Led by Adam Ant (real name Stuart Goddard), the band formed in 1977 in London, England, consisting of Lester Square (guitar), Andy Warren (bass guitar) and Paul Flanagan (drums). Square was replaced by Mark Gaumont early in the band's career, before the release of their debut album Dirk Wears White Sox (1979, Do It Records). The album was somewhat dark, with post punk riffs and some vestiges of glam rock. The album was not a success, so Adam and the Ants hired Malcolm McLaren (manager of the Sex Pistols) to help with their image.
While preparing for their second album, McLaren convinced the Ants to leave Adam and form Bow Wow Wow. A new version of the Ants was formed by Marco Pirroni (guitar), Kevin Mooney (bass guitar) and two drummers, Terry Lee Miall and Merrick. Pirroni would go on to become an influential member of the group, and cowrite many of their songs with Adam Ant.
The band signed a major label deal with CBS Records and began recording Kings of the Wild Frontier. That album was an enormous hit in the United Kingdom and put the band at the forefront of the New Romantic moment. The album reached #1 on the UK album charts on January 24, 1981.
There were several hit singles from this LP, including Dog Eat Dog (reaching #4 on the UK singles charts in October 1980), Ant Music (#2 in January 1981) and Kings of the Wild Frontier (#2 in March 1981). In addition, Antmusic made it to No.1 in Australia for five weeks.
Bassist Kevin Mooney left the band in 1981, and was replaced with Gary Tibbs who joined just in time to record the hit single "Stand and Deliver".
In November 1981 Adam and the Ants released another highly successful album, Prince Charming. The band had two United Kingdom #1 singles. "Stand and Deliver" was the #1 single in the UK for 5 weeks in May 1981, followed by "Prince Charming", which topped the UK charts, for 4 weeks in September 1981. "Antrap" reached #3 in January, 1982.
The band seized the opportunities provided by music videos on the new MTV channel to develop a theatrical, charismatic onscreen persona. With romantic costumes and heavy make-up, the band was an early example of the New Romantic movement, with contemporaries such as Duran Duran dressing similarly. Lavish videos were produced for the Prince Charming singles, including Stand and Deliver, Prince Charming, and Ant Rap. In the Stand and Deliver video, Adam Ant is dressed as a "dandy highwayman" and generally indulges his exhibitionist tendencies. These videos helped break the band in the United States when MTV began airing them.
In early 1982 the band received a Grammy Award nomination for Best New Artist.
Dog Eat Dog
Adam and the Ants Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
The things we do
Only idiots
Ignore the truth
It's easy to
Lay down and hide
Where's the warrior
We're gonna move real good - yeah right
We're gonna dress so fine - OK
It's dog eat dog eat dog eat dog
Leapfrog the dog
And brush me daddy-O
It's easy to
Lay down and hide
Where's the warrior
Without his pride?
You may not like
The things we say
What's the difference
Anyway?
We're gonna move real good - yeah right
We're gonna dress so fine - OK
It's dog eat dog eat dog eat dog
Leapfrog the dog
And brush me daddy-O
It makes me proud
So proud of you
I see innocence
Shining through
It makes me proud
So proud of you
I see innocence
Shining through
It makes me proud
So proud of you
I see innocence
Shining through
This song is about the struggle to remain true to oneself in a world where everyone else is just trying to survive at any cost. The chorus, "It's dog eat dog eat dog eat dog, leapfrog the dog and brush me daddy-O," is a metaphorical representation of the ruthless nature of the world we live in. It is essentially saying that one must be willing to stand out and be different in order to exist in a society that places value on conformity and survival.
The lyrics express an unapologetic attitude towards those who would try to tear us down for being different. The lines, "Only idiots ignore the truth" and "What's the difference anyway?" illustrate the singer's disregard for the opinions of others who do not have the courage to stand up for themselves.
The song also speaks to the value of pride and individuality. The line, "Where's the warrior without his pride?" emphasizes the importance of being true to oneself and standing up for what is right, even when it is difficult or unpopular. The repetition of the line, "It makes me proud, so proud of you, I see innocence shining through," is a recognition of the strength and beauty that comes from being true to oneself.
Line by Line Meaning
You may not like
We understand that our lifestyle may not be suitable for everyone
The things we do
Our actions and choices may seem unconventional or even offensive to some
Only idiots
It takes an unintelligent person to ignore the reality of the world
Ignore the truth
Turning a blind eye to the truth is foolish and irrational
It's easy to
It's simple to take the path of least resistance
Lay down and hide
Avoiding confrontations or challenges is a cowardly choice
Where's the warrior
True courage and strength come from standing up for what you believe
Without his pride?
