Difference between revisions of "Canary In A Coalmine"

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(Lyrics)
(About the song)
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!  colspan="2" | <big>'''"Canary In A Coalmine"'''</big>
 
!  colspan="2" | <big>'''"Canary In A Coalmine"'''</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|"[[Canary In A Coalmine]]" is a song on the [[1980]] album [[Zenyatta Mondatta]].]]
 
|- style="background-color: #E6E6E6;"
 
|- style="background-color: #E6E6E6;"
 
!  colspan="2" | Recorded by [[The Police]]
 
!  colspan="2" | Recorded by [[The Police]]
 
|- style="background-color: #f9f9f9;"
 
|- style="background-color: #f9f9f9;"
 
| <b>Released:</b>
 
| <b>Released:</b>
| [[YYYY]]
+
| [[1980-10-03]]
 
|- 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
+
| 2:26
 
|- style="background-color: #f9f9f9;"
 
|- style="background-color: #f9f9f9;"
 
| <b>Album(s):</b>
 
| <b>Album(s):</b>
Line 19: Line 19:
 
|- style="background-color: #f9f9f9;"
 
|- style="background-color: #f9f9f9;"
 
| <b>Label(s):</b>
 
| <b>Label(s):</b>
| [[RECORD LABEL]]
+
| [[A&M]]
 
|- style="background-color: #f9f9f9;"
 
|- style="background-color: #f9f9f9;"
 
| <b>Writer(s):</b>
 
| <b>Writer(s):</b>
| [[Sting]]
+
| [[Sting (person) | Sting]]
 
|- style="background-color: #f9f9f9;"
 
|- style="background-color: #f9f9f9;"
 
| <b>Producer(s):</b>
 
| <b>Producer(s):</b>
| [[PRODUCER NAME(S)]]
+
| [[The Police (band)|The Police]], [[Nigel Gray]]
 
|- style="background-color: #f9f9f9;"
 
|- style="background-color: #f9f9f9;"
 
| <b>Studio(s):</b>
 
| <b>Studio(s):</b>
| [[RECORDING STUDIO(S)]]
+
| [[Wisseloord Studios]]
 
|- 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
 
|}
 
|}
  
'''"Canary In A Coalmine"''' is a song written by [[Sting]] and recorded by [[The Police]] in [[1980]].
+
'''"Canary In A Coalmine"''' is a song written by [[Sting (person) | Sting]] and recorded by [[The Police]] in [[1980]].
  
 
=About the song=
 
=About the song=
''This section needs more information.''
+
[[The Police]] recorded an early version of this song on [[1980-02-23]] while being in Tokyo, Japan.
 +
 
 +
[[Sting]] recorded another demo for this song in Dublin in the summer of [[1980]]. What he put to tape is already pretty close to the LP version - bass, guitars and the general melody are all there.
 +
 
 +
In the demo's first chorus however [[Sting]] sings [[Canary In A Coalmine]] a fourth time.
 +
 
 +
There's no third verse yet. No piano anywhere in the song. The short instrumental middle section is also absent. In its place there's an instrumental chorus with some additional guitar (maybe hinting at a possible solo).
 +
 
 +
With this extended middle part the demo passes the 3 minute mark.
 +
 
 +
There are two edited versions of this track where [[Nigel Gray]] was still experimenting with the sound levels of individual instruments. Both are only 2:11 minutes long.
  
 
=Personnel=
 
=Personnel=
''This section needs more information.''
+
* [[Sting]] — bass, vocals
 +
* [[Andy Summers]] - guitar
 +
* [[Stewart Copeland]] — drums
  
 
=Release History=
 
=Release History=
 
==Albums==
 
==Albums==
[[Song]] appears on the following album releases:
+
[[Canary In A Coalmine]] appears on the following album releases:
 
{| cellspacing="0" cellpadding="10" border="1" style="background-color: #F0F0F0;  border-spacing: 2; padding:5px;"
 
{| cellspacing="0" cellpadding="10" border="1" style="background-color: #F0F0F0;  border-spacing: 2; padding:5px;"
 
! Cover art
 
! Cover art
Line 51: Line 63:
 
