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.
Scorpios
Adam and the Ants Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I say that the rules be turned around
listen here from one who knows
be fearless just like the Scorpios
pretty, look young be fearless
like the Scorpion
pretty, look young be fearless
the Scorpion
the Scorpion
black's the colour watch the claws
with nails as sharp as Diana Dors
watching us is stopping you
from cruising Ugly Avenue
pretty, look young be fearless
like the Scorpion
pretty, look young be fearless
like the Scorpion
the Scorpion
the Scorpion
and if by chance you cling to hate
just rest assured it's your mistake
hold up your head, you know I'm right
the street's the place, tonight's the night
the night
the night look pretty, look young be fearless like the Scorpion
the night look pretty have fun, don't listen when you're told there's none...
The lyrics of "Scorpios" by Adam and the Ants exude an unapologetic attitude towards life, urging the listener to be fearless and embrace their inner Scorpion. The song acknowledges the existence of street gangs in every town and proposes that instead of following their destructive ways, we should flip the script and adopt their rebellious, fearless spirit.
The lyrics highlight the importance of being pretty and young, but above all, fearless. In the second verse, the image of a Scorpion is used as a metaphor for this kind of fearlessness. The Scorpion is known for its lethal sting and ability to withstand extreme conditions, and the song encourages us to embody these qualities in our daily lives.
The lyrics also touch on the concept of appearances being deceiving. The Scorpion may look pretty, but it has sharp claws and nails that can inflict harm. Similarly, the song reminds us that people may be watching us and trying to bring us down, but we should not let them deter us from cruising forward.
Overall, "Scorpios" is a high-energy, rebellious anthem that urges us to be true to ourselves and embrace our fearless spirit, even when faced with negativity and adversity.
Line by Line Meaning
There's a gang in every town
There are groups of people in every town
I say that the rules be turned around
I suggest that we change the rules
listen here from one who knows
Listen to me because I know what I'm talking about
be fearless just like the Scorpios
Be brave like the Scorpios
pretty, look young be fearless
Be attractive, youthful and courageous
like the Scorpion
Like a scorpion
black's the colour watch the claws
Black is the color and watch out for claws
with nails as sharp as Diana Dors
With nails as sharp as Diana Dors
watching us is stopping you
Watching us is preventing you
from cruising Ugly Avenue
From going down a path that is not desirable
and if by chance you cling to hate
And if you happen to hold onto hate
just rest assured it's your mistake
Just be assured that it's your mistake
hold up your head, you know I'm right
Hold your head up high because you know I'm right
the street's the place, tonight's the night
The street is the place and tonight is the night
pretty, look young be fearless like the Scorpion
Be attractive, youthful and courageous like a scorpion
the night look pretty have fun, don't listen when you're told there's none
Tonight look pretty, have fun and don't let others tell you that there is no fun
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: MARCO PIRRONI, ADAM ANT
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Nige
on Lou
So... we're just going to let AI invent song-lyrics now? This is not Adam Ant's Lou. Shameful lazy website.
Ben - Moderator
on Cleopatra
Hi Kevin, I have updated the song facts to reflect these corrections. Please let us know if any further errors are found.
Kevin Manktelow
on Cleopatra
Couple of glaring errors, Cleopatra was first performed on the 10th July 1978 on the Peel Sessions and it was record in in the studio in 1979 for the Dirk Wears White Sox album which was released in January 1980. Marco Pirroni didn't join the band until after Malcolm Mclaren persuaded the rest of the band to quit and form Bow Wow Wow at the end of January 1980. It also wasn't on the normal release of the Prince Charming album, nor was it released as a single.