Can't Stand Losing You

"Can't Stand Losing You" is a song by rock band The Police, released on their album Outlandos d'Amour, both in 1978. The song also was released as the follow-up to "Roxanne," reaching #2 on a re-release in 1979. It was written by Sting as a song about suicide.

The song also gained controversy for its single cover art, featuring Stewart Copeland hanging himself.



Contents
[hide]  *1 Background  ==Background[ edit] == "Can't Stand Losing You" features lyrics which, according to Sting, is "about a teenage suicide, which is always a bit of a joke."[5]  Sting also claimed that the lyrics took him only five minutes to write.[5]
 * 2 Composition
 * 3 Personnel
 * 4 Chart performance
 * 4.1 Weekly charts
 * 4.2 Year-end charts
 * 5 Other appearances
 * 6 References

The original single was banned by the BBC because of the controversial cover (an alternative cover was released in some places). As Sting described: "The reason they [the BBC] had a problem with "Can't Stand Losing You" was because the photo on the cover of the single had Stewart standing on a block of ice with a noose around his neck, waiting for the ice to melt."[6]  Despite this, or perhaps because of the extra attention from the controversy, it became the group's first single to break the charts,[7]  and has held a spot in their live sets ever since it was written.

The original single capped at number 42 in late 1978,[7]  but the June 1979 reissue nearly topped the UK Singles charts, held off only by "I Don't Like Mondays" by The Boomtown Rats.[8]  "Can't Stand Losing You" also appeared on the UK singles charts in 1980, as part of the Six Pack singles compilation set. The package (consisting of six 7" vinyl singles) peaked at number 17 on the UK charts in June 1980. In 1995, a live version of the song was released as a single and reached number 27 in the charts.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-UK_7-2" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;font-size:11.1999998092651px;">[7]

<p style="margin-top:0.5em;margin-bottom:0.5em;line-height:17.9200000762939px;color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;font-size:14.3999996185303px;">"Dead End Job", the B-side of "Can't Stand Losing You", is based on a riff Copeland wrote in high school.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-9" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;font-size:11.1999998092651px;">[9]  The song is composed in a punk rock format, and contains many expletives.<sup class="noprint Inline-Template Template-Fact" style="line-height:1;font-size:11.1999998092651px;white-space:nowrap;">[citation needed]  Sting's lyrics mention being a teacher as a dead end job, which was his job before joining The Police. The song was only available on vinyl until the release of 1993'sMessage in a Box.

<p style="margin-top:0.5em;margin-bottom:0.5em;line-height:17.9200000762939px;color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;font-size:14.3999996185303px;">The instrumental track "Reggatta de Blanc" from the album of the same name originated from an improvisational stage jam played during live performances of "Can't Stand Losing You". This instrumental track went on to win the Grammy Award for Best Rock Instrumental Performance in 1981.

<p style="margin-top:0.5em;margin-bottom:0.5em;line-height:17.9200000762939px;color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;font-size:14.3999996185303px;">Two music videos exist for the song. One features the group playing the song on a stage with Sting wearing huge glasses. Slow motion shots of the group live appear as well. The second features the group performing the song in front of a red backdrop. This was filmed on the same day as the red backdropped version of "Roxanne". ==Composition<span class="mw-editsection" style="-webkit-user-select:none;font-size:small;margin-left:1em;line-height:1em;display:inline-block;white-space:nowrap;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;font-family:sans-serif;"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket" style="color:rgb(85,85,85);">[ edit<span class="mw-editsection-bracket" style="color:rgb(85,85,85);">] == <p style="margin-top:0.5em;line-height:17.9200000762939px;color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;font-size:14.3999996185303px;">"Can't Stand Losing You" is very similar musically to "Roxanne," both bearing a reggae influence and a rock chorus. The song also makes use of the Echoplex.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-sting.com_5-2" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;font-size:11.1999998092651px;">[5]  Sting sings lead vocals on the song, which he described as "up and down, strange, high-pitched singing."<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-sting.com_5-3" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;font-size:11.1999998092651px;">[5] ==Personnel<span class="mw-editsection" style="-webkit-user-select:none;font-size:small;margin-left:1em;line-height:1em;display:inline-block;white-space:nowrap;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;font-family:sans-serif;"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket" style="color:rgb(85,85,85);">[ edit<span class="mw-editsection-bracket" style="color:rgb(85,85,85);">] == ==Chart performance<span class="mw-editsection" style="-webkit-user-select:none;font-size:small;margin-left:1em;line-height:1em;display:inline-block;white-space:nowrap;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;font-family:sans-serif;"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket" style="color:rgb(85,85,85);">[ edit<span class="mw-editsection-bracket" style="color:rgb(85,85,85);">] == ==Other appearances<span class="mw-editsection" style="-webkit-user-select:none;font-size:small;margin-left:1em;line-height:1em;display:inline-block;white-space:nowrap;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;font-family:sans-serif;"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket" style="color:rgb(85,85,85);">[ edit<span class="mw-editsection-bracket" style="color:rgb(85,85,85);">] ==
 * Sting - bass, lead and backing vocals
 * Andy Summers - guitar
 * Stewart Copeland - drums
 * In 1999, Novastar covered the song on The Best Is Yet to Come.
 * Feeder covered the track on their 2001 single Just A Day E.P., and it was later included on the compilation Picture of Perfect Youth in 2004.
 * In 2007, Mika and Armand Van Helden collaborated on a cover version of the song for the Radio 1 Established 1967 CD, which was issued to celebrate the fortieth anniversary of BBC Radio One.
 * In 2013, Rx Bandits covered the track on their release, Covers.
 * "Can't Stand Losing You" has appeared as downloadable content in the music video game series Rock Band as in a 3-song pack along with The Police's other songs "Synchronicity II" and "Roxanne".