Invisible Sun

"Invisible Sun" is a song by British rock band the Police, released as a single in Europe in September 1981. It was the first single to be released in the United Kingdom from the album Ghost in the Machine and it reached  on the official chart. The song also reached  in Ireland and   in the Netherlands. It was not released as a single in the United States. In most other territories, "Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic" was chosen as the lead single from the album.

Background
Sting said of writing "Invisible Sun":

"I actually wrote the song in Ireland, where I was living at the time. It was during the hunger strikes in Belfast. I wanted to write about that but I wanted to show some light at the end of the tunnel. I do think there has to be an "invisible sun". You can't always see it, but there has to be something radiating light into our lives."

- Sting, Revolver, 2000

The song's lyrics stem from songwriter Sting's pondering how people living in war-torn and/or impoverished countries find the will to go on living, and despite the dark music and often morbid lyrical statements, the song carries an uplifting and optimistic message. The song was deeply personal for drummer Stewart Copeland, whose hometown of Beirut was being heavily bombed at the time of the song's recording:

"For me, the song was about Beirut, where I'd grown up, which at that point was going up in flames. My hometown was being vilified by the media as a terrorist stronghold, and it was being blasted by bombs and napalm. Twenty thousand Lebanese were killed that year. And the Lebanese must have been feeling some heat from the invisible sun, because they were keeping their peckers up."

- Stewart Copeland, Revolver, 2000

Bono performed duets of it with Sting when U2 and the Police appeared at the same concerts: the first such instance was in 1982 at a festival in Gateshead, England, and two subsequent instances occurred at the last two shows of Amnesty International's A Conspiracy of Hope Tour in 1986.

The song is a departure from Police songs before it; "Invisible Sun" contains a dark, looping synthesizer beat, and powerful, haunting lyrics. Among other things, the lyrics refer to the ArmaLite rifle used by paramilitary organisations, but mainly by the Provisional Irish Republican Army. The music video for "Invisible Sun" features a collection of video clips taken from the conflict in Northern Ireland. Owing to its subject matter, it was banned by the BBC.

In 1998, Sting recorded a new version of "Invisible Sun" with the British reggae group Aswad. The song was revised as a duet between Sting and vocalist Tony "Gad" Robinson with an upbeat tempo and a prominent horn section. The track was featured in The X-Files: The Album, a promotional soundtrack album released to accompany the film The X-Files: Fight The Future.

Composition
"Invisible Sun" is composed in the key of E-flat major/C minor with the verses alternating between these keys. The verses give off an ominous and desperate feeling. The chorus is in G major and is heavier and more bombastic.

Track listings
7-inch : A&M / AMS 8164 (UK)
 * 1) "Invisible Sun" – 3:35
 * 2) "Shambelle" – 5:42

7-inch : A&M / AMS 8164 (NL)
 * 1) "Invisible Sun" – 3:35
 * 2) "Flexible Strategies" – 3:42

Personnel

 * Sting – bass guitar, keyboards, lead and backing vocals
 * Andy Summers – guitars, effects
 * Stewart Copeland – drums