The Police Song Mick Jagger Thought Was Perfect

Mick Jagger has been known to write a great song or two…He–along with Keith Richards–has penned some of the greatest songs in rock history. With that in mind, we certainly trust his opinion on music. He once tipped his hat to another rock outfit, The Police. Specifically, he expressed his love for one of their biggest hits. Find out which song that is (and why Jagger loves it), below.

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The Police Song Mick Jagger Thought Was Perfect

“Every Breath You Take” is The Police’s signature song. Though they have many hits to choose from, few are as instantly recognizable as this one. With its strong (albeit a little creepy) narrative and insatiably catchy melody, “Every Breath You Take” is pretty darn close to perfect. Jagger certainly thinks so anyway.

Every breath you take
And every move you make
Every bond you break
Every step you take
I’ll be watching you

When discussing songs that have “a completeness” despite their short time frame, Jagger nodded to The Police’s hit.

“The ones that have a completeness in four minutes—those you can hit right on the nose,” Jagger once said. “Usually, they’re written quickly. It always happens that I think certain songs are brilliant that other people can’t stand. Like ‘Every Breath You Take.’ It’s very cleverly constructed.”

Oh, can’t you see
You belong to me?
How my poor heart aches
With every step you take?

Many songwriters strive to create a well-rounded story in their songs. Jagger has successfully completed that task numerous times. “Wild Horses, “You Can’t Always Get What You Want,” and “Gimme Shelter” come to mind. We have to agree with the Rolling Stones frontman in that The Police did so in “Every Breath You Take.”

If done improperly, the consistent chord structure in this song could be a little grating on the nerves. There isn’t much differentiation in this track. Somehow the band struck the perfect mix between a catchy melody and a simple arrangement. Or, as Jagger said, “It’s very cleverly constructed.”

Since you’ve gone, I’ve been lost without a trace
I dream at night, I can only see your face
I look around, but it’s you I can’t replace
I feel so cold, and I long for your embrace
I keep crying, baby, baby please

Revisit The Police’s “Every Breath You Take,” below.

(Photo by Roger Bamber/Shutterstock)