Lyrks
Lyrks
Lyrks
Cover Art

A Sermon Lyrics by The Police

Flexible Strategies

1980

When you reach number ten
And think the struggle ends
But it ain't the end
It's only a trend
You have to unbend
'Cause it's only a trend
Don't lose all your friends
Don't make heroes end
When you reach number eight it ain't no pearly gate
'Cause it won't satiate your growing appetite
You can ply your trade and push your crusade
Emancipate or indoctrinate, but the
Traps are all laid for and honest crusade
Your old values will fade as you struggle to make the grade
As you struggle to make the grade
(As you struggle to make the grade)
(You needn't bother)
When you hit number four you're almost through the door
But there's a whole lot more you just can't ignore
The telephone's sure, you know the score
But don't let this uproar dissipate your encore
It's written in the news how you paid your dues
But you've no excuse for the people you abuse
When you reach number one you can beat your drum
You can sack your roadies in Birmingham
When your record is platinum, you can stick it to the bath
To the wall like you've always planned
It's written in the news how you paid your dues
But you've no excuse for the people you abuse
Credits
The Police

The Police

About “A Sermon” by The Police

Read the complete lyrics to "A Sermon" by The Police from the album "Flexible Strategies" in 1980. On Lyrks you can follow along with the full text, explore the artist's discography, and discover related songs. The track is often categorized under Punk Rock, New Wave (Rock), Pop.

"A Sermon" is performed by The Police. from the album "Flexible Strategies" in 1980 This page provides the full lyric text for fans who want to sing along, study the songwriting, or compare versions across releases. Lyrks organizes lyrics by artist and song slug so you can bookmark and share a stable URL. Music lyrics help listeners connect with emotion, narrative, and rhythm in a track. Whether you are learning English, researching a favorite chorus, or preparing for karaoke, having accurate line breaks and section labels (verse, chorus, bridge) makes the experience easier. We link to the official artist profile on Lyrks where available, including biography snippets, top songs, and chart placements when we have that data. If you enjoy "A Sermon", explore more songs by The Police using the links below. Chart and trending pages on Lyrks highlight what listeners are searching for this week. For copyright or correction requests, see our DMCA and contact pages.

View all songs and biography for The Police · Trending lyrics · Billboard Hot 100

Frequently asked questions

"A Sermon" is credited to The Police. Songwriting credits may include additional writers listed on the release; check the credits section on this page for linked collaborators.

"A Sermon" appears on "Flexible Strategies" in 1980.

Visit the The Police artist page at /artist/the-police for biography, popular tracks, and links to more lyric pages.