British choir drops 80s rock hit from repertoire because lyrics cause ‘negative and challenging feelings’
Britain’s largest choir group has removed The Police’s 1983 hit “Every Breath You Take” from its repertoire after members reported the song’s lyrics caused “negative and challenging feelings”.
Rock Choir, which has 31,000 members nationwide, made the decision due to concerns about the song’s portrayal of what could be interpreted as “a coercive or abusive relationship”.
The track, which spent four weeks at number one in the UK singles charts, has previously been described by Sting himself as “nasty”, “evil” and “sinister”.
Caroline Redman Lusher, Rock Choir’s founder and creative director, announced the decision in a letter to members.
“After much thought and discussion with some of the team, I have made the difficult decision to remove Every Breath You Take from the repertoire,” she wrote.
Lusher explained that while many members enjoyed the song, its potential impact on some singers was concerning.
“Although the song is popular with many of you and the narrative of this song wasn’t originally written to describe a coercive or abusive relationship, it can be interpreted that way,” she added.
Sting began writing the song in late 1982 following his separation from his first wife, actress Frances Tomelty.
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The track’s recurring refrain “I’ll be watching you” has long been viewed as blurring the line between affection and obsession.
Speaking a decade after its release, Sting said: “The words are interesting. It sounds like a comforting love song. I didn’t realise at the time how sinister it is. I think I was thinking of Big Brother, surveillance and control.”
Despite these concerns, the song has remained a popular choice at weddings.
Rock Choir spokeswoman Louise Harris emphasised that the decision came after “direct communication from various distressed Rock Choir members”.
“Some of these members shared their very personal and harrowing experiences with us, highlighting their reasons for their upset over the song,” Harris said.
She stressed that Rock Choir aims to provide “a supportive and safe environment” where members can escape their troubles through music.
“Even though it was a small number of members who expressed upset and concern, we wouldn’t want even one Rock Choir member to feel unease when coming to sing with us,” she added.
The choir has announced that the Foo Fighters’ “Learning to Fly” will replace “Every Breath You Take” in their repertoire.
Lusher also assured members in her letter that another song by Sting or The Police would be added to the national singing network’s programme in due course.
“Leave this with me,” she wrote. “I too am a huge fan of their music!”