Don't Stand So Close to Me is a famous 1980 song and hit single by the British pop group The Police. It concerns a schoolgirl's crush on her young teacher; including her obsession, teasing by friends, and the teacher's own nervousness about the situation, as well as events relating to these.
| "Don't Stand So Close to Me" | |
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The song deals with the mixed feelings of the teacher: on one hand his lust, on the other hand the inappropriateness leading to "strong words in the staff room; the accusations fly", and to the girl being teased. The proxemics-related title expresses the second feeling.
Although not quite as much so as another Police song, "Every Breath You Take", "Don't Stand So Close to Me" may be considered an example of a paranoia song because of the situation of the schoolteacher—trying to avoid temptation with the girl who lusts after him. The music and lyrics of the song were written by the lead singer of The Police, Sting, who had previously worked as an English teacher. In a 2001 interview for the concert DVD ...All This Time, Sting denied that the song is autobiographical.
The line... "Just like the old man in that book by Nabokov" ...alludes to Nabokov's famous novel Lolita.
"Don't Stand So Close to Me" appeared in The Police's album Zenyatta Mondatta (A&M), and was also released as a hit 'No.1' single along with a studio music video. It was the single that 'broke' The Police in the USA. Back in the U.K, the track was confirmed by the end of 1980 to have been the biggest selling single of that year.
It was re-recorded in 1986 with a slower, more intense chorus and the new version appeared as "Don't Stand So Close To Me '86" on the album Every Breath You Take - The Singles and was again accompanied by a music video (notable for its early use of animated computer graphics).
Sting also does a song titled "Brand New Day" with these lyrics: "You're the pupil I'm the teacher You're the church and I'm the preacher..."
Mark Knopfler deliberately "borrowed" the melody from the chorus of "Don't Stand So Close To Me" in the Dire Straits hit "Money for Nothing" from the album "Brothers in Arms". It was used under the refrain "I want my MTV", which was a popular advertising slogan at the time. To add authenticity, he invited Sting to Air Studios in Montserrat to sing the line. It was only after this story was related to reporters during promotions for the Brothers in Arms album that lawyers for Sting became involved, and later copies of the album co-credit the song to Mark Knopfler & Sting. The initial pressings list only Mark Knopfler. It is one of only two shared songwriting credits on any Dire Straits album.
On the cover of the comic book Emma Frost #14, the reflection of a teacher (who Emma is infatuated with) writing "Don't stand so close to me" can be seen in the background. This alludes to the famous song, and ties the events depicted there with the events of the comic.
On the season two finale of NBC's The Office, the character Kevin is in a band that performs "Don't Stand So Close To Me" in their audition tape.