Review: King of Pain, by Sting

How did Sting swirl personal turmoil, his powers of observation, and a rhythmic twist into one of the most haunting songs of the 80s?

“King of Pain” wasn’t the biggest hit from The Police’s final album, 1983’s “Synchronicity.” It peaked at #3 in the US in October 1983, overshadowed by its predecessor in release, “Every Breath You Take.”

But it may have been the most personal song for Sting. As he reached an artist peak, his personal life descended into turmoil. 

He was in regular–sometimes physical–conflict with his bandmates. He was newly separated from his wife. And yet, on vacation in Jamaica, he stuck to his creative habits and found the inspiration for King of Pain. 

Sting noticed a laborer in a field, saddled with a bundle of sticks on his back. He was moved by the man’s steadiness and stoicism–his ability to move through pain. 

He mixed that observation with his own pain, and a comment he made during the vacation to his now-wife: 

“I was looking at the sun one day. I was with Trudie who is now my current wife and said 'Look, there's a little black spot on the sun today'. And there's a pause. I said, 'That's my soul up there'. I was full of hyperbole. I said that! I went back in and wrote it down.”

He wrote it down. Note-taking. 

With lyrics anchored in his personal emotion and tethered to rich metaphors, Sting added a final twist to King of Pain:

Unique rhythm. 

The song is written in 7/4 time. This is more common in classical music, less so in pop. Music in 7/4 time has an irregular count and can be thought of as a '2, 2, 3 count' or a '3, 2, 2 count'.

It all blended into the somber elixir poured out in “King of Pain.” A song that soldiers on, moving through spikes of emotional pain in the uneven progress of that in that 7/4 time.

As a result, “King of Pain” delivers a simple and haunting message in a memorable cadence that’s clearly stood the test of time.