King Of Pain

"King Of Pain"
UK cover
Recorded by The Police
Released:	1983
Recorded:	1983
Length:	4:59
Album(s):	Synchronicity
Label(s):	A&M
Writer(s):	Sting
Producer(s):	Hugh Padgham & The Police
Studio(s):	AIR Studios, Montserrat
Released as single?	YES

"King Of Pain" is a song written by Sting and recorded by The Police in 1983.

About the song

Writing

Sting wrote the song at Ian Fleming's "Goldeneye" residence on Jamaica around May / June 1982.

Utopia demo

On 1982-11-23 he recorded a demo at Utopia Studios in London, England, UK.

The main melody was played with the sequencer and guitars. Vocals were already in place, but the chorus parts were sung lower than on the LP.

Recording 1 (AIR Studios)

There's an early take from AIR Studios which is quite different to the LP version - it's not just an early or modified take, it's a different version lasting 4:20 minutes.

The song starts with a rather cheesy instrumental intro, but with drums. Vocals begin with the "fossil" line - Sting sings "That's my soul up there" right from the start in that 1st verse, too.

From the start of the vocals onwards it sounds like it's a different and slower drum take - there are sound and timing issue when one part replaces the other. The drum pattern is also different to the LP version.

The backing vocals are louder in this take - maybe even some other harmonies. The middle part features different "happy" harmonies - some "oooh ooooh" vocals and a short guitar solo (played on electric sitar, doubled with clean guitar).

The end of the song has a happier feel - this comes from "that's my soul up there" backing vocals and some happy guitar bits...

Recording 2 (?)

The second version of this song features the quiet start as known from the LP, with the well known "little black spot" lyrics. After a cool drum break however the "little black spot" verse is NOT repeated and the song continues with the "fossil" verse.

That drum break into that "fossil" verse is much easier to access than the single snare beat into the LP's repeated 1st verse (at least to my ears). The bass drum parts are played differently than the LP version, more like version 1.

This version still features the "happy" middle part with different harmonies and a guitar solo. The happier ending is also still present.

This version lasts 4:40 minutes.

Recording 3 (Le Studio)

The version that's on the LP was filed as the Le Studio version. It's unedited length would be roughtly 5:06 minutes - with a few more "King Of Pain"s at the end...

In its original version the drum break into the 2nd "little black spot" verse was much easier to access than the single snare beat that made it onto the LP. On its own that snare beat is "off" and confusing. Together with the original beats that were cut off it would be much easier to "understand" the beat.

In "Studio Sound" from March 1984 producer Hugh Padgham remembered that the final mix didn't bear much resemblance to what they initially recorded on the multitracks. The first verse of the LP version was recorded on another day and edited into the next bit.

The whole seems to have been re-recorded several times - either the music at AIR Studios on Montserrat and Sting's vocals at Le Studio, or everything at Le Studio.

Personnel

For this song Sting used the Van Zalinge Bass, combined with the Steinberger L2.

Release History

Albums

King Of Pain appears on the following album releases:

Cover art	Album title	Release date	Release country
	Synchronicity	1983-06-01	UK
	Message In A Box: The Complete Recordings	1993-MM-DD	UK

Singles

7" Singles

Cover art	Catalog no.	A-side song/B-side song	Release date	Release country
	AM 176	"King Of Pain"/"Tea In The Sahara (live)"	1984-01-06	UK
	AM 2569	"King Of Pain"/"Someone To Talk To"	YYYY-MM-DD	USA
	AMS 9722	"King Of Pain"/"Once Upon A Daydream"	YYYY-MM-DD	The Netherlands

12" Singles

Cover art	Catalog no.	A-side song(s)/B-side song(s)	Release date	Release country
	AMX 176	"King Of Pain"/"Tea In The Sahara (live)" (add more songs as necessary)	1984-01-06	UK

Video

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

Cover art	Video title	Release date	Release country
	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 lyrics

There's a little black spot on the sun today
It's the same old thing as yesterday
There's a black hat caught in a high treetop
There's a flagpole rag and the wind won't stop

I have stood here before, inside the pouring rain
With the world turning circles, running 'round my brain
I guess I'm always hoping that you'll end this reign
But it's my destiny to be the king of pain

