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.
Kings of the Wild Frontier
Adam Ant Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
A new Royal Family, a wild nobility, we are the family
A new Royal Family, a wild nobility, we are the family
I feel beneath the white
There is a redskin suffering
From centuries of taming
Just pride about our manner
Antpeople are the warriors
Antmusic is the banner!
A new Royal Family, a wild nobility, we are the family
A new Royal Family, a wild nobility, we are the family
And even when you're healthy
And your colour schemes delight
Down below those dandy clothes
You're just a shade too white
Shade too white!
Shade too white!
I feel beneath the white
There is a redskin suffering
From centuries of taming...
I feel beneath the white
There is a redskin suffering
From centuries of taming...
The lyrics of Adam Ant's "Kings of the Wild Frontier" convey a strong message of rebellion against societal norms and expectations. Ant and his band proclaim themselves as a "new Royal Family" and a "wild nobility," symbolizing a group that bucks tradition and refuses to be tamed. They embrace their unconventional ways and mannerisms with pride, signaling that they are Antpeople - warriors who use their music as a banner to showcase their liberation.
The song's verses also address the underlying racial tensions that have plagued society for centuries. Ant suggests that beneath the surface of the white man's civilization, there is suffering and torment that stems from a history of colonialism and oppression of indigenous cultures. The lyrics suggest that the redskin suffering from centuries of taming is still very much alive in modern society, and that there is a need for rebellion and disruption to break free from the shackles of this history.
Overall, "Kings of the Wild Frontier" is a powerful call to arms for those who feel that society's conventions are stifling who they truly are. With its energetic beat and rebellious lyrics, the song has become an anthem for generations of misfits and outsiders who refuse to be tamed by societal norms.
Line by Line Meaning
A new Royal Family, a wild nobility, we are the family
We are a powerful and self-governing group of people who embrace our wild side and reject traditional methods of control and rule.
A new Royal Family, a wild nobility, we are the family
We establish a new way of doing things through strength in numbers and a shared sense of identity and purpose.
A new Royal Family, a wild nobility, we are the family
We are a united front of like-minded individuals who value originality and independence over conformity and obedience.
I feel beneath the white
I sense a hidden truth beneath the surface appearance.
There is a redskin suffering
There is a marginalized group or individual who has endured a long history of oppression and injustice.
From centuries of taming
As a result of enforced assimilation and suppression of their native culture and way of life over an extended period of time.
No method in our madness
We do not follow a pre-determined plan or set of rules, but rather act on our instincts and passions.
Just pride about our manner
We take great satisfaction in the way we conduct ourselves and the values we uphold.
Antpeople are the warriors
We embody the strength and ferocity of ants and are ready to defend our community and way of life at all times.
Antmusic is the banner!
Our common love of music and art serves as the rallying cry for our tribe and a symbol of our shared identity.
And even when you're healthy
In spite of appearances that suggest you have it all together and are thriving.
And your colour schemes delight
Your outward appearance and flashy attire may impress some, but it does not change who you truly are on the inside.
Down below those dandy clothes
Beneath the surface level of fashion and material possessions that you use to define yourself.
You're just a shade too white
You lack the raw energy, passion, and spirit that we possess and exemplify as a group.
I feel beneath the white
Once again, I sense a deeper truth masked by superficial appearances.
There is a redskin suffering
Returning to the previous point, there is a group or individuals who have suffered and continue to suffer due to systemic oppression and the legacy of colonialism.
From centuries of taming...
The struggles and injustices these people have endured are not the result of mere coincidence, but rather the direct outcome of centuries of deliberate subjugation.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: MARCO PIRRONI, ADAM ANT
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@lsky4446
Believe it or not, AdamAnt literally inspired me as a young black kid in da hood. He was an eccentric artist to me. I was the ONLY fan in my home and amongst peers. My brothers thought I was weird because I was a huge fan. Lol The drums drums drums. Driving beats, native American undertones, African rhythms, high energy, costumes, war paint make up and overall theatrics captivated me!!! I LOVED Adam and the ANTS AND I WAS ridiculed for it...HOWEVER... "Ridicule is Nothing to be scared of"!😉
-Prince Charming (Adam Ant)
@garybradley1
Totally agree.........
@jeanbaumgartner4052
ADAM ANT As PRINCE CHARMING 🤴 😍 ❤ ♥ 💜 💙 IS SOHOT 💘 👌 🔥 ❤ 💯 %×☺❤😍
@Horrorflicksnchill
🤘🏾🤘🏾🤘🏾
@faymacdonald7245
I agree .... the drums !! :-)
@Brixtaan
Well said sir , as an 11 yr old clueless white kid from Kent I knew nothing of all the influences you mention but I knew something special was going on here
@jacquelinelewis8121
As a 60 yr old looking back to those days ..fabby so much energy and how handsome 😊glad I was an 80s teenager
@bgierat
The drums, rockabilly twang guitar and Adam’s dancing.....A true 80’s pioneer
@jeanbaumgartner4052
I!Agree With You About This One!BriG!ADAM ANT Is So SEXY 🔥 👌 😍 💯 %!
@Wailwulf
Rockabilly? I was thinking Surf Music 😃