Is The Police’s iconic hit, “Every Breath You Take,” entirely original, or does it borrow elements from other songs? This exploration delves into the intriguing musical connections and similarities surrounding this classic track, without alleging plagiarism but rather to understand the fascinating thresholds of originality in popular music.
To begin, let’s listen to Gene Pitney’s 1961 song “Hello Mary Lou,” penned by Gerry Goffin and Carole King and produced by Phil Spector. This song reached #42 in the UK charts. Pay close attention starting around [0:58] seconds.
Now, let’s compare it with The Police’s 1983 masterpiece, “Every Breath You Take”:
And it becomes even more interesting when we consider the chord progression of “Every Breath You Take.” It strikingly resembles the sequence from Ben E King’s timeless classic, “Stand By Me” (co-written with Leiber and Stoller, also released in 1961). For easier comparison, let’s transpose the chord sequence into G major:
Chord sequence for Stand By Me and (some of) Every Breath You Take (in G)
| G | G | Em | Em | C | D | G | G |
While chord sequence copyright is virtually non-existent, the resemblance is undeniably noteworthy. The Pitney and Sting examples share lyrical similarities with equivalent chord changes at the same rhythmic points, specifically on the downbeat of the bar.
Expanding this musical family further, consider Olly Murs’ 2011 hit, “Dance With Me Tonight.” It utilizes the same 8-bar chord progression, albeit in D major and at a cheerful doo-wop tempo of 165BPM. This song, co-written with Steve Robson and Claude Kelly, demonstrates the enduring appeal of this chord sequence across genres and eras.
Chord sequence for Every Breath You Take, Stand By Me and Dance With Me Tonight (in D)
| D | D | Bm | Bm | G | A | D | D |
Are these musical echoes merely coincidences? In the case of Olly Murs, the deliberate 50s/60s vibe suggests a conscious influence. With Sting, the interpretation is more nuanced. The I-vi-IV-V chord progression is a common building block in songwriting, and “Every Breath You Take” doesn’t drastically deviate rhythmically within its 8-bar phrase. However, the lyrical parallels with the Goffin/King song hint at a possible subconscious influence. It’s plausible that a young Sting in 1961 might have encountered Gene Pitney’s song on the radio.
The aim of analyzing these similarities isn’t to accuse copyright infringement. Instead, it’s to explore the “thresholds of originality” in popular music. Copyright law protects certain musical elements more than others. Chord sequences, production styles, and lyrical “memes” are often freely used, while melody holds greater protection. Obvious plagiarism emerges when multiple elements are strikingly similar.
The Pitney/Sting comparison is particularly compelling because it blends lyrical content, chord choices, melodic phrasing aspects, and scansion, including word placement on the bar line. The artistic skill of a composer lies in this combination of musical elements. This raises fundamental questions: How do we define originality in creative decisions? How original must a creative choice be to warrant intellectual property protection? And how many existing ideas can be combined before the combination itself becomes a novel creation? These questions remain at the heart of the ongoing discussion about originality and influence in music.
