The Police – Canary In A Coalmine

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First to fall over when the atmosphere is less than perfect
Your sensibilities are shaken by the slightest defect
You live you life like a canary in a coalmine
You get so dizzy even walking in a straight line
You say you want to spend the winter in Firenza
You're so afraid to catch a dose of influenza
You live your life like a canary in a coalmine
You get so dizzy even walking in a straight line
Canary in a coalmine
Canary in a coalmine
Canary in a coalmine
Now if I tell you that you suffer from delusions
You pay your analyst to reach the same conclusions
You live your life like a canary in a coalmine
You get so dizzy even walking in a straight line
Canary in a coalmine
Canary in a coalmine
Canary in a coalmine
First to fall over when the atmosphere is less than perfect
Your sensibilities are shaken by the slightest defect
You live your life like a canary in a coalmine
You get so dizzy even walking in a straight line
Canary in a coalmine

Send "Canary In A Coalmine" Ringtone to Cell


Lyrics submitted by Demau Senae

Track duration: 02:28

"Canary in a Coalmine" as written by Gordon Matthew Sumner

Lyrics © EMI Music Publishing

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Canary In A Coalmine song meanings
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10 Comments

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  • -1
    General Comment:Very "ska",they recorded "Zenyetta Mondatta" in Wisseloord in Hilversum and in the Caribbean. :)
    It's obvious.
    Flag Thia007on November 30, 2011   Link
  • +1
    General Comment:agreed, its about a neurotic who sort of closes the door, and panics at every little thing
    Flag kerncelobrasilon October 23, 2009   Link
  • -1
    General Comment:I love the rhythm of this song! And its nice title.

    PS: Only Sting can rhyme a beautiful city in the Tuscany with the influenza-virus and get away with it! : D
    Flag WhiteWolfDiefon October 09, 2009   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:I hope it's not too late to thank U a lot for the information above, sillybunny and to make the following small correction on my previous post here:

    ["he has experienced some big frustrations, which HAVE taken his taste for life."].
    Flag circusjuggleron February 26, 2007   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:In the olden days, miners who went deep into coal shafts used to carry a golden canary with them into the chambers below. The miners, usually people who had spent their entire lives in the depths of mining shafts, were unable to sense when toxic gasses were escaping from the walls. The rule was simple, if you looked over and saw that the canary was laying on its side with "Xs" for eyes, you knew it was time to run as fast as you could towards an elevator.
    [Peter M. Denton]
    Flag sillybunnyon September 29, 2006   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:These are the 'serious classics' - but the hidden gem of the record is the hilarious lightweight ska excourse 'Canary In A Coalmine', where the boys speed up the standard tempo and come out with something lovely, irresistible and tremendously funny. For my money, Andy Summers' guitar never sounded that playful and amusing again, and I would be hard pressed to find any analogy in the rock world.
    [George Starostin]
    Flag sillybunnyon September 28, 2006   Link
  • +1
    General Comment:It's talking about someone who cannot just relax and enjoy his life just for a minute at least. He became a real neurotic and he's living at this way because he has experienced some big frustrations, which has taken his taste for life. He's feeling himself under permanent pressure after suffering a couple of flops and now even a simple trip to Firenza seems something terrible, despite the fact it's just a magnificent sunny city from Italy, thus a place where an influenza should be the last thing for thinking about it...
    Flag circusjuggleron September 27, 2006   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:I'll agree with LolaBat. And this is a great energetic song that I've always liked.
    Flag sillybunnyon July 20, 2006   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:it's about being a hypochondriac and over reacting about everything -- behaving the way a canary would when deprived of oxygen.
    Flag LolaBaton March 31, 2005   Link
  • +1
    General Comment:In the good ol' mining days, they would keep birds in coalmines to detect poisonous gases.
    Flag Bella_xon October 22, 2004   Link

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