‘Don't Stand So Close to Me’ is a hit song by the British rock band the Police, released in September 1980 as the lead single from their third studio album Zenyatta Mondatta. It concerns a teacher who has a sexual relationship with a student, which in turn is discovered. The band's third No. 1 on the UK Singles Chart, it was also the best-selling single of 1980 in the UK selling 808,000 copies in 1980 alone. The song also charted in the top ten in Australia, Canada and the US. The Police won the 1982 Grammy Award for Best Rock Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal for this song.
The music and lyrics of the song were written by the lead vocalist of the Police, Sting. The song deals with the mixed feelings of lust, fear and guilt that a school teacher has for a student and the fallout when the inappropriate relationship is discovered by other adults. The line "Just like the old man in that book by Nabokov" alludes to Vladimir Nabokov's novel Lolita (1955), which covers somewhat similar issues. The line was criticised for rhyming "shake and cough" with Nabokov. Sting replied, "I've used that terrible, terrible rhyme technique a few times."
Before joining the Police, Sting had previously worked as an English teacher. He referred to the song's story progression as "the teacher, the open page, the virgin, the rape in the car, getting the sack." In 1993, however, he said of the song's inspiration, "You have to remember we were blond bombshells at the time and most of our fans were young girls so I started roleplaying a bit. Let's exploit that." He also stated that the song does not have a basis in fact, stating that "To be frank, it was right in our market. A lot of teenage girls were buying our records. So, the idea was, let's write a Lolita story." In a 2001 interview for the concert DVD ...All This Time, Sting denied that the song is autobiographical.
‘Don't Stand So Close to Me’ appeared on the Police album Zenyatta Mondatta, and became a hit No. 1 UK single, along with a corresponding music video. In the US, it reached the top 10 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, peaking at No. 10. In the UK, the track was confirmed by the end of 1980 to have been the biggest selling single of that year. Sting was asked to perform on Dire Straits’ ‘Money for Nothing’ as he was in Montserrat at the time. The song reused the melody from ‘Don't Stand So Close to Me’ in the counterpoint lyric "I want my MTV." It was only after this story was relayed to reporters during promotions for the Brothers in Arms album, that lawyers for Sting became involved, and later copies of the album co-credit the song to Sting. The initial pressings list only Mark Knopfler.
Label – A&M
Songwriter – Sting
Producers – Nigel Gray, Stewart Copeland, Sting, Andy Summers
SONG LYRICS
[Verse 1]Young teacher, the subject of schoolgirl fantasy
She wants him so badly, knows what she wants to be
Inside her there's longing, this girl's an open page
Bookmarking, she's so close now
This girl is half his age
[Chorus]
Don't stand, don't stand so
Don't stand so close to me
Don't stand, don't stand so
Don't stand so close to me
[Verse 2]
Her friends are so jealous
You know how bad girls get
Sometimes it's not so easy to be the teacher's pet
Temptation, frustration so bad it makes him cry
Wet bus stop, she's waiting his car is warm and dry
[Chorus]
Don't stand, don't stand so
Don't stand so close to me
Don't stand, don't stand so
Don't stand so close to me
[Verse 3]
Loose talk in the classroom to hurt they try and try
Strong words in the staffroom the accusations fly
It's no use, he sees her he starts to shake and cough
Just like the old man in that book by Nabokov
[Chorus]
Don't stand, don't stand so
Don't stand so close to me
Don't stand, don't stand so
Don't stand so close to me
[Bridge]
Ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, oh
Ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, oh
[Outro]
(Please don't stand so close to me)
Don't stand, don't stand so
Don't stand so close to me
(Please don't stand so close to me)
Don't stand, don't stand so
Don't stand so close to me
(Please don't stand so close to me)
Don't stand, don't stand so
Don't stand so close to me
(Please don't stand so close to me)
Don't stand, don't stand so
Don't stand so close to me
(Please don't stand so close to me)
Don't stand, don't stand so
Don't stand so close to me
(Please don't stand so close to me)
Don't stand, don't stand so
Don't stand so close to me