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.
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Instant Karma
Duran Duran Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Gonna knock you right in the head
You better get yourself together
Pretty soon your gonna be dead
What in the world you thinking of?
Laughing in the face of love
What on Earth you try'na do?
Yeah, you
Instant Karma's gonna get you
Gonna hit you right in the face
You better get yourself together darling
Join the human race
How in the world you gonna see?
Laughing at fools like me
Who on Earth d'you think you are?
A superstar?
Well, right you are
And we all shine on
Like the moon and the stars and the sun
Well, we all shine on
Everyone, c'mon
Instant Karma's gonna get you
Gonna knock you off your feet
Better recognise your brothers
Everyone you meet
Why in the world are we here?
Surely not to live in pain and fear
Why on Earth are you there
When you're everywhere
Gonna get your share
Well, we all shine on
Like the moon and the stars and the sun
Yeah, we all shine on
C'mon and on and on, on, on
Yeah, yeah
alright
Well, we all shine on
Like the moon and the stars and the sun
Yeah, we all shine on
On and on and on, on and on
And we all shine on
Like the moon and the stars and the sun
Well, we all shine on
Like the moon and the stars and the sun
Yeah, we all shine on
Like the moons and the stars and the sun
Yeah, we all shine on
Like the moon and the stars and the sun
The lyrics of Duran Duran's song "Instant Karma" express the idea of the consequences of one's actions, emphasizing the importance of self-awareness and social responsibility. The song opens with a warning, "Instant Karma's gonna get you," addressing those who aren't thinking clearly or taking responsibility for their actions. The line "Laughing in the face of love" suggests a lack of empathy, and the question "What on Earth you try'na do?" invites the listener to question their purpose and intentions. The chorus emphasizes the idea that we are all part of a larger, interconnected humanity, and our actions impact others. The sentiment "better recognize your brothers, everyone you meet" expresses the human responsibility to care for others and the planet.
The song's bridge encourages listeners to recognize their ability to make a positive impact: "Why in the world are we here? Surely not to live in pain and fear. Why on Earth are you there when you're everywhere? Gonna get your share." These lines suggest that our reason for being is to help others and make a difference in the world. The repeated phrase "we all shine on" symbolizes the unity of humanity, and the images of the moon, stars, and sun suggest that we all have a unique part to play in this interconnected universe.
Overall, the lyrics of "Instant Karma" serve as a call to action, asking listeners to take responsibility for their actions, recognize their connection to others, and find their own unique way to make the world a better place.
Line by Line Meaning
Instant Karma's gonna get you
The law of cause and effect will catch up with you
Gonna knock you right in the head
It will hit you hard and hurt you emotionally
You better get yourself together
You need to start behaving responsibly and making good choices
Pretty soon your gonna be dead
If you keep making bad choices, your life will end badly
What in the world you thinking of?
What are you doing? That's foolish
Laughing in the face of love
You're mocking or ignoring genuine love and affection that others are offering you
What on Earth you try'na do?
What are you attempting to achieve?
It's up to you
The choice is yours
Instant Karma's gonna get you
Your actions will have consequences, both good and bad
Gonna hit you right in the face
The consequences will impact you directly and painfully
You better get yourself together darling
You must change your reckless ways before it's too late
Join the human race
Joining society and contributing towards human progress is necessary
How in the world you gonna see?
How are you going to understand the world and your place in it?
Laughing at fools like me
Mocking others is foolish and immature
Who on Earth d'you think you are?
You're not as important as you think you are
A superstar?
You're not a celebrity, just a regular person who needs to be held accountable for their actions
Well, right you are
That's the truth
And we all shine on
We all have a light within us
Like the moon and the stars and the sun
Our light shines bright like celestial bodies in the sky
Everyone, c'mon
We should all embrace our individual lights and shine together
Gonna knock you off your feet
The consequences of your actions will physically and emotionally derail you
Better recognise your brothers
You should acknowledge and appreciate the common humanity that you share with others
Everyone you meet
Everyone you come across deserves dignity and respect
Why in the world are we here?
What is the purpose of our existence?
Surely not to live in pain and fear
Living in misery and anxiety cannot be the reason we exist
Why on Earth are you there
Why are you wasting your time and potential?
When you're everywhere
You've got unlimited possibilities and options
Gonna get your share
You should strive to achieve your goals, just like anyone else
Yeah, yeah
An expression of enthusiasm and agreement
alright
Everything is good or satisfactory
On and on and on, on, on
Things will keep going and going, whether you're ready for them or not
Like the moons and the stars and the sun
Our light shines bright and cannot be concealed
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: John Lennon
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind