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THE POLICE - "Don't Stand So Close to Me" - Bass Tab
This version is transposed up a semitone so that it can be played
on standard tuning(ie. D# = E, B = C, etc)
Standard Tuning(EADG)
Common Time(4/4)
VERSE 1:
(x7)
|----------|---------|---------|----------|
|*---------|---------|---------|---------*|
|*---------|---------|---------|---------*|
|--0-------|---------|-4-------|----------|
1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4
CHORUS:
|-----------------|---8-----8---|-----------------|-------------|
|---------8-8-8-8-|-----8-8---8-|---------8-8-8-8-|-----8-8---8-|
|-r-6-6-6---------|-6-----------|-r-6-6-6---------|-------------|
|-----------------|-------------|-----------------|-6-6-----6---|
1 & 2 & 3 & 4 & 1 2 3 & 4 & 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 & 1 2 3 & 4 &
|-r-8-8-8---------|-------------|-r-5---5-----5---|-------------|
|---------8-8-8-8-|-----8-8---8-|---------8-8---8-|-----8-8---8-|
|-----------------|-6-6-----6---|-----------------|-------------|
|-----------------|-------------|-----------------|-6-6-----6---|
1 & 2 & 3 & 4 & 1 2 3 & 4 & 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 & 1 2 3 & 4 &
|-------------|
|-8---------8-|
|-------------|
|---6-6-6-6---|
1 & 2 3 4 &
VERSE 2:
(x4)
|------------------|-------------|-----------------|--------------|
|*-----------------|-------------|-----------------|-------------*|
|*-7-7---7-7-7---7-|-7-7-7-7---7-|-----------------|-------------*|
|------------------|-------------|-4-4---4-4-4---4-|-4-4-4-4---4--|
1 & 2 & 3 & 4 & 1 2 3 & 4 & 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 & 1 2 3 & 4 &
CHORUS
VERSE 3:
(x4)
|-----------------|---------------|-----------------|---------------|
|*----------------|---------------|-----------------|--------------*|
|*7-7---7-7-7---7-|-7-7-7-7-7-7---|-----------------|--------------*|
|-----------------|---------------|-4-4---4-4-4---4-|-4-4-4-4-4-4---|
1 & 2 & 3 & 4 & 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 & 1 & 2 & 3 & 4
END:
|---8-8-8---------|---------------|---5-------3-5-3-|-------------|
|---------8-8---8-|-------8-8---8-|-----------------|---------8---|
|-6---------------|-6-6-6-----6---|-------3---------|-------------|
|-----------------|---------------|-----------------|-6-6-6-6---6-|
1 & 2 & 3 & 4 & 1 & 2 3 & 4 & 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 & 1 2 3 & 4 &
|---8-8-8---------|---8---------|---5-------3-5-3-|-------------|
|---------8-8---8-|-----8-8---8-|-----------------|---------8---|
|-6---------------|-6-------6---|-------3---------|-------------|
|-----------------|-------------|-----------------|-6-6-6-6---6-|
1 & 2 & 3 & 4 & 1 2 3 & 4 & 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 & 1 2 3 & 4 &
|-----8-8---------|-------------|---5-------3-5-3-|-------------|
|---------8-8---8-|-----8-8---8-|-----------------|---------8---|
|-6-6-------------|-6-6-----6---|-------3---------|-------------|
|-----------------|-------------|-----------------|-6-6-6-6---6-|
1 & 2 & 3 & 4 & 1 2 3 & 4 & 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 & 1 2 3 & 4 &
|-----8-8---------|---------------|---5-------3-5-3-|-------------|
|---------8-8---8-|-------8-8-8-8-|-----------------|---------8---|
|-r-6-------------|-6-6-6---------|-------3---------|-------------|
|-----------------|---------------|-----------------|-6-6-6-6---6-|
1 & 2 & 3 & 4 & 1 & 2 3 & 4 & 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 & 1 2 3 & 4 &
|---8-8-8---------|---------------|---5-------3-5-3-|-------------|
|---------8-8---8-|-------8-8---8-|-----------------|---------8-8-|
|-6---------------|-6-6-6-----6---|-------3---------|-------------|
|-----------------|---------------|-----------------|-6-6-6-6-----|
1 & 2 & 3 & 4 & 1 & 2 3 & 4 & 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 & 1 2 3 & 4 &
Taken from The BassMasta -- http://www.bassmasta.net
Tab Discussion, Comments, and Critiques
|
No Picture
Nick Professional Badass |
#1 by Nick Koumoutseas at Jun 22, 1970 at 3:50 AM EST |
| your wrong...only partially though...its da other way around... | |
