Chords + Lyrics | Message In A Bottle
Intro
||: C#sus2 Asus2 | Bsus2 F#madd9 :|| x4
Verse 1
||: C#sus2 Asus2 | Bsus2 F#madd9 :||
Just a castaway, an island lost at sea, oh.
Another lonely day, with no one here but me, oh.
More loneliness, than any man could bear.
Rescue me before I fall into despair, oh.
Bridge 1
| A5 | D5 E5 | A5 | D5 E5 |
I’ll send an S.O.S to the world, I’ll send an S.O.S to the world.
| F#5 | D5 | F#5 | D5 | F#5 | D5 |
I hope that someone gets my, I hope that someone gets my. I hope that someone gets my.
Chorus 1
| C#m7 | F#m7/A | C#m7 | F#m7/A |
Message in a bottle, yeah.
| C#m7 | F#m7/A | F#m | F#m |
Message in a bottle, yeah.
Verse 2
A year has passed since I wrote my note.
I should have known this right from the start.
Only hope can keep me together.
Love can mend your life or love can break your heart.
Bridge 2
I’ll send an S.O.S to the world, I’ll send an S.O.S to the world.
I hope that someone gets my. I hope that someone gets my. I hope that someone gets my.
Chorus 2
||: C#m7 | F#m7/A | C#m7 | F#m7/A :|| x3
Message in a bottle, yeah.
Message in a bottle, yeah.
Oh, message in a bottle, yeah.
| C#m7 | F#m7/A | F#m | F#m | F#m | F#m |
Message in a bottle, yeah.
Verse 3
Walked out this morning, I don’t believe what I saw.
Hundred billion bottles washed up on the shore.
Seems I’m not alone at being alone.
Hundred billion castaways, looking for a home.
Bridge 3
I’ll send an S.O.S to the world, I’ll send an S.O.S to the world.
I hope that someone gets my, I hope that someone gets my. I hope that someone gets my.
Chorus 3
||: C#m7 | F#m7/A | C#m7 | F#m7/A :|| x3
Message in a bottle, yeah.
Message in a bottle, yeah.
Message in a bottle, oh.
| C#m7 | F#m7/A | F#m | F#m |
Message in a bottle, yeah.
Instrumental
||: C#sus2 Asus2 | Bsus2 F#madd9 :|| x4
Outro
||: C#sus2 Asus2 | Bsus2 F#madd9 :||
||: Sending out an S.O.S. I’m sending out an S.O.S.
I’m sending out an S.O.S. I’m sending out an S.O.S :||
Message in a Bottle Chords: Mastering the Progressions and Techniques
The extremely stretchy chords Andy Summers crafted for Message in a Bottle must be played with the correct extensions, as these form the riff and hook of the song.
Verse
Looking at the chord progression, we can see it’s a diatonic VI – IV – V – II, with the 3rd either suspended to a sus2 or kept, with an added 9th, like this:
||: C#sus2 (VI) Asus2 (IV) | Bsus2 (V) F#madd9 (II) :||
Playing this progression in the same way Andy Summers did can be challenging, though there are ways to make it easier.
I’ve transcribed the progression using TAB and also examined ways to simplify it by altering the position of the chords on the fretboard.
Here’s a link to the TAB lesson: Message in a Bottle – Guitar Lesson with TAB.
If you’re playing this late in a busy week of gigs, you’ll definitely appreciate my modified version!
Bridge
The bridge employs a modal interchange, as we’re clearly in the key of A now, following a I – IV – V progression:
| A5 | D5 E5 | A5 | D5 E5 |
Chorus
For the chorus, we either play VI – II in the key of E or III – VI in the key of A. The ambiguity of the mode creates the tension—genius!
||: C#m7 (VI or III) | F#m7/A (II or VI) :||
Having studied my TAB, this chord chart will serve as a helpful reminder when you perform Message in a Bottle live.
Message In A Bottle Chord Chart | PDF + iReal Pro Download
Should you want to download this chart, here’s a PDF: Message In A Bottle chord chart PDF.
This chord chart was created using iReal Pro, here’s a link to that file: Message In A Bottle iReal Pro. Using this and the iRealPro app, you can change the key.
Message In A Bottle TAB | Course Preview
The course includes TAB for all sections of Message in a Bottle, covering the full arrangement in detail.
As a preview, here’s the main riff:
Message in a Bottle Was Released When The Police Peaked!
The Police’s smash hit Message in a Bottle has challenged countless guitar players since its release in 1979 as the lead single from their second album, Reggatta de Blanc.
It sits right in the middle of the band’s peak period, following hits like Roxanne, Can’t Stand Losing You, and So Lonely, and preceding classics such as Walking on the Moon and Don’t Stand So Close to Me.
Looking back, it’s clear that the band’s rapid rise to fame was powered by these five incredible tracks released in quick succession.
Message In A Bottle Chords: Continue Learning
Want to master this song? Check out the full TAB lesson here: Message In A Bottle (The Police) Guitar Lesson with TAB.
Alternatively, here are five similar tunes you might enjoy:
