Created by Nick Rhodes (keyboards) and John Taylor (bass) in Birmingham, England in 1978, it later add took in Roger Taylor (drums), Andy Taylor (guitar), and Simon Le Bon (lead vocals). The band has sold more than 100 million records over their more than 40 years of existence, making them one of the best-selling groups in history.
Their songs are often vivid, hook-laden pieces dance pop that have fared well on the radio, but what many remember best about Duran Duran is their iconic music videos. Though many of the videos were tongue-in-cheek, the band has never quite escaped the glamorous and decadent 'jet set' image that their early videos projected. Their flashy outfits and strident, art rock influenced music showed an immense debt to 70s English glam artists such as David Bowie and Roxy Music, yet the band grasped a sense of their own identity and became one of the keystones of the new romantic movement.
Their first singer and one of their original founding members was Stephen Duffy, and their original bassist was Simon Colley. Several drummers and guitarists were subsequently tried, as well as a handful of vocalists, after Duffy left Duran Duran early in 1979. The band felt that they had something special with vocalist Simon Le Bon, and the group smashed into the pop scene shortly afterwards when "Planet Earth", their debut single, was released on 2 February 1981.
"Planet Earth" became an immediate hit in the band's native U.K., reaching #12 on the U.K. Singles Chart on 21 February, and it did even better in Australia, hitting #8 there. Being Duran Duran's first Top 10 hit anywhere in the world, the song showed the group's interest in international stardom. The band's eponymous debut album came out promptly afterwards in June 1981. 'Duran Duran' hit #3 on the album charts and remained in the U.K. Top 100 for 117 weeks, achieving platinum status by December 1982. The initial United States release failed to generate much interest at first, but the group was a British sensation due to their strident mix of pop rock and electronic music.
Music videos for hit singles "Planet Earth" and "Careless Memories" were filmed in December 1980. As they also experienced considerable success with "Girls on Film", which hit #5 on the UK Singles Chart and #11 on the Australian Singles Chart, the group firmly grasped the opportunity to make a name for themselves in musical television. As their fame grew, some fans worried that Duran Duran could have peaked too early. They headed into AIR Studios in London in early 1982 anxious to somehow top themselves.
Band member John Taylor came up with the new album's title, 'Rio', as a product of his fascination with the flaunting sexuality and diverse atmosphere of Brazil. He later said, "Rio, to me, was shorthand for the truly foreign, the exotic, a cornucopia of earthly delights, a party that would never stop." The band had their own plans and ambitions for promotion and reunited with director Russell Mulcahy (who was behind the video for "Planet Earth") to plan out the release of a full length 'video album'— eleven videos in total. Totally dedicated to on-site filming, guitarist Andy Taylor even contracted a tropical virus and ended up hospitalized, thankfully getting better relatively quickly.
'Rio' was, simply, a commercial juggernaut. The band's second studio album, originally released worldwide on 10 May 1982, reached #2 in the UK and #1 in Australia. Massively popular in the U.S., it earned a gold disc on 1 March 1983 and went platinum on 26 April 1983, eventually reaching double-platinum status. As songs such as "Hungry Like the Wolf" and "Rio" received considerable airplay, critical acclaim also grew for the release. With MTV heavily playing the band's music videos, the album is still held as one of the best new wave albums ever. In April 2013, 'Rio' was even voted #3 in BBC Radio 2's 'Top 100 Favourite Albums of all time' list.
In 1985, Duran Duran performed "A View To A Kill" for the the James Bond film of the same name. The song appeared in the movie's title sequence and was also a best-selling single in its own right. In 1987, "Out Of My Mind" was featured at the end credits of the drama film 'The Saint' as well.
Like Depeche Mode, Duran Duran was among the earliest bands to work on their own remixes. From the very beginning, the band had a keen sense of style, and worked with stylist Perry Haines and fashion designers such as Kahn & Bell and Antony Price to build a sharp and elegant image, soon growing beyond the ruffles and sashes of the pirate-flavoured New Romantic look.
