Darkness
| "Darkness" | |
|---|---|
| Recorded by The Police | |
| Released: | 1981-10-02 |
| Recorded: | 1981-06-20 - 1981-07-26 |
| Length: | 3:11 |
| Album(s): | Ghost In The Machine |
| Label(s): | A&M |
| Writer(s): | Stewart Copeland |
| Producer(s): | Hugh Padgham & The Police |
| Studio(s): | AIR Studios, Montserrat |
| Released as single? | YES, B-SIDE |
"Darkness" is a song written by Stewart Copeland and recorded by The Police in 1981.
Contents
About the song
There's an early mix of this song from AIR Studios. Stewart Copeland counts in and then plays a solo drumbeat for a few bars.
The drums and the general structure of the song (once the instruments kick in) are the same as in the LP version, but there's no drum delay in this early version. However the fade out lasts much longer with Sting repeating the lyrics two more times. So this version almost reaches the 4:00 minute mark.
That first bass note from the LP version (probably played on "Brian") is absent. A few guitar layers are missing, too, most notably in the instrumental part in the middle. The thunder-like drums (?) are not there yet. Sting also doesn't play any saxophone in this early mix.
Personnel
- Sting - bass, vocals, saxophone
- Stewart Copeland - drums, keyboards
- Andy Summers - guitar
Release History
Albums
Darkness appears on the following album releases:
| Cover art | Album title | Release date | Release country |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Ghost In The Machine | 1981-10-02 | UK |
|
Message In A Box: The Complete Recordings | 1993-MM-DD | UK |
|
Every Move You Make: The Studio Recordings | 2018-11-16 | UK |
|
Ghost In The Machine (picture disc) | 2022-11-04 | worldwide |
Singles
CD Singles
| Cover art | Catalog no. | Songs | Release date | Release country |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Catalog no. | "Song"(s) | YYYY-MM-DD | Country |
7" Singles
| Cover art | Catalog no. | A-side song/B-side song | Release date | Release country |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
AM 2408 | "Secret Journey"/"Darkness" | 1982-MM-DD | USA |
|
|
K 8753 | "Secret Journey"/"Darkness" | 1982-MM-DD | Australia |
|
|
AM 2408 | "Secret Journey"/"Darkness" | 1982-MM-DD | Canada |
12" Singles
| Cover art | Catalog no. | A-side song(s)/B-side song(s) | Release date | Release country |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
|
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
|
|
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
I can dream up schemes when I'm sitting in my seat I don't see any flaws till I get to my feet I wish I never woke up this morning Life was easy when it was boring I could make a mark if it weren't so dark I could be replaced by any bright spark But darkness makes me fumble For a key To a door That's wide open Instead of worrying about my clothes I could be someone that nobody knows I wish I never woke up this morning Life was easy when it was boring I can dream up schemes when I'm sitting in my seat I don't see any flaws till I get to my feet I wish I never woke up this morning Life was easy when it was boring I wish I never woke up this morning Life was easy when it was boring
- work in progress lyrics
I can dream up schemes when I'm sitting in my seat I don't see any flaws till I get to my feet I wish I never woke up this morning Life was easy when it was boring I could make a mark if it weren't so dark I could be replaced by any bright spark But darkness makes me fumble For a key To a door That's wide open Instead of worrying about my clothes I could be someone that nobody knows I wish I never woke up this morning Life was easy when it was boring I can dream up schemes when I'm sitting in my seat I don't see any flaws till I get to my feet I wish I never woke up this morning Life was easy when it was boring I wish I never woke up this morning Life was easy when it was boring I wish I never woke up this morning Life was easy when it was boring I wish I never woke up this morning Life was easy when it was boring
Quotations and trivia
- This song was featured in Season 2, Episode 7 of the Netflix series Mindhunter[1]
Alternative and cover versions
- there's an early mix from AIR Studios - see description above
- a cover version of Darkness appears on the following album release:
| Cover art | Artist | Album title | Release date | Release country |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Los Pericos | Reggatta Mondatta | 1997-MM-DD | The Netherlands |
See also
This section needs more information.
External links
This section needs more information.
References
- Police, The. Ghost In The Machine. (1981) [Audio recording], A&M Records.
- 1982-05 Modern Recording & Music (Stewart Copeland on keyboards)