|
No Picture
Garland Rhythm Player |
#2 by Garland Cross at Jun 22, 1973 at 4:33 AM EST |
| the lyrics indicate that they both know that it would be wrong for them to be together, but they can't resist the allure of 'forbidden love' | |
|
No Picture
b-rad Lead Player |
#3 by b-rad at Aug 5, 1975 at 11:27 AM EST |
| I can really relate to this song. I fell totally in love with one of my teachers last year and just recently he seems to be returning my feelings. I mean, I don't know for sure but that's the way it seems. Anyway, why is the chorus 'Don't stand so close to me'? Which one of the two of them in supposed to be saying that and why? Surely if they had feelings for each other, they would WANT to be close, even if it was killing them. That's the way I feel anyway. | |
|
No Picture
Brenton Average |
#4 by Brenton Giordano at Mar 21, 1977 at 6:41 AM EST |
| u gotta be in the situation to understand it. Its not fun, i'd imagine. | |
|
No Picture
The Great South Lead Player |
#5 by The Great Southern Trendkill at Dec 31, 1977 at 3:46 PM EST |
| Well okay confession time for the Mayor lol. Nothing ever came of it and I never really acted on it too much as I didnt want every one knowing and knew what toruble it would cause, but all four years of highschool I spent being head over heels for one of my teachers that I had all four years. I would think it very wrong for me to go after him or him me, he did eventually find out, after I graduated, but even then nothing came of it. So I guess I kinda relate to the song. Attractions happen hormones happen, we can't controll those attractions, but as long as you can controll your actions, it should all be okay. | |
|
No Picture
Jimmy Wanna Be |
#6 by Jimmy Rogers at Feb 24, 1979 at 7:12 AM EST |
| Oh now i know what Nabakov refers to now. I always wondered. | |
|
No Picture
Nic Rhythm Player |
#7 by Nic F at Jul 21, 1980 at 8:53 AM EST |
| It's not about anything that's happened but the tension of desire and waht can't be. Girls at the school where he works fancy him for being youing and handsome and such, so the rumours fly fast when he takes on a protegé [teacher's pet] as they work out of class hours, but although the rumours are unfounded, he finds himself attracted because while she's so young, she's obviously intelligent and interesting. He can;'t show any concern for her because of social politics, and he wishes she'd stop innocently being near him for fear it will make the other girls hurt her and him loose his job. Just a quick note on Lolita- while it is set in America, Vladamir Nabokov was indeed Russian. The allusion is a bit of a spoiler, but to put is quickly, the narrator loved Lolita from afar for a great deal of their time together, even after consumation as initiated on her part. I adore this song, for less-than-lovely reasons. | |
|
No Picture
Davis Wanna Be |
#8 by Davis Williams at Sep 2, 1983 at 3:40 AM EST |
| I also think he wants to save him from himself. Like the man in 'Lolita', he knows if he keeps getting tempted he might not be able to stop himself. Even if he wasn't a teacher he knows it'd still be wrong, so he has to repeat the chorus line over and over and over again, pleading for her to keep away from him, for his own sanity. | |
|
No Picture
Jesse Professional |
#9 by Jesse Garcia at Nov 5, 1983 at 1:28 AM EST |
| yeah, duh | |
|
No Picture
massie Professional Badass |
#10 by massie at Mar 3, 1986 at 2:07 AM EST |
| Like MayorMenley, I relate to it. I fancied one of my teachers for three years, but obviously realised nothing could happen. It's not about a girl being a slut, it's about the pain of forbidden love, and when you're in the situation, it's extremely easy to relate to. | |
|
No Picture
Jake Wanna Be |
#11 by Jake Fugate at Jun 27, 1989 at 9:07 PM EST |
| the teacher is a bastard and the girl is stupid. if she had any brains she stay away and if HIS brain wasn't in his trousers he would realise what an arsehole he was!!!!! | |
|
No Picture
Batmanuel Badass |
#12 by Batmanuel at Oct 16, 1990 at 1:27 AM EST |