There's a little black spot on the sun today
(That's my soul up there)
It's the same old thing as yesterday
(That's my soul up there)
There's a black hat caught in a high treetop
(That's my soul up there)
There's a flagpole rag and the wind won't stop
(That's my soul up there)

I have stood here before, inside the pouring rain
With the world turning circles, running 'round my brain
I guess I'm always hoping that you'll end this reign
But it's my destiny to be the king of pain

There's a fossil that's trapped in a high cliff wall
(That's my soul up there)
There's a dead salmon frozen in a waterfall
(That's my soul up there)
There's a blue whale beached by a springtide's ebb
(That's my soul up there)
There's a butterfly trapped in a spider's web
(That's my soul up there)

I have stood here before, inside the pouring rain
With the world turning circles, running 'round my brain
I guess I'm always hoping that you'll end this reign
But it's my destiny to be the king of pain

There's a king on a throne with his eyes torn out
There's a blind man looking for a shadow of doubt
There's a rich man sleeping on a golden bed
There's a skeleton choking on a crust of bread
King of pain

There's a red fox torn by a huntsman's pack
(That's my soul up there)
There's a black-winged gull with a broken back
(That's my soul up there)
There's a little black spot on the sun today
It's the same old thing as yesterday

I have stood here before, inside the pouring rain
With the world turning circles, running 'round my brain
I guess I'm always hoping that you'll end this reign
But it's my destiny to be the king of pain
King of pain
King of pain
King of pain
I'll always be king of pain
I'll always be king of pain
I'll always be king of pain
I'll always be king of pain
I'll always be king of pain...

• early AIR Studios version's lyrics

(tape's rolling...
shut up
ooh oh
yeah-eah
ho-ho
ha-ha-ha)

There's a fossil that's trapped in a high cliff wall
(That's my soul up there)
There's a dead salmon frozen in a waterfall
(That's my soul up there)
There's a blue whale beached by a springtide's ebb
(That's my soul up there)
There's a butterfly trapped in a spider's web
(That's my soul up there)

I have stood here before, inside the pouring rain
With the world turning circles, running 'round my brain
I guess I'm always hoping that you'll end this reign
But it's my destiny to be the king of pain

There's a king on a throne with his eyes torn out
There's a blind man looking for a shadow of doubt
There's a rich man sleeping on a golden bed
There's a skeleton choking on a crust of bread
King of pain

oooh oooh oooh oooh (8 x)

There's a red fox torn by a huntsman's pack
(That's my soul up there)
There's a black-winged gull with a broken back
(That's my soul up there)
There's a little black spot on the sun today
It's the same old thing as yesterday

I have stood here before, inside the pouring rain
With the world turning circles, running 'round my brain
I guess I'm always hoping that you'll end this reign
But it's my destiny to be the king of pain

King of pain
I'll always be king of pain
I'll always be king of pain
I'll always be king of pain
that's my soul up there - king of pain
that's my soul up there - king of pain
that's my soul up there - king of pain
that's my soul up there - king of pain
that's my soul up there - king of pain
that's my soul up there - king of pain
that's my soul up there - king of pain
that's my soul up there - king of pain
that's my soul up there - king of pain
that's my soul up there - always be king of pain
that's my soul up there - always be king of pain
that's my soul up there...

Quotations and trivia

UK ad:

Alternative and cover versions

• In April 1984 "Weird Al" Yankovic released a parody of "King Of Pain" titled "King Of Suede."[1][2]

Cover versions of King Of Pain appear on the following album releases:

Cover art	Artist	Album title	Release date	Release country
	Inner Circle	Reggatta Mondatta Volume II	1998-06-30	??
	Brandtson	Policia! A Tribute To The Police	2005-MM-DD	USA

See also

This section needs more information.

External links

This section needs more information.

References

• Police, The. Synchronicity. (1983) [Audio recording], A&M Records.
• Police, The. King Of Pain.
• Wikipedia. King Of Pain.
• 1992-04 Bass Player
• Craig Betts (demo date)
• Studio Sound - March 1984
• Fabio Trentini (demo info after listening to Pete Smith's tapes)