Although the group never disbanded, it went through several line-up changes over the years - American guitarist Warren Cuccurullo (formerly of Missing Persons) was also a member of the band from 1989 to 2001, and drummer Sterling Campbell was a member from 1989 to 1991. John Taylor, Roger Taylor and Andy Taylor all returned in 2001 and created a stir among music media and the band's fans. Duran Duran released the first album from the reunited line-up, Astronaut, in 2004, which was in turn followed up by many sold out shows in England, most notably Wembley Arena, where a live DVD of the tour was filmed in 2004/2005.
In October of 2006, it was announced on Duran Duran's website that Andy Taylor had left the band. The band's latest album, 'Red Carpet Massacre' was released in November 2007. They performed the album live in New York City on Broadway at the Barrymore Theater, for what was originally scheduled as an unprecedented 10-night run. A stage hand union strike shortened the run by a few nights, but Duran Duran were able to re-schedule the shows elsewhere. They went on to tour the world, ending their successful run in December of 2008.
2008 also saw the release of a new DVD that documents the making of their now-classic "Rio" album (called "Classic Albums: Rio (Collector's Edition)"), and a book called "Would Someone Please Explain?"- a compilation of questions from the "Ask Katy" area of their popular website.
Duran Duran returned at the end of 2010 with their 13th album, the digital and self-released album All You Need Is Now which debuted at number one on the iTunes charts in many countries (including the USA). The physical version of the album will be released with bonus tracks in February 2011. The album was produced by Mark Ronson.
2015 saw the band return with the album Paper Gods, which was led by the single "Pressure Off" featuring Janelle Monae and Nile Rodgers. The album was the band's first top 10 chart success in the U.S. in over 20 years, and also reached number 5 in the U.K.
Official Websites:
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http://www.facebook.com/pages/Duran-Duran
http://www.youtube.com/DuranDuran
http://www.youtube.com/07duranduran
http://www.myspace.com/duranduran
911 Is A Joke
Duran Duran Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
don't you see how late they reactin'
They only come when they come when they wanna go
get the morgue truck and then bag the goner
They don't care cause they get paid
anyway they treat you like an ace that can't be betrayed
I know you's know with no use people if your life is on the line,
then you're dead today
that's a body bag in disguise y'all I'll betcha
I call 'em body snatchers quick they come to fetch you
With a autopsy ambulance just to dissect ya
They are the kings 'cos they swing amputation
lose your arms your legs the famous compilation
I can prove it to you watch the rotation
it all adds up to a funky situation
Get up get, get, get down 911 is a joke in yo town
Get up get, get, get down late 911 wears the late crown
Get up get, get, get down 911 is a joke in yo town
Get up get, get, get down late 911 wears the late crown
911 is a joke, 911 is a joke
Everyday they don't ever come correct
you can ask my man right here with the broken neck
He's a witness to the job never bein'
done he would've been in full effect
911 is a joke cause their always jokin'
they the token to your life when it's croakin'
They need to be in a pawn shop
on a 911 is a joke we don't want 'em
I'll call a cab 'cause a cab will come quicker
the doctors huddle up and call a flea flicker
The reason that I say that 'cause they flick you off like fleas
They be laughin' at ya while you're crawlin' on our knees
And to the strength, so go the length
thinkin' you are first when you really are tenth
You better wake up and smell the real flavor
cause 911 is a fake life saver
Get up get, get, get down 911 is a joke in yo town
Get up get, get, get down late 911 wears the late crown
Get up get, get, get down 911 is a joke in yo town
Get up get, get, get down late 911 wears the late crown
911 is a joke, 911 is a joke, 911 is a joke, 911 is a joke, 911 is a joke
Get up get, get, get down 911 is a joke, 911 is a joke, 911 is a joke
Get up get, get, get down 911 is a joke, 911 is a joke, 911 is a joke
Get up get, get, get down
In Duran Duran's song "911 Is a Joke," the lyrics express frustration with the responsiveness of emergency services and comment on the systemic issue of people of color receiving inferior treatment. The song's message is conveyed through detailed and metaphorical lyrics that paint a picture of a non-functional emergency response system. The song’s title is derived from the American emergency phone number, 911, which is portrayed in the song as inadequate and a “joke,” hence the chorus '911 is a joke in yo town'. The song goes on to recount personal experiences and anecdotes of people who had to confront “911 is a joke” when calling for help. It also speaks about the difference in service provided by emergency services based on socio-economic status and the racial disparity in response time.
In the bridge, the song mentions the possibility of agency personnel who are more concerned about their salaries than about helping people. Duran Duran highlights the situation where the ambulance comes not to save the patient but to dissect the corpse, emphasizing the notion that they are not driven by a desire to help, but rather by money.
Line by Line Meaning
Now I dialed 911 a long time ago
I made an emergency call a while back
don't you see how late they reactin'
They take a long time to respond
They only come when they come when they wanna go
They only show up when it's convenient for them
get the morgue truck and then bag the goner
They bring the vehicle to transport the deceased person
They don't care cause they get paid
They are not concerned because they are paid regardless
anyway they treat you like an ace that can't be betrayed
They treat emergency cases as a high priority
I know you's know with no use people if your life is on the line,
If your life is in danger, people who can't help you are useless
then you're dead today
If you don't receive help, you'll die
Late comers and the late comers stretcher
They arrive late with a stretcher
that's a body bag in disguise y'all I'll betcha
It's actually a body bag instead of a stretcher
I call 'em body snatchers quick they come to fetch you
They are like grave robbers, they come to take the dead
With a autopsy ambulance just to dissect ya
They bring an ambulance for autopsy purposes
They are the kings 'cos they swing amputation
They have control and power over the situation, and might lead to amputation
lose your arms your legs the famous compilation
They might have to amputate limbs, which is a possibility
I can prove it to you watch the rotation
I can demonstrate by showing you how it works in reality
it all adds up to a funky situation
It's a bad and unpleasant situation
Everyday they don't ever come correct
Every day they don't do things the right way
you can ask my man right here with the broken neck
You can ask the witness with the injury
He's a witness to the job never bein' done
He can attest to them not doing their job properly
he would've been in full effect
He would have been in perfect condition
911 is a joke cause their always jokin'
911 is not taken seriously because they are always messing around
they the token to your life when it's croakin'
They are the only hope for saving your life
They need to be in a pawn shop
They are worthless and should be sold at a pawn shop
on a 911 is a joke we don't want 'em
We don't want their service because it's a joke
I'll call a cab 'cause a cab will come quicker
I'll call a taxi since it comes faster
the doctors huddle up and call a flea flicker
The doctors gather and come up with an unreliable plan
The reason that I say that 'cause they flick you off like fleas
The reason I say that is because they dismiss and ignore you quickly
They be laughin' at ya while you're crawlin' on our knees
They make fun of you while you beg for help
And to the strength, so go the length
The more power you have, the farther you go
thinkin' you are first when you really are tenth
Thinking you are a priority when you are not
You better wake up and smell the real flavor
You should realize the reality of the situation
cause 911 is a fake life saver
911 does not actually save lives
911 is a joke in yo town
911 is unreliable in your area
late 911 wears the late crown
911 is always late and wins the 'late crown'
911 is a joke, 911 is a joke
911 is not effective
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, REACH MUSIC PUBLISHING, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: Keith Boxley, George Clinton, William Bootsy Collins, William Drayton, Eric Sadler, Bernard Worrell
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Mike Denton
This is much better than I thought it was gonna be I admit
LightBlue2222
@eddie joewalt they did have a black drummer from 87 to 90 ! 🎉 hehe
eddie joewalt
yeah! duran duran being blacks?
Graham Richardson
Love it. Bluesy and brilliant.
Michael Murden
I want to hear Public Enemy do Girls on Film or Hungry Like the Wolf.
baz Lynch
The living daylights
L M
Me too 😂
thomas charles
Or hear them do Rio
sexobscura
you've gone too far this time
Srananbloke
Fight the Reflex! Fight the FLE-FLE-FLE-FLEX