In 2000, the band discussed “Message In A Bottle” with Revolver magazine:

Summers: I’ve always said it was Stewart’s finest drum track, plus great guitar riffs, lyrics, the song – it was one track where everything came together. We had also just learned the trick of playing a song two or three times in a row to let the energy build, then we’d come straight in for another take with the tape still rolling.

Copeland: It was also a great way of getting the tempo up to where I like – which is really fast.

Sting: That’s what he thought. We were actually trying to tire Stewart out so we could slow it down a bit.

Next in the interview, Sting is asked about the song’s lyrics:

Sting: As a narrative, it had a beginning, middle and an end. The story actually developed. It wasn’t just ‘I’m lonely, isn’t it terrible!’ – which is what a lot of my other songs were about. If I’m lonely, but I realize everybody else is too. I feel better. I think the Germans call that Schadenfreude – enjoying the misery of others.

Copeland: My favorite thing about ‘Message In A Bottle’, apart from all the money we made off it, was hearing cover bands trying to play my drum parts. I’d overdubbed about six different parts, and to watch some band in a Holiday Inn struggling to play all those overdubs still gives me great joy. Now that is really Schadenfreude.