This month, I’m jumping into the #APlaceInTheSong challenge from @JukeboxJohnny2. Great songs have that special ability to describe places in a way that makes us feel like we’re right there. Each day, I’ll pick a track that I think accomplishes that feat.

One of the most unique sounding bands from my childhood years, the music from The Police always stood out to me. The music traversed a seemingly wide territory shared by rock and reggae like a musical Venn diagram. Unusual, but highly accessible. Sting’s lyrics were exceptionally clever and took seemingly straightforward topics into the stratosphere. He wrote prose and poetry. Case in point: “So Lonely”.

Listening back to “So Lonely”, I’m struck by the rawness of the song. The simplicity of sound from the three-piece certainly contributes to the garage band feel. But this is also a reminder of the band’s roots. It was never about slick production when it came to The Police; it was always about the songs. The melodies. The lyrics. The ever-so-catchy chorus. “So Lonely” is angsty, miserable, cathartic and celebratory all at once. It’s so damn catchy, you can’t help but sing along to it – alone or in a crowd.

“In this theater that I call my soul I always play the starring role.”