Demolition Man (song)

This article is about the Grace Jones/Police song. For the Def Leppard song, see Euphoria (Def Leppard album).

"Demolition Man"
Single by Grace Jones
from the album Nightclubbing
B-side	"Warm Leatherette"
Released	1981
Format	7" single
Genre	New wave, synthpop, rock
Length	4:29
Label	Island WIP 6673
Writer(s)	Sting
Producer	Alex Sadkin, Chris Blackwell
Grace Jones singles chronology
"The Hunter Gets Captured by the Game" (1980) "Demolition Man" (1981) "Pull Up to the Bumper" (1981)

"Demolition Man" is a song performed by Grace Jones, released as a single from her 1981 album Nightclubbing. The song was written by Sting of The Police.

Meaning and Composition

The lyric "I'm a three-line whip", often assumed to be a reference to sadomasochism, is in fact an allusion to British constitutional law. Sting explained this allusion in an interview: "Whatever party's in power in Parliament, if it's a really important vote, you get a one line whip. If it's incredibly important, you have a two-line whip, and something monumentally important is a three-line whip."

Music video

The song is included in the A One Man Show documentary, featuring marching Joneses (stand-ins wearing Grace Jones masks). Pictures from the video were later used for the cover art of 1982 single "The Apple Stretching".

Track listings

UK Vinyl, 12" (12WIP 6673)

1. "Demolition Man"
2. "Bullshit"

UK Vinyl, 7" (WIP 6673)

1. "Demolition Man"
2. "Warm Leatherette"

U.S. Vinyl, 12", Single, 45 RPM (0-96860)

1. "Love Is the Drug" (Vocal) (7:15)
2. "Demolition Man" (Vocal) (4:04)

The Police version

"Demolition Man"
Song by The Police from the album Ghost in the Machine
Released	October 1981
Recorded	1981
Genre	Jazz fusion, Rock, New Wave
Length	5:57
Label	A&M
Writer	Sting
Producer	The Police & Hugh Padgham
Ghost in the Machine track listing
"Hungry for You (J'aurais Toujours Faim de Toi)" (4) "Demolition Man" (5) "Too Much Information" (6)

Soon after Jones released her version as a single, The Police recorded their own version for their 1981 album, Ghost in the Machine. While Jones' version is a disco-esque synth pop number, The Police recorded the song in a jazzy hard rock style, featuring a blistering guitar solo by Andy Summers.

The song would later be performed by Sting during his solo career and released as the title track of an EP in support of the film of the same name. A live version by him is featured in the game Guitar Hero: World Tour.

Manfred Mann's Earth Band version

"Demolition Man"
Song by Manfred Mann's Earth Band from the album Somewhere in Afrika
Released	1982
Recorded	1982
Genre	Rock, New Wave
Length	3:45
Label	Bronze Records
Writer	Sting

A year later, 1982, Manfred Mann's Earth Band released a version, which appeared on their Somewhere in Afrika album. It was significantly rearranged from The Police's version, being of a shorter length, featuring slightly altered lyrics and making much use of synthesizers throughout. It was performed as a duet, between then members Steve Waller and Shona Laing.