Britain’s largest choir stop performing The Police’s ‘Every Breath You Take’ due to controversial lyrics and “impact of the narrative”

Britain’s largest choir have announced that they will no longer be performing The Police’s song ‘Every Breath You Take’ due to the “impact of” its lyrical content.

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Comprising over 31,000 members across the UK, the Rock Choir has long performed the classic 1983 track but has now confirmed it will be removing it from the repertoire.

This comes as a result of the lyrical content of the song, which seemingly portrays an abusive relationship where the protagonist seems to be stalking a romantic interest.

In a letter to all choir members, Rock Choir’s founder Caroline Redman Lusher explained the decision to axe all future renditions of the song and recalled that the decision was made due to a negative impact it was having on some members.

“Dearest Rockies, after much thought and discussion with some of the team, I have made the difficult decision to remove ‘Every Breath You Take’ from the repertoire,” the letter read (via Far Out).

“I have never removed a song before now but due to the impact the narrative is having on some Rockies and the potential – when it is taught – of more negative and challenging feelings from the wider membership, I feel it would be wise to replace the song.”

The choir has groups in over 400 UK communities, and Redman Lusher was awarded an MBE by King Charles III at the recent New Year’s Honours list. The award acknowledged her services to music and charitable work.

Sting – who wrote the song and performed as bassist and frontman for The Police – has long dismissed claims that ‘Every Breath You Take’ has sinister undertones.

Back in 1993, for example, he addressed the controversy around the song and said that he saw it more as a statement about Big Brother than as a song about a stalker.

“I woke up in the middle of the night with that line in my head, sat down at the piano and had written it in half an hour,” he said (via Far Out).

“The tune itself is generic, an aggregate of hundreds of others, but the words are interesting. It sounds like a comforting love song. I didn’t realise at the time how sinister it is. I think I was thinking of Big Brother, surveillance and control.”

The singer-songwriter also defended the legacy of the hit song – which topped the charts in the US and the UK – last November following the numerous allegations against Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs.

This comes as the 1983 song was sampled by the rapper in 1997 for his own release, ‘I’ll Be Missing You’.

Speaking about whether he thinks the song’s legacy has been tainted due to Diddy now facing charges for sex trafficking, racketeering and transporting for prostitution, Sting shared his outlook. “No. I mean, I don’t know what went on [with Diddy]. But it doesn’t taint the song at all for me. It’s still my song,” he said.

Back in 2023, Diddy claimed that he was forced to pay Sting £4,020 ($5,000) each day for the rest of his life for the sample. However, he quickly backtracked the comment, saying he was “joking”.

Diddy was first arrested in September 2024, and was charged with sex trafficking, transporting for prostitution and more. He was denied bail after offering a $50million (£38.4m) bond and was reportedly placed on suicide watch as he awaits trial.

The artist has since appealed against the bail denial. His trial date is scheduled for May 5, 2025. According to Rolling Stone, he could face up to 15 years in prison if found guilty.

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