King of Pain

About King of Pain

"King of Pain" is a song by English rock band The Police, released as the final single from their fifth and final studio album Synchronicity (1983). Written by the band's lead singer and bassist Sting as a post-separation song from his wife, "King of Pain" conjures up symbols of pain and relates them to a man's soul. A&M Records released "King of Pain" as the album's fourth single in the UK, while in many other countries it was released as the second single. The song received acclaim from music critics, many of whom praised Sting's lyrics and cited the song as a highlight from Synchronicity. It reached No. 3 in the US Billboard Hot 100 chart in October 1983, and No. 1 on the Billboard Top Tracks chart for five weeks in August 1983. In the United Kingdom, it reached No. 17 in January 1984. Multiple artists have covered "King of Pain". Canadian singer-songwriter Alanis Morissette covered the track for her MTV Unplugged album (1999) and released it as the second single from the album. more »