Adam was a member of Bazooka Joe, the band that the Sex Pistols opened for in the Pistols' first live appearance. Adam and the Ants started as a punk band, but by the early '80s they had taken a different path and started making pop music. By 1981 they were one of the biggest bands in Britain.
In March 1982, feeling certain band members "lacked enthusiasm", Ant disbanded the group. A few months after the split Ant launched a solo career (though he retained Marco Pirroni as guitarist and co-songwriter).
After the split, Ant went solo, taking his song writing partner Pirroni with him. His greatest American chart success was 1982's Friend or Foe album, which included the hit single "Goody Two Shoes" which made it to #1 in the UK and Australia, and #12 in the U.S. Other hits from that album included the title song (which made #9 on the UK chart) and "Desperate But Not Serious". Goody Two Shoes first charted in the UK in Spring 1982, reaching no.1 that summer, but its US peak did not come until 1983 when it reached #12 on the Billboard Top 100.
In 1983, Ant worked with Phil Collins and Richard James Burgess on the "Strip" album which was recorded at Polar Studios in Stockholm. The single "Puss 'N Boots" reached #5 on the UK charts, but the BBC banned both the video and the song for the follow-up single "Strip," which peaked at #41. Although Strip had some highlights and hit singles, it marked the end of his reign as one of Britain's top pop stars for a while. That same year, Ant also memorably appeared as a guest performer on the NBC television network's Motown 25: Yesterday, Today, Forever special that aired in May.
In 1985, he worked with veteran producer Tony Visconti on his third solo album, "Vive Le Rock". He secured a spot at the Live Aid concert, but was asked to cut his set to one song. He chose his new single, "Vive le Rock." Vive Le Rock was intended to be his ultimate hard rock album but the single underwent a pressing error and the album received mixed reviews. As a result, Adam decided to end his career in music and focus on his acting career.
In 1989, whilst maintaining an interest in acting, Ant returned to America and re-entered the pop music world with the album "Manners & Physique", a collaboration with André Cymone, a solo artist and an early member of Prince's band. The album was another moderate success, and featured the UK and U.S. hit single "Room at the Top". "Rough Stuff" became the second single for the United States and Germany as "Can't Set Rules About Love" charted in the United Kingdom.
In 1993, he toured in support of a planned album called "Persuasion". On account of a regime change at MCA, the record company made the unilateral decision not to release this album on the basis that Manners & Physique had failed to achieve a gold sales certification. Ant was subsequently released from his contract with MCA and later signed by EMI. Persuasion remains unreleased to this day and, as a result, it has become something of a lost legend among "Antfans", although it is widely available online for download.
In 1995, Ant released the album "Wonderful". The title track was a successful single, as was a tour of the U.S. in support of the album. While Ant and his group (which retained longtime guitarist Pirroni) played in smaller venues than they had played in the 1980s, the houses were often packed with enthusiastic fans. The tour was cut short due to Ant and Pirroni both contracting glandular fever (for those who don't know the term, glandular fever is generally a euphemism for what usually manifests as mononucleosis).
"Adam Ant Is the Blueblack Hussar in Marrying the Gunner's Daughter" is the sixth solo studio album by Adam Ant. The album's title was announced by Ant in the NME in April 2010. As per Adam's announcement at his gig in Chatham in September 2012, the new album was released on 21 January 2013 by Ant's own record label Blueblack Hussar Records. Despite the independent self-release, the album reached number 25 on the UK Albums Chart, only one place lower than its predecessor, released on the major EMI label nearly eighteen years earlier. It had previously been at number 8 in the Midweeks.
Goody Two Shoes
Adam Ant Lyrics
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So much you can't hide
Put on a little makeup, makeup
Make sure they get your good side, good side
If the words unspoken
Get stuck in your throat
Send a treasure token token
Write it on a pound note, pound note
Goody two, goody two, goody goody two shoes
Goody two, goody two, goody goody two shoes
Don't drink, don't smoke, what do you do?
Don't drink, don't smoke, what do you do?
Subtle innuends follow
There must be something inside
We don't follow fashion
That would be a joke
You know we're going to set them, set them
So everyone can take note, take note
When they saw you kneeling
Crying words that you mean
Opening their eyeballs, eyeballs
Pretending that you're Al Green, Al Green
Goody two, goody two, goody goody two shoes
Goody two, goody two, goody goody two shoes
Don't drink, don't smoke, what do you do?
Don't drink, don't smoke, what do you do?
