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.
Montreal
Adam Ant Lyrics
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Boston en route, not too far
Down another bleak highway
Soothes the morning pain away
What had passed the night before
Room 1206 on the floor
Beautiful, his Bardot
She likes him so
He's just a joker flash and cheap
And not to fussy where he sleeps
Before he starts to complain
She wants him to be bad again
So the couple lying there
Teach each other how to swear
Could this be a dirty night?
It could if they're doing it right
The lyrics to "Montreal" by Adam Ant tell the story of a man who had a wild night with a woman named Bardot in a hotel room. As the morning comes, he is lying in the car heading towards Boston, maybe as a way to escape the memories of the night before. Driving on a bleak highway, he feels soothed, maybe by the peace and quiet of the road, but also, possibly by the drug he has taken to ease the pain of the morning after.
The man's experience with Bardot shows a mutual attraction between them. Bardot, despite the man's spoiled behavior, likes him anyway. He is described as a "joker-flash and cheap," indicating that he may not be a serious or credible person. However, Bardot accepts him for who he is and wants him to be bad again. In this context, being bad means indulging in new experiences, which they both seem to enjoy.
The lyrics describe a potentially "dirty night" as the couple teaches each other how to swear. This could be interpreted as them revealing their true selves to each other, being honest about their feelings and desires, and letting go of their inhibitions. In summary, "Montreal" by Adam Ant is a song about a wild night of passion, where the singers are comfortable in their own skin and enjoy the moment to the fullest.
Line by Line Meaning
Lay him down inside the car
Adam Ant is driving in a car and he has laid the character he's singing about down inside the car.
Boston en route, not too far
Adam Ant is driving towards Boston and it's not too far from his current location.
Down another bleak highway
Adam Ant is driving down another depressing highway.
Soothes the morning pain away
Driving down the highway is a form of solace for Adam Ant, easing the pain from the morning.
What had passed the night before
Adam Ant is reflecting on what happened the night before.
Room 1206 on the floor
The events of the previous night took place in Room 1206 on a floor of a building.
Beautiful, his Bardot
The character Adam Ant is singing about has a beautiful woman who can be compared to the French actress Brigitte Bardot.
And though he's spoiled
The character Adam Ant is singing about is spoiled, but nonetheless, his woman likes him.
She likes him so
The character Adam Ant is singing about is liked by his woman.
He's just a joker flash and cheap
The character Adam Ant is singing about is someone who is entertaining but doesn't have much to offer.
And not too fussy where he sleeps
The character Adam Ant is singing about is not very picky about where he sleeps.
Before he starts to complain
The character Adam Ant is singing about is not to be complaining before the encounter with the woman.
She wants him to be bad again
The woman that Adam Ant is singing about wants the character to be badly behaved again.
So the couple lying there
There is a couple lying in a bed.
Teach each other how to swear
The couple is sharing vulgar language with each other.
Could this be a dirty night?
Adam Ant is questioning if this is an erotic evening.
It could if they're doing it right
If the couple are going about their evening in the right way then it could be considered a dirty night.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: ADAM ANT, MARCO PIRRONI
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind