Alpha, their second album, also had a couple of hits ("Don't Cry" and "The Smile Has Left Your Eyes") but its follow-up, Astra, was a flop. The group disbanded in 1985, only to reunite in 1990 without John Wetton; John Payne took his place. After churning out a couple of new songs for a greatest-hits collection, the band hit the road, including two sold-out dates in front of 20,000 fans in Moscow. Thereafter, they toured sporadically and released Aqua (1992), Aria (1994), Arena (1996), Aura (2001), and Silent Nation (2004). The band's lineup reverted to its original form featuring Wetton, Palmer, Howe, and Downes for Phoenix (2008) and Omega (2010). In 2012, the original Asia lineup returned with the studio album XXX, featuring the single "Face on the Bridge." The following year, Howe announced his amicable departure from the group to pursue other projects, and in 2014 Asia released the album Gravitas, featuring new guitarist Sam Coulson. In January 2017, a month and a half before the scheduled beginning of an extensive U.S. tour by the band, John Wetton died from colon cancer at the age of 67.
Biography by Stephen Thomas Erlewine
There is another band with the same name:
2) Asia was an excellent hard rock band with a drive for epic, pomp-filled rock tunes. The band was from Rapid City, South Dakota and should not be confused with the famous U.K. one, which sadly outshone them and ended up rendering the U.S. group highly obscure despite the U.S. one's critical support. Going for a loose instrumental energy similar to Deep Purple and Led Zeppelin, their eventual line-up was made up of Michael English (vocals, bass, percussion), Larry Galbraith (vocals, guitars, mandolin), Mike Coates (guitars, mandolin, mellotron, piano, harpsichord, vocals), and Doug Johnson (percussion). They released two albums: 'Asia' (1979) and 'Armed to the Teeth' (1980).
Little Rich Boy
Asia Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
He´s a clean cut guy
Just the dream
On a tv eye
If you swim
In the dark
You lose a hand
When you feed the shark
[Chorus: ]
Little rich boy, she´s gonna find you
Little rich boy, yeah
Little rich boy, those claws will blind you
Just a little rich boy
She got hooks
In your veins
Feel the pleasure
Kill the pain
Drop a pearl
See the dragon fly
Crack the diamond
Do you still feel high?
Hey rich boy
It's to late, no
Relax rich boy
But you can't wait
[Chorus: ]
Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa...
The song "Little Rich Boy" by Asia is a critique of the privileged class and their blind pursuit of pleasure and material wealth. The lyrics suggest that those who indulge in excess and ignore social responsibility will eventually fall victim to their own vices, represented in the metaphor of a shark waiting to devour those who swim in the dark. The song warns the titular "little rich boy" that his lavish lifestyle and addiction to drugs will only lead to his downfall.
The lyrics also touch upon Marxist ideology, specifically cautioning against blindly following Marxist doctrine as a way to solve social problems. Rather than advocating for a socialist revolution, Asia suggests that individuals should take responsibility for themselves and their actions, rather than looking to external ideologies for solutions.
Overall, "Little Rich Boy" urges listeners to be conscious of their place in society and to strive for a balanced, responsible approach to life.
Line by Line Meaning
Don´t read Marx
Don't bother reading socialist philosophy
He´s a clean cut guy
Marx appears to be respectable despite his ideas
Just the dream
Marxism is just theoretical, it has no practical applications
On a tv eye
It's just something seen on TV or through other media outlets
If you swim
If you engage with dangerous people or environments
In the dark
Without proper awareness and caution
You lose a hand
You're at risk of suffering harm or loss
When you feed the shark
If you give in to those who exploit or manipulate you
[Chorus: ]
Little rich boy, she´s gonna find you
A woman is going to catch up with the wealthy protagonist
Little rich boy, yeah
The singer is indeed wealthy
Little rich boy, those claws will blind you
The woman will hurt the artist
Just a little rich boy
A reminder that wealth doesn't guarantee safety and comfort
She got hooks
The woman has an irresistible allure
In your veins
The man feels addicted or dependent on her
Feel the pleasure
He experiences addictive pleasure when he is with her
Kill the pain
But his pleasure is a temporary escape from deeper sources of pain
Drop a pearl
She gives him a valuable substance or experience
See the dragon fly
He experiences a high, a powerful state of mind
Crack the diamond
But this high is ultimately damaging and unsustainable
Do you still feel high?
He questions whether the pleasure is worth the cost
Hey rich boy
The woman speaks to him directly
It's to late, no
It's too late for him to escape her hold
Relax rich boy
She urges him to surrender to her completely
But you can't wait
He is in a trap, unable to leave her but not fully satisfied either
[Chorus: ]
Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa...
A wordless chorus, serving as a musical refrain throughout the song
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: GEOFF DOWNES, JOHN TIMOTHY PAYNE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
WarhawkBeyond2040
Such a badass song that packs a hell of a punch 😎
Long Live Rock 'n' Roll
YEAH!
Pandamoniaque
this one slaps
Long Live Rock 'n' Roll
I'm not too familiar with that term. If you mean this song is awesome then I agree with you
Pandamoniaque
@Long Live Rock 'n' Roll I don't know if it means anything either I just went with the first word that sounded awesome to me.
Might've hear it somewhere.
And yes. It's a really good song
Long Live Rock 'n' Roll
@Pandamoniaque Haha well then let's just say this song hits hard or should I say slaps hard? 😄