Subtle innuends follow
There must be something inside
No one's gonna tell me
What's wrong or what's right
Or tell me who to eat with sleep with
Or that I've won the big fight, big fight
Look out or they'll tell you
You're a Superstar
Two weeks and you're an all time legend
I think the games have gone much too far
If the words unspoken
It get stuck in your throat
Send a treasure token, token
Write it on a pound note, pound note
Don't drink, don't smoke, what do you do?
Don't drink, don't smoke, what do you do?
Subtle innuends follow
There must be something inside
He said, don't drink, don't smoke, what do you do?
Don't drink don't smoke, what do you do?
Subtle innuends follow
There must be something inside
He said don't drink, don't smoke, what do you do?
Don't drink don't smoke, what do you do?
Subtle innuends follow
There must be something inside
He said no drink, don't smoke, what do you do?
Don't drink don't smoke, what do you do?
Subtle innuends follow
There must be something inside
He said no drink, don't smoke, what do you do?
Don't drink don't smoke, what do you do?
Subtle innuends follow
There must be something inside
The lyrics to Adam Ant’s “Goody Two Shoes” speak about societal pressure to conform to certain expectations and the struggle to maintain one’s own identity. The opening lines suggest that the singer is feeling vulnerable and exposed, and is trying to hide their emotions by presenting a “good side” to the world. The chorus repeats the phrase “Goody two, goody two, goody goody two shoes,” which is often used to mock someone who is overly moralistic or self-righteous. This implies that the singer is aware of how they might be perceived by others, and is perhaps struggling to reconcile their own values with those of society at large.
The second verse introduces the idea that there are certain expectations placed on individuals in terms of their behavior and lifestyle choices. The lines “Don’t drink, don’t smoke, what do you do? / Subtle innuendos follow / There must be something inside” suggest that people who don’t drink or smoke are subject to suspicion and scrutiny, as if there must be some hidden reason behind their choices. The third verse touches on the idea of fame and celebrity, and how it can be both fleeting and superficial. The line “Two weeks and you're an all-time legend / I think the games have gone much too far” speaks to the concept of manufactured celebrity, where someone can become famous for no real reason and just as easily be forgotten.
Overall, the song presents a critique of societal expectations and the pressure to conform, while also highlighting the importance of maintaining one’s own individuality and resisting the urge to put on a façade for the sake of fitting in.
Line by Line Meaning
With the heartbreak open
With your emotions on your sleeve, on display for all to see
So much you can't hide
There is so much going on inside that cannot be hidden
Put on a little makeup, makeup
Cover up your emotions with a facade
Make sure they get your good side, good side
Present a positive image to others
If the words unspoken
If you cannot find the words to express yourself
Get stuck in your throat
If your emotions choke your ability to express yourself
Send a treasure token token
Find a way to show your love and appreciation to another person
Write it on a pound note, pound note
Find a creative way to show your appreciation, perhaps even through money
Goody two, goody two, goody goody two shoes
Being perceived as too wholesome or conformist
Don't drink, don't smoke, what do you do?
You do not conform to traditional expectations about indulging vices
Subtle innuends follow
Hints of judgment or disapproval linger
There must be something inside
People assume there is a deeper reason for your behavior, potentially rooted in negativity
We don't follow fashion
We do not conform to societal trends
That would be a joke
Conforming to fashion would be absurd
You know we're going to set them, set them
We will set our own trend rather than following others
So everyone can take note, take note
Our non-conformity will be noticed and become influential
When they saw you kneeling
You were in a vulnerable or emotional state in front of others
Crying words that you mean
Expressing yourself authentically and passionately
Opening their eyeballs, eyeballs
Making others aware of your emotions and authenticity
Pretending that you're Al Green, Al Green
Portraying yourself as an authentic, soulful artist like Al Green
No one's gonna tell me
You will not allow others to control you or tell you how to act
What's wrong or what's right
You think for yourself and determine your own values and morals
Or tell me who to eat with sleep with
You refuse to let others dictate your personal choices or relationships
Or that I've won the big fight, big fight
You do not measure success by others' standards or competitions
Look out or they'll tell you
Be aware of others' attempts to influence or control you
You're a Superstar
They may elevate you to an undeserved status
Two weeks and you're an all time legend
This status will be fleeting and unearned
I think the games have gone much too far
This type of superficial fame and admiration is misguided and excessive
He said, don't drink, don't smoke, what do you do?
The repeated chorus emphasizes the theme of non-conformity and the challenges it presents
There must be something inside
People may not understand the motivations of someone who rejects societal norms
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: MARCO PIRRONI, ADAM ANT
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind