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Message in a Bottle
The Police
Reggatta de Blanc
Reggatta de Blanc
RaitingFF
Family Friendly
Information
Released 1979
Genre Rock
Language English
Source Rock Band Track Pack Vol. 2
also in Unplugged
also on iPhone OS
Available November 18, 2008 (Pack)
(DLC)
Playable in
Rock Band
Rock Band 2
Rock Band 3
Rock Band Blitz
Lego Rock Band
Rock Band iPhone
Difficulty
Band 4FcircleFcircleFcircleFcircleUFCirlce
Basic Pro
Guitar 3FcircleFcircleFcircleUFCirlceUFCirlce NoNo Part
Bass 3FcircleFcircleFcircleUFCirlceUFCirlce NoNo Part
Drums 5FcircleFcircleFcircleFcircleFcircle 5FcircleFcircleFcircleFcircleFcircle
Keys NoNo Part NoNo Part
Vocals 1FcircleUFCirlceUFCirlceUFCirlceUFCirlce 1FcircleUFCirlceUFCirlceUFCirlceUFCirlce
Difficulty (on iPhone OS)
Band 4FcircleFcircleFcircleFcircleUFCirlce
Guitar 3FcircleFcircleFcircleUFCirlceUFCirlce
Bass 3FcircleFcircleFcircleUFCirlceUFCirlce
Drums 5FcircleFcircleFcircleFcircleFcircle
Vocals 1FcircleUFCirlceUFCirlceUFCirlceUFCirlce
Details
Male singer
Guitar Solo
3-part Harmonies



Message in a Bottle is a song by The Police which is about a guy stranded on a remote island. One day he finds a bottle, puts a message in it and throws it out to sea in hopes that someone will find it and come save him. The lyrics can be seen as a metaphor for being lonely and realizing there are lots of people just like you. (Thanks, Sid - Bryson City, NC)

Sting (from 1000 UK #1 Hits by Jon Kutner and Spencer Leigh): "I think the lyrics are subtle and well crafted enough to hit people on a different level from something you just sing along to. It's quite a cleverly put together metaphor. It develops and has an artistic shape to it." Guitarist Andy Summers said it was the best track he ever played on. (Thanks, Edward Pearce - Ashford, Kent, England)

Until they were inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame, this was the last song The Police played together. After breaking up in 1986, they performed it at Sting's wedding to Trudie Styler in 1992. Sting, Stewart Copeland, and Andy Summers were all a little drunk and didn't play it very well, but the guests loved it. In 2003, The Police got together again for the induction ceremonies, where they played this along with "Roxanne" and "Every Breath You Take."

This was the first UK #1 hit for The Police. Their first 2 albums were much bigger in their native England than in the US.

Sting wrote this on the back of a bus with a tape recorder that had a drum machine installed into it. (Thanks, Jade - Miami, FL)

The Police released this as a single shortly before the album came out.

The album title means "White Reggae." It was their second album.

This was the first ever UK #1 for the A&M label, which Herb Alpert and Jerry Moss founded in 1962. (Thanks, Edward Pearce - Ashford, Kent, England)

The Police boxed set is called Message in a Box as a reference to this song.

This is on the soundtrack to the 1982 movie The Secret Policeman's Other Ball.

Sting performed this with No Doubt at halftime of the 2003 Super Bowl between the Bucs and Raiders. No Doubt lead singer Gwen Stefani came out and sang with him about midway through. Stefani inducted Police into the Rock And Roll Hall of Fame later that year.

Industrial metal band Machinehead covered this on their 1999 album The Burning Red (thanks, Torbjørn - Trondheim, Norway)

There is a 1999 film by the same name starring Kevin Costner, Robin Wright Penn, and Paul Newman that is not directly connected to this song. (Thanks, Mike - Mountlake Terrace, WA)

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