Playing serious topics for a little bit of humor in a song is not an easy thing to manage. Tiptoe too far across the line one way or the other, and the whole enterprise is likely to crumble in on itself.
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Consider now that Sting was still in the early stages of his career with The Police when he penned such a song in “Can’t Stand Losing You.” He pulled it off with the help of his bandmates, and it turned into a crucial springboard song for the trio.
Making a “Stand”
“Can’t Stand Losing You” was the third single released by The Police in advance of their debut album Outlandos d’Amour, which arrived in late 1978. The second of those singles was “Roxanne,” which we now know as an iconic song.
But the reality of the situation is “Roxanne” failed to make much of an impression with mainstream audiences, although it caught on with critics. It was actually “Can’t Stand Losing You” that gave the band their first taste of chart success, just missing the Top 40. (“Roxanne” would become a big hit when rereleased after that.)
Sting has spoken often in interviews about how he wrote the song in a matter of minutes. He also made clear it’s about a teenage suicide and was meant to be interpreted as a kind of joke.
Instead of going the maudlin route, Sting throws out a bunch of snappy one-liners and plays it somewhat loose. He benefits from a punchy instrumental performance, especially the cool guitar effects utilized by Andy Summers in the middle eight portion of the song.
Behind the Lyrics of “Can’t Stand Losing You”
Perhaps the most effective trait Sting uses in “Can’t Stand Losing You” is patience. He’s not rushing out in the very first verse to tell us the narrator is planning something drastic. Instead, he doles out the information piece-by-piece, until at the end, the picture is clear.
In the beginning, it simply sounds like this guy is just a bit frustrated about being unceremoniously dumped. His calls go unanswered, and his physical being is threatened: And your brother’s gonna kill me and he’s six feet ten. When he admits, I’m not prepared to go on like this, it could mean he’s just not going to keep trying to win her back.
As the song progresses, however, we can sense this guy is much more desperate than that. His letters are returned unread, his records are all sent back scratched, and it’s all more than he can bear: I can’t see the point in another day, he admits, and then, But to carry on living doesn’t make no sense.
By the time we get to the final pre-chorus, there’s no longer any doubt where this story is headed. I guess this is our last goodbye, he hints. But even his parting shot is more wisecrack than wounded words: I guess you’d call it suicide / But I’m too full to swallow my pride.
The Police’s lyrical approach didn’t stay in this mode for too long. Sting was soon squeezing advanced concepts into his lyrics as the band left some of their punkish tendencies behind. “Can’t Stand Losing You” is a particular standout from their brattier days, with Sting’s words perfectly capturing the kind of guy who’d off himself for spite.
Photo by Peter Noble/Redferns
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