! Release country
 
! Release country
 
|- style="background-color: #FFFFFF;"
 
|- style="background-color: #FFFFFF;"
| [[Image:stub.gif|40px]]
+
| [[Image:Police-album-zenyattamondatta.jpg|40px]]
| [[Album date]]
+
| [[Zenyatta Mondatta]]
| [[YYYY-MM-DD]]
+
| [[1980-10-03]]
| Country
+
| UK
 +
|- style="background-color: #FFFFFF;"
 +
| [[Image:Police-album-messageinaboxthecompleterecordings.jpg|40px]]
 +
| [[Message In A Box: The Complete Recordings]]
 +
| [[1993-MM-DD]]
 +
| UK
 
|}
 
|}
  
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! Release country
 
! Release country
 
|- style="background-color: #FFFFFF;"
 
|- style="background-color: #FFFFFF;"
| [[Image:stub.gif|40px]]
+
| [[Image:police-compacthits.jpg|40px]]
| Catalog no.
+
| AMCD 905
| "[[Song]]"(s)
+
| "[[Roxanne (song)|Roxanne]]" / "[[Canary In A Coalmine]]" / "[[The Bed's Too Big Without You (song)|The Bed's Too Big Without You]]" / "[[Can't Stand Losing You (song)|Can't Stand Losing You]]"
| [[YYYY-MM-DD]]
+
| [[1988-06-01]]
| Country
+
| United Kingdom
 
|}
 
|}
  
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! Release country
 
! Release country
 
|- style="background-color: #FFFFFF;"
 
|- style="background-color: #FFFFFF;"
| [[Image:stub.gif|40px]]
+
| [[Image:45rpm.png|40px]]
| Catalog no.
+
| AM 58.002
| "[[A-side song]]"/"[[B-side song]]"  
+
| "[[De Do Do Do, De Da Da Da]]"/"[[Voices Inside My Head]]"/"[[Don't Stand So Close To Me]]"/"[[Canary In A Coalmine]]"  
| [[YYYY-MM-DD]]
+
| [[1980-MM-DD]]
| Country
+
| Brazil
|}
 
 
 
===12" Singles===
 
{| cellspacing="0" cellpadding="10" border="1" style="background-color: #F0F0F0;  border-spacing: 2; padding:5px;"
 
! Cover art
 
! Catalog no.
 
! A-side song(s)/B-side song(s)
 
! Release date
 
! Release country
 
|- style="background-color: #FFFFFF;"
 
| [[Image:stub.gif|40px]]
 
| Catalog no.
 
| "[[A-side song]]"/"[[B-side song]]" (add more songs as necessary)
 
| [[1979-12-01]]
 
| Country
 
 
|}
 
|}
  
 
==Video==
 
==Video==
"SONG TITLE" appears on the following video and dvd releases:
+
"[[Canary In A Coalmine]]" appears on the following video and dvd releases:
 
{| cellspacing="0" cellpadding="10" border="1" style="background-color: #F0F0F0;  border-spacing: 2; padding:5px;"
 
{| cellspacing="0" cellpadding="10" border="1" style="background-color: #F0F0F0;  border-spacing: 2; padding:5px;"
 
! Cover art
 
! Cover art
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! Release country
 
! Release country
 
|- style="background-color: #FFFFFF;"
 
|- style="background-color: #FFFFFF;"
| [[Image:stub.gif|40px]]
+
| [[Image:aroundtheworld_vhs_cover.jpg|40px]]
| [[Video or dvd title]]
+
| [[Around The World]]
| [[YYYY-MM-DD]]
+
| [[1983-MM-DD]]
| Country
+
| UK
 
|}
 
|}
  
 +
=Lyrics=
 +
'''Lyrics are property and copyright of their owners, and provided here for educational purposes only.'''
  
=Awards, nominations, and certifications=
+
* LP version:
<!--OMIT SECTION IF SONG HAS NOT RECEIVED ANY AWARDS-->
 
==Awards==
 
''This section needs more information.''
 
{| cellspacing="0" cellpadding="10" border="1" style="background-color: #F0F0F0;  border-spacing: 2; padding:5px;"
 
! Year
 
! Winner
 
! Award
 
! Category
 
|- style="background-color: #FFFFFF;"
 
| [[YYYY]]
 
| WINNER (album, song, producer, etc.)
 
| AWARD (Grammy, People's Choice, etc.)
 
| CATEGORY
 
|}
 
 
 
==Nominations==
 
''This section needs more information.''
 
