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.
The Human Beings
Adam and the Ants Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Never the talented one with that insight
Not smart enough to listen to my own advice
Tell me how nowadays I can trust a girl with pink highlights
I'm staying on my old fixes
Life as golden as goldfishes
Getting all the same visions (Man)
If I can't defend my own honour why waste my rest on the wicked (Damn)
I ain't gonna be the same man after this
I'm feeling more human everyday
And I admit- that feeling don't feel anything I thought it would- bliss
Feels like one hard truth and its coming out thick
Understand myself clear as day
No problems in my way
Ain't nothing I can say (I suppose)
That would correct my wrongs I've made since 2008
Decades passed and I ain't feeling great (And I know)
Black as the token in the clan that should've been a model
No purple dreads up on my head, I hold my uzi horizontal
All along the axis I see people smiling at me with little of importance
Problems ain't coming up in my life this feeling's constant
Everything happens for a reason but why along the way is it so rotten
No one wants to be sad, I didn't get the option
So when I'm in the therapy office, churning up that nonsense
The one thing that makes me happy is that I'm human if I'm being honest
The hihats be booming
The same feelings are brewing
I'm barely cruising
I'm feeling human
The lyrics of Adam and the Ants’ song The Human Beings seem to explore themes of self-discovery and acceptance, as well as the difficulty of finding happiness in a world that can be cruel and unforgiving. The opening lines convey a sense of insecurity and self-doubt, with the singer admitting that they have never been the “talented one with that insight” and questioning how they can trust someone with “pink highlights”. Despite this, the singer expresses a sense of contentment with their life, comparing it to the easy existence of a “golden” pet fish.
As the song progresses, the lyrics become more introspective, with the singer acknowledging that they have made mistakes in the past and that they are not entirely happy with where their life has led them. However, they also express a desire to accept themselves for who they are, rather than trying to conform to society’s expectations. The line “the one thing that makes me happy is that I’m human if I’m being honest” seems to capture the essence of the song’s message, suggesting that true happiness can only come from being true to oneself.
Line by Line Meaning
I was never one for the limelight
I’ve never been someone who enjoys attention.
Never the talented one with that insight
I’ve never been particularly good at noticing things.
Not smart enough to listen to my own advice
I’m not clever enough to follow my own guidance.
Tell me how nowadays I can trust a girl with pink highlights
I don’t understand how I can rely on someone with seemingly random and unconventional appearance choices.
I'm staying on my old fixes
I’m sticking with my usual habits and ways of doing things.
Life as golden as goldfishes
My life feels as easy and carefree as that of a goldfish.
Getting all the same visions (Man)
I constantly have the same thoughts and ideas.
Never the type to jump in a skirmish
I’m not one to engage in confrontation.
If I can't defend my own honour why waste my rest on the wicked (Damn)
If I don’t have the ability to protect my own reputation, there’s no sense in worrying about those who would speak ill of me.
I ain't gonna be the same man after this
I’m going to change in some way as a result of my experiences.
I'm feeling more human everyday
I’m becoming more aware of my flaws and limitations.
And I admit- that feeling don't feel anything I thought it would- bliss
The realization that I’m only human doesn’t bring me as much happiness as I expected.
Feels like one hard truth and its coming out thick
The realization that I’m imperfect is a difficult reality to face.
Understand myself clear as day
I have a very clear understanding of myself.
No problems in my way
There’s nothing standing in the way of my understanding of myself.
Ain't nothing I can say (I suppose)
There’s really nothing I can do about it, I guess.
That would correct my wrongs I've made since 2008
There’s nothing I can say or do to undo the mistakes I’ve made since 2008.
Decades passed and I ain't feeling great (And I know)
Many years have gone by and I’m still not feeling good about myself (and I’m aware of it).
Black as the token in the clan that should've been a model
I feel like an outsider in a group that I should fit into perfectly.
No purple dreads up on my head, I hold my uzi horizontal
I don’t follow the expected norms in my appearance, yet I hold my gun confidently.
All along the axis I see people smiling at me with little of importance
I see people around me who are happy, but their happiness seems superficial and unimportant.
Problems ain't coming up in my life this feeling's constant
I don’t have any new issues in my life, but this constant feeling of discontent remains.
Everything happens for a reason but why along the way is it so rotten
I believe everything is predetermined, but I can’t understand why the journey is so difficult.
No one wants to be sad, I didn't get the option
Nobody wants to be unhappy, but it seems to be my lot in life regardless of my preferences.
So when I'm in the therapy office, churning up that nonsense
When I’m in therapy, going over my problems, it can seem trivial and pointless.
The one thing that makes me happy is that I'm human if I'm being honest
Being flawed and imperfect is one of the few things that brings me some happiness.
The hihats be booming
The percussion in the song is very lively and noticeable.
The same feelings are brewing
I’m experiencing the same feelings as before.
I'm barely cruising
I’m just getting by, I’m not really thriving.
I'm feeling human
I’m feeling more aware of my imperfections and limitations.
Lyrics © O/B/O DistroKid
Written by: Adam XXX
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@user-qi2jj5nh4h
Love Marco’s guitar tone on this!
@runcaz7802
I stumbled upon an old cassette tape in 1987 and listened on my boom box while painting a house. I couldn't understand ANY of the lyrics to "The Human Beings" but loved it anyway. Now 30 years later I wanted to hear it again but knew no lyrics, name of song or album.
So i typed in Adam Ant Arapaho" and waalaah! Found it! There is also a live version where just after the song ends Adam says "They are human beings, and WE are the savages"
Beautiful song Adam Ant! !
@user-al81147
Like you said
Music is the only medicine now
🙏💘
@user-al81147
🩸🩸
@rubberchicken5670
LITTLE KNOWN FACT: Although a GREAT homage to Native American tribes, the song title was obviously lifted from the 1970 film "Little Big Man" with Dustin Hoffman about a white man raised by the Cheyennes. Chief Dan George refers to the Cheyennes as "the human beings" in the film. It's a CLASSIC film! Funny & sad. If you can find it, SEE IT! It's wonderful!!
@barrysmith8920
LOVE this!!
Adam is absolutely brilliant and this is a GREAT homage to Native Americans written by a British songwriter 🙏🏻🌹
@thetriumphofthethrill2457
Nice upload, good sound. Probably the best track off their masterpiece, and one of my all-time faves. Ant and Pirroni were talented songwriters who were masters at creating quirky and offbeat Rock. Simply magic.
@tristanbaravraham6349
I was 17 and my buddy was an SP in the US Air Force and mailed me this LP from mother England. It had Stand & Deliver as a bonus track, Joy!
@belia1313
My friend Rene was a huge fan of Adam I painted a painting of him for her on her 16 birthday of his Prince Charming years
@j.c.9784
I saw the man live.. was awesome