| Excellent song, hands down. Sting says this song is about the Russian novel Lolita. However, Sting was a teacher at a Catholic school before becoming a musician. Maybe the reason why he isn't a teacher anymore is because what happens in this song happened to him. I'm not saying it's true, and Sting is dope. | |
|
No Picture
Zach Average |
#13 by Zach at Feb 2, 1991 at 9:27 AM EST |
| I rather thought (about to whom the chorus is addressed) that it's from an outsider - someone who isn't one of the two in the relationship - to those in the relationship ... That is - either from peers of the student to the student or from friends of the teacher or other teachers to the teacher | |
|
No Picture
Vincent Average |
#14 by Vincent Côté at Dec 9, 1992 at 5:31 AM EST |
| The theme song to your adolescence? | |
|
No Picture
Dear You, Tonig Average |
#15 by Dear You, Tonight Lets Get Ahead Of Ourselves at Jun 7, 1993 at 7:57 PM EST |
| student/teacher's lust it's a kick ass song | |
|
No Picture
DrUnk Idi0t #1 Average |
#16 by DrUnk Idi0t #1 at Oct 15, 1993 at 1:35 PM EST |
| Hello....Lolita !? That's an easy one :) A teacher all wanting to shag a student, because she's acting like such a slut. Ooops ;) | |
|
No Picture
Anton Average |
#17 by Anton Eklund at Dec 23, 1993 at 1:47 AM EST |
| well its really about forbidden fruit, you always want what you can't have. and the more you see it dangling in front of you the more you want. its just pasion | |
|
No Picture
/. Wanna Be |
#18 by /. com at Jan 23, 1994 at 11:22 PM EST |
| Most people can't really understand unless they've been in the situation. I was in love with one of my teachers, and he wasn't one of the blonde twenty-something PE teachers that everyone else thinks is hot. Some of my friends just couldn't understand how I'd be attracted to a teacher, and I'm like "Well, when it happens to you, you'll see." | |
|
No Picture
Adam Rhythm Player |
#19 by Adam Fender at Feb 22, 1995 at 10:37 PM EST |
| 1. 'Lolita' is not a Russian novel. It is an American novel, written in America in English. 2. It's 'Nabokov,' not 'Nabakov.' 3. This is the theme song to my adolescence. | |
|
No Picture
Samantha Average |
#20 by Samantha Waters at May 21, 1996 at 7:09 AM EST |
| Sting used to be a teacher before he started with the Police and this is an example of the things that young, nice looking teachers deal with. Pretty teenage girl who is showing you attention; Of course he'll respond, he's a only a guy. | |
|
No Picture
Alek Wanna Be |
#21 by Alek Kalinowski at May 20, 1998 at 3:18 PM EST |
| Nabakov wrote a novel called Lolita about an old man who becomes sexual obsessed with a 12 year old girl | |
|
No Picture
Daniel Wanna Be |
#22 by Daniel Kreuzer at Jun 19, 1999 at 5:33 AM EST |
| It all seems very literal to me and well explained above but i wonder if the last line "he starts to shake and cough, just like the old man in that book by Nabakov" has any significance. doesnt seem to fit in to the literal meaning of this song. | |
|
No Picture
Kev Rhythm Player |
#23 by Kev at Dec 22, 1999 at 5:30 AM EST |
| the problem is that this teacher is aroused by this lascivious school girl as most pedophiles are. she must have just started to blosom and flourish with a plentiful bosoom which titilates the teacher's curiousity since his current wife/signigicant other is probably an old crone. he wishes to fornicate with this young lass but knows the consequences of his actions will terminate him from the school board and it doesn't help that the girl is coaxing and luring him into a lair of femme fatale. hahaha | |
|
No Picture
Rikki Average |
#24 by Rikki at Aug 11, 2002 at 11:52 PM EST |
| the problem is... that you're not teachers...and besides, who wouldn't feel that way about a good looking teacher? don't think so much, it's just a question of hormones | |
|
No Picture
ivan Professional |
#25 by ivan mateo at Jun 27, 2004 at 1:04 AM EST |
| psychoteen, he (the teacher) is telling the student to not stand close due to the fact that people are beginning to catch on ("accusations fly.."). He is paranoid and afraid of the consequences and would rather distance himself from her. | |
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