If a warrior lacks pride in their beliefs, they are not truly a warrior
We're gonna move real good - yeah right
We may try to put on a show or act like everything is under control
We're gonna dress so fine - OK
Our appearance may be important to us, regardless of what others think
It's dog eat dog eat dog eat dog
The world is a harsh and competitive place where only the strong survive
Leapfrog the dog
We will do whatever it takes to come out on top
And brush me daddy-O
Our confidence and coolness cannot be shaken
You may not like
Again, we understand that our views and opinions may be unpopular or controversial
The things we say
Our words may be bold and daring, possibly even offensive to some
What's the difference
To us, the opinions of others do not matter as much as our own beliefs
Anyway?
Our choices and actions are our own, regardless of what others may say or do
It makes me proud
We take pride in our individuality and uniqueness
So proud of you
We may be addressing our followers or supporters, expressing gratitude and admiration for their steadfastness
I see innocence
Despite our unconventional and possibly controversial choices, we still see purity and goodness in ourselves and others
Shining through
This inherent goodness may be visible to us and others, despite our less stellar moments
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: ADAM ANT, MARCO PIRRONI
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@BatmanWangChung
"Dog Eat Dog"
You may not like the things we do
Only idiots ignore the truth
It's easy to lay down and hide
Where's the warrior without his pride?
We're gonna move real good
We're gonna dress so fine
It's dog eat dog eat dog eat dog eat dog eat dog eat dog eat dog eat dog
Leapfrog the dog
And brush me, daddy-o
It's easy to lay down and hide
Where's the warrior without his pride?
You may not like the things we say
What's the difference, anyway?
We're gonna move real good
We're gonna dress so fine
It's dog eat dog eat dog eat dog eat dog eat dog eat dog eat dog eat dog
Leapfrog the dog
And brush me daddy-o
It makes me proud, so proud of you
I see innocence shining through
It makes me proud, so proud of you
I see innocence shining through
It makes me proud, so proud of you
I see innocence shining through
✌
@allwarsarebankerwars7089
No. Title
1. "Dog Eat Dog"
2. "'Antmusic'"
3. "Feed Me to the Lions"
4. "Los Rancheros"
5. "Ants Invasion"
6. "Killer in the Home"
Side B
No. Title
1. "Kings of the Wild Frontier"
2. "The Magnificent Five"
3. "Don't Be Square (Be There)"
4. "Jolly Roger"
5. "Making History"
6. "The Human Beings"
@fil1p357
A genius! Nobody broke the musical standard in the industry and innovated as much as this man, it's almost unbelievable how he didn't get stuck in the underground scene and became one of the biggest pop culture idols in the late 70's and become a big star from the 80's in Europe and the United States . It would be asking too much for the general public to understand what Adam Ant's music is. I am happy to announce that I have discovered this musician, and I am happy that he still has a loyal following today. I'm 33 years old.
@timbayliss4153
Marc Bolan nearly did, doing albums with sentences, such as "they had stars in their eyes..." and other similar long titled albums. I can't remember the last words of the sentence on this one though.
@jonnuanez7183
Back when Adam Ant hit, we all just accepted it. It was new and different; we liked and wanted that. Granted, this is on an entirely different planet-his own. So much the better.
There is a lot going on musically here. We were listening to what was going on even when dancing. His music demands *listening*, different than a Rush record yet almost the same. The arrangements are very tight and intertwined; everything plays off of each other. Definite art music here. Us fans didn't care if the general public got it or not; top 40 exists for a reason and that's cool. Not everyone needs to have 27 top 10 hits, mansions, etc. But we got it. We understood it. That's all that mattered.
@timbayliss4153
@@jonnuanez7183 For me, what made Adam Ant popular, was he blended Native American music with prePunk or light Rock and Goth music. Nearly all his songs charted in the top 40, due to being very lively, when they were slow, or very lively, when they were very fast.
@Chickenight
@fil1p357, Adam Ant is the stage name of Stuart Leslie Goddard, leader and vocalist of the band Adam and the Ants. Although he began playing punk music, he gradually changed his style towards the image of a pop star. and he still makes music fil1p3 at 69 years old
@johnstjohn6658
Spaghetti Western guitar mixed with Burundi drums, add half-pirate/half-Native American outfits and you get this dope little ditty.
@TheBigMclargehuge
Yeah man I can hear it too
@charlesdeason1646
Easily the Ants' best tune
@Kelly14UK
Top 5.
@jakeskyler9037
andy eccles the outro is phenomenal. It’s very mantra as well. And the guitars are amazing.