# In 1980, Sting wrote a melody so good he used it twice. Then he abandoned it

- URL: https://talkfuse.com/story/in-1980-sting-wrote-a-melody-so-good-he-used-it-twice-then-he-abandoned-it/
- Published: 2026-11-02T14:00:00+00:00
- Updated: 2026-11-06T22:09:53+00:00
- Original publisher: Far Out
- Original article: https://faroutmagazine.co.uk/in-1980-sting-wrote-a-melody-so-good-he-used-it-twice-then-he-abandoned-it/
- Topics: Entertainment, Music

## Key points

- Sting reused a Police hook for a Dire Straits hit.
- He no longer performs “Don’t Stand So Close to Me” live.
- He says the song’s teacher and student theme can be misread.

## Summary

Sting reused the vocal hook from The Police’s “Don’t Stand So Close to Me” in Dire Straits’ “Money for Nothing”, giving the melody a second life in another major hit. He has since stopped performing the Police song live, saying its teacher and student theme can be misunderstood in the current climate.

The article says Sting values moving forward and exploring different musical styles rather than returning to The Police’s past. He has described the song as depicting the danger of a possible relationship, while stressing that nothing happens; he believes some listeners may take the lyrics as autobiographical. The piece also notes that Dire Straits’ Mark Knopfler has avoided singing some “Money for Nothing” lines live because of their offensive language.

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Summarised by TalkFuse (https://talkfuse.com/). Quote the original publisher for the reporting and link this page for the summary and discussion.