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.
Place In The Country
Adam Ant Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
All I thought I wanted was a place in the country
Now I realise I wanted so much more
Some I love but you I adore
You think you're really swinging
But you're off the beat
The moves your brains a thinking
You got to get this complication out of your head
Or find another man instead
All I thought I wanted was a front door
All I thought I wanted was a place in the country
Now I realise I wanted so much more
Some I love but you I adore
You listen very close to what the bad girls said
In all those crumby articles and in my bed
They say I'm just a stripper not afraid to strip
I got my brains rattlin' my hips
(Okay Marco let's hear what you can do!*)
All I thought I wanted was a front door
All I thought I wanted was a place in the country
Now I realise I wanted so much more
Some I love but you I adore
You've got the kind of looks
That make a dead man stare
But when it comes to working honey
You ain't there
I try to tell you nicely but the screaming starts
You're playing ping pong with my heart
All I thought I wanted was a front door
All I thought I wanted was a place in the country
Now I realise I wanted so much more
Some I love but you I adore
All I thought I wanted was a front door
All I thought I wanted was a place in the country
Now I realise I wanted so much more
I've heard enough don't wanna hear no more
The lyrics to Adam Ant's "Place In The Country" describe a longing for a simple life away from the hustle and bustle of the city, but realizing that there is more to life than just a quiet place in the country. The opening lines, "All I thought I wanted was a front door / All I thought I wanted was a place in the country" hint at a desire for stability and permanence, but it soon becomes clear that there is something missing: "Now I realize I wanted so much more / Some I love but you I adore."
The next section of the song addresses a troubled relationship, with the singer trying to tell his partner that they are not on the same page: "You think you're really swinging / But you're off the beat / The moves your brains a thinking / Doesn't reach your feet." He urges them to simplify their life and get their priorities straight: "You got to get this complication out of your head / Or find another man instead." However, the partner seems more interested in reading "crumby articles" and holding onto a persona as a stripper, unwilling or unable to put in the effort to make the relationship work: "You say I'm just a stripper not afraid to strip / With my brains rattlin' my hips." The singer is left frustrated and heartbroken, as he tries to communicate his feelings but is met with resistance and anger: "You're playing ping pong with my heart."
Interestingly, the song alternates between a desire for simplicity and stability and a frustration with a partner who is too complex and difficult to deal with. It's a complex emotional tug-of-war that captures the complexity of modern relationships in just a few verses.
Line by Line Meaning
All I thought I wanted was a front door
I used to think that all I needed was a simple life with a house in the countryside.
All I thought I wanted was a place in the country
I believed that by moving away from the city and into the countryside, I would be completely satisfied with my life.
Now I realise I wanted so much more
As I have lived my life, I have come to realize that I desire and require more for true happiness.
Some I love but you I adore
Though I have love for many people, my feelings for you go beyond simple love into adoration.
You think you're really swinging
You believe that you are cool or suave.
But you're off the beat
However, your actions do not match up with your belief, and you are not impressive at all.
The moves your brains a thinking
The ideas that your mind is processing or generating.
Doesn't reach your feet
But you cannot seem to put these ideas into action.
You got to get this complication out of your head
You need to stop overthinking things and simplify your thoughts to accomplish your goals.
Or find another man instead
Otherwise, you will have to find someone else who can deal with your constant worrying.
You listen very close to what the bad girls said
You take to heart the things that are said by negative influences, like bad friends or the media.
In all those crumby articles and in my bed
These influences can come from all kinds of sources, including articles you read and even experiences you've had with me in bed.
You say I'm just a stripper not afraid to strip
You diminish my worth as a person by reducing me to a pole dancer.
With my brains rattlin' my hips
However, you fail to recognize how my intelligence is still a crucial part of my personality, even if my sexuality is also important.
You've got the kind of looks
Physically, you are very attractive and can even turn heads.
That make a dead man stare
Your beauty is so intense that it could literally cause a person to stop in their tracks.
But when it comes to working honey
However, when it comes down to actual effort, you fall short.
You ain't there
You are not present or involved, or you lack the necessary skills.
I try to tell you nicely but the screaming starts
I have attempted to address these issues with you in a calm and diplomatic manner, but this usually results in you yelling.
You're playing ping pong with my heart
Your inconsistency and unpredictability are causing me emotional distress, as it feels like you're toying with my heart.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: MARCO PIRRONI, ADAM ANT
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind