Released: June 1, 1983

Songwriter: Sting

Producer: The Police Hugh Padgham

[Verse 1]
There's a little black spot
On the sun today
It's the same old thing as yesterday
There's a black hat
Caught in a high tree top
There's a flag pole rag
And the wind won't stop

[Chorus]
I have stood here before
Inside the pouring rain
With the world turning circles
Running 'round my brain
I guess I'm always hoping
That you'll end this reign
But it's my destiny
To be the king of pain

[Verse 2]
There's a little black spot
On the sun today
(That's my soul up there)
It's the same old thing as yesterday
(That's my soul up there)
There's a black hat
Caught in a high treetop
(That's my soul up there)
There's a flag pole rag
And the wind won't stop
(That's my soul up there)

[Chorus]
I have stood here before
Inside the pouring rain
With the world turning circles
Running 'round my brain
I guess I'm always hoping
That you'll end this reign
But it's my destiny
To be the king of pain

[Verse 3]
There's a fossil that's trapped
In a high cliff wall
(That's my soul up there)
There's a dead salmon
Frozen in a waterfall
(That's my soul up there)
There's a blue whale beached
By a spring tide's ebb
(That's my soul up there)
There's a butterfly trapped
In a spider's web
(That's my soul up there)

[Chorus]
I have stood here before
Inside the pouring rain
With the world turning circles
Running 'round my brain
I guess I'm always hoping
That you'll end this reign
But it's my destiny
To be the king of pain

[Bridge]
There's a king on a throne
With his eyes torn out
There's a blind man looking
For a shadow of doubt
There's a rich man
Sleeping on a golden bed
There's a skeleton
Choking on a crust of bread

[Guitar solo]
King of pain

[Verse 4]
There's a red fox torn
By a huntsman's pack
(That's my soul up there)
There's a black-winged gull
With a broken back
(That's my soul up there)
There's a little black spot
On the sun today
It's the same old thing as yesterday

[Chorus]
I have stood here before
Inside the pouring rain
With the world turning circles
Running 'round my brain
I guess I'm always hoping
That you'll end this reign
But it's my destiny
To be the king of pain

[Outro]
King of pain, king of pain
King of pain, I'll always be
King of pain, I'll always be
King of pain, I'll always be
King of pain, I'll always be
King of pain, I'll always be
King of pain, I'll always be
King of pain, I'll always be
King of pain

The Police

The Police were an English rock band formed in London in 1977. For the majority of their history, the band consisted of Sting (lead vocals, bass), Andy Summers (guitar) and Stewart Copeland (drums). The Police became globally popular in the late 1970s and are generally regarded as one of the first new wave groups to achieve mainstream success, playing a style of rock that was influenced by punk, reggae, and jazz.