{| cellspacing="0" cellpadding="10" border="1" style="background-color: #F0F0F0;  border-spacing: 2; padding:5px;"
 
! Year
 
! Nominee
 
! Award
 
! Category
 
|- style="background-color: #FFFFFF;"
 
| [[YYYY]]
 
| NOMINEE (album, song, producer, etc.)
 
| AWARD (Grammy, People's Choice, etc.)
 
| CATEGORY
 
|}
 
  
==Certifications==
 
''This section needs more information.''
 
{| cellspacing="0" cellpadding="10" border="1" style="background-color: #F0F0F0;  border-spacing: 2; padding:5px;"
 
! Country
 
! Certifier
 
! Classification
 
! Certification
 
|- style="background-color: #FFFFFF;"
 
| COUNTRY
 
| CERTIFIER (RIAA, IFPI...)
 
| CLASSIFICATION (Album, singles, foreign artist...)
 
| CERTIFICATION (Gold, Platinum, Diamond...)
 
|}
 
 
=Lyrics=
 
 
<pre>
 
<pre>
 
First to fall over when the atmosphere is less than perfect
 
First to fall over when the atmosphere is less than perfect
 
Your sensibilities are shaken by the slightest defect
 
Your sensibilities are shaken by the slightest defect
You live you life like a canary in a coalmine
+
You live your life like a canary in a coalmine
 
You get so dizzy even walking in a straight line
 
You get so dizzy even walking in a straight line
  
Line 187: Line 148:
 
Canary in a coalmine
 
Canary in a coalmine
 
Canary in a coalmine
 
Canary in a coalmine
 +
oh
 +
 +
First to fall over when the atmosphere is less than perfect
 +
Your sensibilities are shaken by the slightest defect
 +
You live your life like a canary in a coalmine
 +
You get so dizzy even walking in a straight line
 +
 +
Canary in a coalmine
 +
Canary in a coalmine
 +
etc.
 +
</pre>
 +
 +
 +
* demo version
 +
 +
<pre>
 +
First to fall over when the atmosphere is less than perfect
 +
Your sensibilities are shaken by the slightest defect
 +
You live your life like a canary in a coalmine
 +
You get so dizzy even walking in a straight line
 +
 +
You say you want to spend the winter in Firenza
 +
You're so afraid to catch a dose of influenza
 +
You live your life like a canary in a coalmine
 +
You get so dizzy even walking in a straight line
 +
 +
Canary in a coalmine
 +
Canary in a coalmine
 +
Canary in a coalmine
 +
Canary in a coalmine 
 +
oh
  
 
First to fall over when the atmosphere is less than perfect
 
First to fall over when the atmosphere is less than perfect
Line 192: Line 184:
 
You live your life like a canary in a coalmine
 
You live your life like a canary in a coalmine
 
You get so dizzy even walking in a straight line
 
You get so dizzy even walking in a straight line
 +
 +
Canary in a coalmine
 +
Canary in a coalmine
 +
Canary in a coalmine
 +
oh
 +
Canary in a coalmine
 +
 +
You say you want to spend the winter in Firenza
 +
You're so afraid to catch a dose of influenza
 +
You live your life like a canary in a coalmine
 +
You get so dizzy even walking in a straight line
 +
 +
Canary in a coalmine
 +
Canary in a coalmine
 +
Canary in a coalmine
 +
etc.
 
</pre>
 
</pre>
  
Line 198: Line 206:
  
 
=Alternative and cover versions=
 
=Alternative and cover versions=
''This section needs more information.''
+
A cover version of [[Canary In A Coalmine]] appears on the following album release:
 +
{| cellspacing="0" cellpadding="10" border="1" style="background-color: #F0F0F0;  border-spacing: 2; padding:5px;"
 +
! Cover art
 +
! Artist
 +
! Album title
 +
! Release date
 +
! Release country
 +
|- style="background-color: #FFFFFF;"
 +
| [[Image:vinyl.png|40px]]
 +
| Toots & The Maytals
 +
| [[Reggatta Mondatta Volume II]]
 +
| [[1998-06-30]]
 +
| ??
 +
|}
  
 
=See also=
 
=See also=
''This section needs more information.''
+
* [[Zenyatta Mondatta]]
  
 
=External links=
 
=External links=
Line 208: Line 229:
 
=References=
 
=References=
 
* Police, The. ''Zenyatta Mondatta''. (1980) [Audio recording], A&M Records.
 
* Police, The. ''Zenyatta Mondatta''. (1980) [Audio recording], A&M Records.
 
