08-07
Length: 2:15
Album(s): Zenyatta Mondatta
Label(s): A&M
Writer(s): Sting
Producer(s): The Police, Nigel Gray
Studio(s): Wisseloord Studios
Released as single? B-SIDE

"Man In A Suitcase" is a song written by Sting and recorded by The Police in 1980.

About the song

Sting recorded the demo for this song in Dublin in the summer of 1980. Considered to be about a rock star's everyday life on the road Sting has mentioned that it's actually about the British spy TV series of the same name.

The music he recorded was quite unlike the LP version - both versions are somehow similar (in speed) and yet totally different. The ingenuous bass lines aren't there yet, for example. The instrumental middle section is absent - instead Sting sings some "hio-o-oh"s to the verse's music. The Police could have tweaked the demo just a bit and it would still have been a great song. But the changes they made makes the LP version stand out as being even more "The Police".

The lyrics are similar, with just a few changes - most notably the repetition of "Running from the man inside of me".

Personnel

Release History

Albums

Man In A Suitcase appears on the following album releases:

Cover art Album title Release date Release country
Police-album-zenyattamondatta.jpg Zenyatta Mondatta 1980-10-03 UK
Police-album-messageinaboxthecompleterecordings.jpg Message In A Box: The Complete Recordings 1993-MM-DD UK

Singles

CD Singles

Cover art Catalog no. Songs Release date Release country
Stub.gif Catalog no. "Song"(s) YYYY-MM-DD Country

7" Singles

Cover art Catalog no. A-side song/B-side song Release date Release country
Stub.gif AM 47.006 "De Do Do Do, De Da Da Da"/"Man In A Suitcase" 1981-MM-DD Brazil
Stub.gif AM 117 "Every Breath You Take"/"Murder By Numbers" / "Truth Hits Everybody (remix)"/"Man In A Suitcase (live)" 1981-MM-DD UK

12" Singles

Cover art Catalog no. A-side song(s)/B-side song(s) Release date Release country
Stub.gif Catalog no. "A-side song"/"B-side song" (add more songs as necessary) YYYY-MM-DD Country

Video

"SONG TITLE" appears on the following video and dvd releases:

Cover art Video title Release date Release country
Stub.gif Video or dvd title YYYY-MM-DD Country


Awards, nominations, and certifications

Awards

This section needs more information.

Year Winner Award Category
YYYY WINNER (album, song, producer, etc.) AWARD (Grammy, People's Choice, etc.) CATEGORY

Nominations

This section needs more information.

Year Nominee Award Category
YYYY NOMINEE (album, song, producer, etc.) AWARD (Grammy, People's Choice, etc.) CATEGORY

Certifications

This section needs more information.

Country Certifier Classification Certification
COUNTRY CERTIFIER (RIAA, IFPI...) CLASSIFICATION (Album, singles, foreign artist...) CERTIFICATION (Gold, Platinum, Diamond...)

Lyrics

Lyrics are property and copyright of their owners, and provided here for educational purposes only.

  • LP version:
I'd invite you back to my place
It's only mine because it holds my suitcase
It looks like home to me alright
But it's a hundred miles from yesterday night

Must I be the man in a suitcase
Is it me, the man with the stranger's face
Must I be the man in a suitcase
Is it me, the man with the stranger's face

Another key for my collection
For security I race for my connection
Bird in a flying cage you'll never get to know me well
The world's my oyster, a hotel room's a prison cell

Must I be the man in a suitcase
Is it me, the man with the stranger's face
Must I be the man in a suitcase
Is it me, the man with the stranger's face

I'd invite you back to my place
It's only mine because it holds my suitcase
It looks like home to me alright
But it's a hundred miles from yesterday night

Must I be the man in a suitcase
Is it me, the man with the stranger's face
Must I be the man in a suitcase
Is it me, the man with the stranger's face

Must I be the man in a suitcase
Is it me, the man with the stranger's face
Must I be the man in a suitcase
Is it me, the man with the stranger's face
  • demo version:
I'd invite you back to my place
It's only mine because it holds my suitcase
It looks like home to me alright
But it's a hundred miles from yesterday night
i-o-oh

Must I be the man in a suitcase
Is it me, the man with the stranger's face
Must I be the man in a suitcase
Running from the man inside of me

Add another key to my collection - woo-oh
Take a man / map (?) for security as I race for my connection - woo-o-oh
Bird in a flying cage, no time to get to know me well
World's my oyster but my hotel room's a prison cell

Must I be the man in a suitcase
Is it me, the man with the stranger's face
Must I be the man in a suitcase
Running from the man inside of me

hio-o-oh
hio-o-oh
hio-o-oh
hio-o-oh
hio-o-oh
hio-o-oh
hio-o-oh
hio-o-oh

Must I be the man in a suitcase
Is it me, the man with the stranger's face
Must I be the man in a suitcase
Running from the man inside 
Running from the man inside 
Running from the man inside of me

Must I be the man in a suitcase
Is it me, the man with the stranger's face
Must I be the man in a suitcase
Is it me, the man with the stranger's face
Must I be the man in a suitcase
Is it me, the man with the stranger's face

Quotations and trivia

This section needs more information.

Alternative and cover versions

Alternative versions

Cover versions

A cover version of Man In A Suitcase appears on the following album release:

Cover art Artist Album title Release date Release country
Vinyl.png Big Mountain Reggatta Mondatta Volume II 1998-06-30 ??

See also

This section needs more information.

External links

References

  • Police, The. Zenyatta Mondatta. (1980) [Audio recording], A&M Records.
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