Here's The Police classic Roxanne, but it's just Rocks

The Police single Roxanne and a pile of rocks — (Image credit: A&M | Pixabay)

After a small show in Paris with The Damned was cancelled, one of The Police's most iconic songs – Roxanne – was inspired by the group of sex workers who congregated in the street where the band were staying.

“It was the first time I’d seen prostitution on the streets, and those birds were actually beautiful,” frontman Sting later said of their visit to the French capital. “I had a tune going around in my head, and I imagined being in love with one of those girls."

The song became the trio's second single and eventually earned them a record deal in America.

Fast forward a few decades, and some wag has digitally removed the majority of Sting's vocals from the single and has left the Geordie's anguished cry now celebrating a natural solid mass instead of recounting the story of the song's titular character.

Drummer Seth – known helpfully as SethDrums on YouTube – is a "weirdo trying to make a difference" whose "goal is to bring smiles, laugh, a good atmosphere and instil positivity in all who watch".

He certainly does that. One chunk of his prolific daily streams sees Seth enthusiastically pounding his kit along to mash-ups selected by his followers; he recently posted a video titled Roxanne by The Police but it’s just Rocks and is a genuine must-see.

On this three-and-a-half minute video, Seth barely keeps it together as he plays Stewart Copeland's 4/4 drum part and appears to be in tears before the first chorus kicks in.

Watch the clip below and enjoy this new twist on an old classic.

Born in 1976 in Newcastle-upon-Tyne, Simon Young has been a music journalist for over twenty-six years. His fanzine, Hit A Guy With Glasses, enjoyed a one-issue run before he secured a job at Kerrang! in 1999. His writing has also appeared in Classic Rock, Metal Hammer, Prog, and Planet Rock. His first book, So Much For The 30 Year Plan: Therapy? — The Authorised Biography is available via Jawbone Press.