+
* ''ThePolice.com.'' UltraStar Entertainment LLC. 2 Jun 2008. <http://www.thepolice.com/discog/?v=so&a=2&id=107>
  
 
[[Category:Songs (The Police)]][[Category:Songs (Sting)]]
 
[[Category:Songs (The Police)]][[Category:Songs (Sting)]]

Revision as of 02:17, 14 August 2020

"Canary In A Coalmine"
"Canary In A Coalmine" is a song on the 1980 album Zenyatta Mondatta.
Recorded by The Police
Released: 1980-10-03
Recorded: 1980-07-07 - 1980-08-07
Length: 2:26
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

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

About the song

The Police recorded an early version of this song on 1980-02-23 while being in Tokyo, Japan.

Sting recorded another demo for this song in Dublin in the summer of 1980. What he put to tape is already pretty close to the LP version - bass, guitars and the general melody are all there.

In the demo's first chorus however Sting sings Canary In A Coalmine a fourth time.

There's no third verse yet. No piano anywhere in the song. The short instrumental middle section is also absent. In its place there's an instrumental chorus with some additional guitar (maybe hinting at a possible solo).

With this extended middle part the demo passes the 3 minute mark.

There are two edited versions of this track where Nigel Gray was still experimenting with the sound levels of individual instruments. Both are only 2:11 minutes long.

Personnel

Release History

Albums

Canary In A Coalmine 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
Police-compacthits.jpg AMCD 905 "Roxanne" / "Canary In A Coalmine" / "The Bed's Too Big Without You" / "Can't Stand Losing You" 1988-06-01 United Kingdom

7" Singles

Cover art Catalog no. A-side song/B-side song Release date Release country
45rpm.png AM 58.002 "De Do Do Do, De Da Da Da"/"Voices Inside My Head"/"Don't Stand So Close To Me"/"Canary In A Coalmine" 1980-MM-DD Brazil

Video

"Canary In A Coalmine" appears on the following video and dvd releases:

Cover art Video title Release date Release country
Aroundtheworld vhs cover.jpg Around The World 1983-MM-DD UK

Lyrics

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

  • LP version:
First to fall over when the atmosphere is less than perfect
Your sensibilities are shaken by the slightest defect
You live your life like a canary in a coalmine
You get so dizzy even walking in a straight line

You say you want to spend the winter in Firenza
You're so afraid to catch a dose of influenza
You live your life like a canary in a coalmine
You get so dizzy even walking in a straight line

Canary in a coalmine
Canary in a coalmine
Canary in a coalmine

Now if I tell you that you suffer from delusions
You pay your analyst to reach the same conclusions
You live your life like a canary in a coalmine
You get so dizzy even walking in a straight line

Canary in a coalmine
Canary in a coalmine
Canary in a coalmine
oh

First to fall over when the atmosphere is less than perfect
Your sensibilities are shaken by the slightest defect
You live your life like a canary in a coalmine
You get so dizzy even walking in a straight line

Canary in a coalmine
Canary in a coalmine
etc.


  • demo version
First to fall over when the atmosphere is less than perfect
Your sensibilities are shaken by the slightest defect
You live your life like a canary in a coalmine
You get so dizzy even walking in a straight line

You say you want to spend the winter in Firenza
You're so afraid to catch a dose of influenza
You live your life like a canary in a coalmine
You get so dizzy even walking in a straight line

Canary in a coalmine
Canary in a coalmine
Canary in a coalmine
Canary in a coalmine  
oh

First to fall over when the atmosphere is less than perfect
Your sensibilities are shaken by the slightest defect
You live your life like a canary in a coalmine
You get so dizzy even walking in a straight line

Canary in a coalmine
Canary in a coalmine
Canary in a coalmine
oh
Canary in a coalmine

You say you want to spend the winter in Firenza
You're so afraid to catch a dose of influenza
You live your life like a canary in a coalmine
You get so dizzy even walking in a straight line

Canary in a coalmine
Canary in a coalmine
Canary in a coalmine
etc.

Quotations and trivia

This section needs more information.

Alternative and cover versions

A cover version of Canary In A Coalmine appears on the following album release:

Cover art Artist Album title Release date Release country
Vinyl.png Toots & The Maytals Reggatta Mondatta Volume II 1998-06-30 ??

See also

External links

This section needs more information.

References