Man In A Suitcase
| "Man In A Suitcase" | |
|---|---|
| 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.
Contents
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Zenyatta Mondatta | 1980-10-03 | UK |
|
Message In A Box: The Complete Recordings | 1993-MM-DD | UK |
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 47.006 | "De Do Do Do, De Da Da Da"/"Man In A Suitcase" | 1981-MM-DD | Brazil |
|
|
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
|
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:
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
- 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
A cover version of Man In A Suitcase appears on the following album release:
| Cover art | Artist | Album title | Release date | Release country |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
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.
