The Police - Don't Give Up Your Daytime Job demo(rare audio)

[@messageinabottle79]

Sting originally wrote this for Last Exit. He wrote it the day after he quit his job as a teacher to make it big in London

[@betamax-vhs-super8978]

The intro and refrain keyboard is the “Every Little Thing She Does is Magic” riff!

[@tripledotter]

B-Side Tracks and Demos are some of the best Police material

[@stevepobst7953]

This could have been the theme to an 80's sitcom... Three frustrated artists...author, painter, and musician... living in a NYC apartment, holding down blah jobs, all three constantly and comically trying and failing to hit the big time with their art.

[@oliveroneill1388]

Ive read posts . Yours is top class , Your hit the Nail. Bless your soul

[@theotherwayofstopping4717]

I was thinking just that as I read your comment!!! The tune could pass as the theme for Benson.......

[@stevepobst7953]

@oliver o neill This post is my masterpiece... the one to make my name. :D

[@Romulo1967]

Great idea!

[@sunshinestatebushcrafter3049]

So true.

[@Auntkekebaby]

Sounds like "My Life" by Billy Joel mixed with some music from "Every Little Thing She Does..." and Steely Dan.

[@d211dmcq]

stings voice sounds so good with that phaser keyboard

[@Jolar70]

SO funny, sounds like something between Steely Dan and Supertramp!!! Could've fit on Zenyatta but not Ghost. Thanks for posting this!

[@jml-rj5re]

yeah - this part: "Now listen son I like your song Its got a certain charm" has a Steely dan-like melody and chord changes.

[@hughcdavies]

Problem is the story is too close to Stewart's A Sermon the b side of De Do Do Do. At least the D G A, D G A, D G A, D... chord sequence provided the crucial final touch to make Every Little Thing a hit

[@nome5123]

​@jml-rj5it seems the same with his last exit stuff. Must've been a big influence

[@hughcdavies]

Lyrics are as follows I havn't slept for three whole weeks I'm burning the midnight oil The piece of work has reached the stage That sleep could only spoil It was early morning in the fading light My creation was not complete The song that I composed alone It was inside of me The song would be my masterpiece The one to make my name Bring me immortality Inside the hall of fame Took it to my publisher My heart was bursting with pride Listen very carefully Then took me aside Now listen son I like your song Its got a certain charm But don't give up your daytime job And you won't come to no harm Don´t give up your daytime job Don´t give up your daytime job Starting to devote my life To painting and the arts Leave the music world behind To break that precious heart I bought a brush and tube of paint And a canvas of my own Starting painting brick-a-brack That lay around my home The work would be my masterpiece The one to make my name Bring me immortality Inside the hall of fame Took it to a gallery To see if they would buy Turned my picture upside down And then released a sigh Now Listen son Don't get me wrong Your talent is quite clear Just don't give up your daytime job And stay away from here Don't give up your daytime job Don't give up your daytime job Don't give up your daytime job Don't give up your daytime job I have to give expression To the thought inside my head I bought myself a writing pad I'd write a book instead I'd write my own biography The story of my life The day I started grammar school To the day I met my wife This book would be a masterpiece The one to make my name Bring me immortality Inside the hall of fame Took it to a publisher He said, I'll read your book at home A week went by, I heard no news And so I telephone I read as far as chapter three Then I tore your book in half Just don't give up your daytime job And you won't ever starve Don't give up your daytime job Don't give up your daytime job This could be my masterpiece This could be my masterpiece This could be my masterpiece This could be my masterpiece This could be my masterpiece This could be my masterpiece This could be my masterpiece Can't remember where I found them. As noted elsewhere the opening riff is the D G A D chord sequence used at the end of the chorus in Every little thing .... Hope that helps.

[@jacop4689]

hughcdavies toooo thanks my dude i cant find this lyrics 3 years :-(

[@enkoh]

i daresay at the beginnig of the chorus of every little.. thanx a lot for the lyrics!

[@hughcdavies]

@@enkoh Yes, sorry, it's the resolution going into the chorus, my bad.

[@AngusBoom_]

I don’t wanna be all picky but it sounds like it says ‘pace of work’ not ‘piece of work’ , it makes more sense in context as well

[@SuperOttarocker]

Better than anything I've heard in five years - and that's saaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaad... but Police rules!!!

[@foodog777]

1:32 The transition to the chorus of “Every Little Thing...”

[@achenarmyst2156]

Give this a polished remix and it‘s got hit potential. As dark as the Police often used to be, they also had this cheerful side, like in De Do Do Do. 🤗

[@chevydryden4508]

Has an awesome charm

[@blackgargamel]

I like the positive pop vibe of this track, it wouldn't have fit on the dark GITM imo, I hope it will officially be release soon!

[@LorenzoCorrado19]

16 years went by... and nothing happened

[@grahaml8838]

If there's ever a musical made about Sting, this would fit perfectly as the opening song

[@achenarmyst2156]

Very many nice elements in that one. Andy performing his delicate arpeggios.

[@luckymincer]

This song was too sunny for GITM...this is among the best work that sting has done

[@krisscanlon4051]

I would have loved for them to release this in a much better form it's so pervasively sunny that it would have worked well sandwich between ghost and synchronicity or perhaps that ill-fated redoing of the greatest hits. It's just so goofy but catchy

[@Justin-Hill-1987]

Somewhere in an alternate universe, this would've charted in January/February 1982, staying at #1 for nine weeks, with a Michael McDonald and Michael Jackson song fighting over the #2 spot on Casey Kasem's American Top 40...

[@krisscanlon4051]

of all the comments I like this one best. I wish I could come up with something like that. I don't find the song to be a throwaway but definitely is super cheerful. I don't think sting would compose a useless song just didn't fit ghost in the machine. I actually like it quite a bit but to each his own

[@donny2327]

It wasn't long after this the man wrote a song, that would bring him immortality ....

[@ralphsmith3529]

Bloody good track!

[@acety79]

This has to be the best of the unreleased, they should have used this one

[@Justin-Hill-1987]

Or a bonus track...

[@luckymincer]

Thank you for this

[@ping2pong165]

Gordon, Andy Stew, if you guys ever look at the comments... you 3 need to redo this song now and release it! Thank you RSVP random police fan.

[@RichV20]

Sounds like Sting locked himself into his hotel room and recorded this demo while coked up and watching the intro to "Bosom Buddies".

[@jonanpie7]

Amazing :)

[@edscerbo]

Listening to these demos it just makes me realize how much crap a band has to winnow through of their output so that the gems remain -- and what a treasure chest full of gems they left us!

[@haysfordays]

Listening to these demos, I would have bought more Sting records if these types of songs were on them.

[@fabriziobarrera]

Its a nice song..

[@Justin-Hill-1987]

I would have wondered what it would be like to hear what a 1990s version of this song would've sounded like with Sting singing it solo (with a female backup singer) as a mid-tempo ballad in the vein of Fields Of Gold. Probably similar to this version of the song at 0.75 speed...

[@unfazedreview3000]

Wish this would’ve been given a proper recording or been given to Billy Joel or The English Beat. Fun track. Not perfect but pleasant

[@82706527]

“...Got a call from a Copeland, we used to real CLOSE/-said he couldn’t go on the American Way....”

[@AndyAthe1]

Tidied up this would of been a hit I'm sure

[@kibozing]

This is less The Police, more Sting lol. Cool just for what it is though.

[@ia5662]

yeah I was trying to think what music it reminded me of, and it def. sounds like the Billy Joel of that era

[@ErJoeJehosaphatz]

Reading Sting's biography right now and he talks about this tune. I'd bet this IS a Last Exit recording - 'cause that sure ain't Stewart on the drums and it has organ (Gerry?). Very cool to find this.

[@FeelingShred]

awesome book, finished it a few months ago

[@thewomble1509]

he said Last Exit performed this on a North East news programme. He was so nervous he sang the first verse twice!

[@krisscanlon4051]

As a complete novice, i think this song chorus is catchy but its lyrics are way too lengthy. It needed edited in some way plus some type of middle eight section. It's truly a demo in that there are ideas there needing completed.

[@georginaelizondo]

Thankxxx for this tune advice 😎

[@hjx155]

Did Sting ever perform these demos solo? Damn, if he ever did another solo album, I'd definately want these demos professionally recorded. And The Police really should do another album. If the blink-182 reunion and new album caused such a stir in the media, think of a Police reunion and new album.

[@oingo74]

cool!

[@Corrupt5358]

These were sub standard tracks, which is why they were omitted, but still great to hear!! :D

[@NotOrdinaryInGames]

Nah, this could be Sting's masterpiece....

[@Justin-Hill-1987]

...At least Dusty Springfield made sure one of the songs didn't remain on the cutting room floor for long ...the Police song I'm alluding to has gotten one heck of a musical facelift when she performed it in her style...

[@billysequins]

Could've been the theme tune to Only Fools and Horses

[@NotOrdinaryInGames]

Awesome!!!

[@twostikks1]

@jbrawnermusic Yeah -- since he nicked that part for "Every Little Thing...", that's probably why they didn't bother recording this song for the album.

[@kristoscan]

yes!

[@krisscanlon4051]

kris s omg that's my yes! haha

[@jbrawnermusic]

so this lousy tune didn't make a record. but do you hear the brilliant chorus to Every Little Thing She Does is Magic chord progression in there?

[@bonzoleum]

They used that opening riff on Every Little Thing...

[@okxtan2648]

that music make me thinking to Gilbert O'Sullivan...🤔

[@ivanbarria1714]

in 0:10 to 0:20 Just before singing : "Every little thing she does..." Sounds very similar

[@Waynefitzpatrick2032]

I hear “Everything she does is magic” in this song.

[@jckhammer]

@TheIntruders what instrument do you play?

[@media_dept]

The Intro became Every Little Thing She Does on GITM, so it would seem?

[@hardtohandleweddingbandent8653]

Sting - the US sitcom theme tune years.

[@80sandretrogubbins25]

Nailed it.

[@Normabbot27]

Going to be the theme song of the show I make

[@francosartore3042]

hermoso es igual a una cancion de last exit

[@dmlevitt]

sounds like a lost Wings song.

[@georginaelizondo]

👍👍👍👍

[@mstephens44]

@sudrakarma Synclavier

[@Obstsalatissimo]

police-mashup

[@Kaleidaoperator]

that beginning beat reminds me of macho man .

[@POLICEchout]

That was Stewart's thing...the rest of the guys did back him up on Top Of The Pops though.

[@media_dept]

Sounds very Billy Joel to me. Dated now, I dare say. But shows how Andy and Stewart would twist Sting's sound into The Police sound :-D

[@POLICEchout]

the police just had their reunion...no album though, well, live album.

[@provinator]

According to Andy Summers (in his book) for the first 3 days of recording GITM they had a synth player in Montserrat. They got rid of him because he was changing their sound and adding his own ideas. This and others sound like he was on them, maybe that's why they were tossed, too un- police like?

[@hughcdavies]

Jean Roussel, Andy and Stewart hated him and Sting quickly tired of him as well.

[@jacop4689]

I think this song best of the police ...

[@achenarmyst2156]

The start sounds like a slightly accelerated „Billie Jean“.

[@Brock2097]

funnily enough it sounds like that has a lot to do with the theme of this song

[@ModraZelva]

you mean Jools Holland interviews the police?

[@dockaiser]

"Everything she does.." evolved out of this, I'd say.

[@hughcdavies]

No, other way round, but this provided the finishing touch.

[@lourdesgarcia3266]

It has 70s disco element...

[@redskin133]

glad this didn't make the final cut. awful

[@cweezy6742]

I love Sting and all; but this is quite rubbish!

[@jwhiteout]

Man, that sounds like Billy Joel. Glad they didn't do this one.