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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Still Breathing
Duran Duran Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Or comfort in the firelight,
Not in that sense anyway.
Dreams, if only I had known
But these things always seem
So much clearer at a distance.
I'm walking out of this town
I'm never going back there.
I'd burn the place to the ground.
I'm never going back there,
I'm never going back there again.
Words only could break that ring
You know the words still sting
So much harder than the blows ever did.
Heart, though it's hot and violent
My head is cool and quiet
As the ashes that fall from the sky
I'm walking out of this town
I'm never going back there,
I'm never going back there.
I burn the place to the ground.
I'm never going back there,
I'm never going back there again.
Now, I know this shattered feeling,
Trampled but still breathing.
I'm just waiting for a good day
I'm walking out of this town
I'm never going back there,
I'm never going back there.
I've burn the place to the ground.
I'm never going back there,
I'm never going back there again.
Never going back there again,
I'm never going back there again
The song "Still Breathing" by Duran Duran speaks of a difficult situation from which the singer wants to escape. It could be a toxic relationship, a job that is unfulfilling, or a place that brings back painful memories. The first verse tries to define what "home" means to the singer, and he realizes that it's not about the physical structure but the emotional connection and comfort it provides. However, in their case, the feeling of belonging no longer exists, and the memories bring only pain. Looking back, the singer realizes that "dreams" could have shown them the path to a better life.
The repetitive chorus "I'm walking out of this town, and I'm never going back there again," conveys the urgency with which the singer wants to leave. The next verse highlights the impact of words as they hurt more than physical violence, and the singer's heart is hot and violent. But in contrast, his head is cool and quiet, like the ashes that fall from the sky. The reference to ashes symbolizes endings, but also the possibility of new beginnings rising from them. In the final verse, the singer acknowledges the shattered feeling caused by the past, but despite all the hardships, they are still breathing and waiting for a good day.
Overall, the song is about the desire for change, leaving behind the illusions of what "home" means, and choosing a new path.
Line by Line Meaning
Home, it's not brick or stone
The feeling of home cannot be contained in physical structures.
Or comfort in the firelight,
It's not just about the physical warmth of being near a fire.
Not in that sense anyway.
It's not that simple.
Dreams, if only I had known
If only I had known how things would turn out.
But these things always seem
In hindsight, it's always more clear.
So much clearer at a distance.
These things are always easier to see from afar.
I'm walking out of this town
Leaving this place behind.
I'm never going back there,
I have no intention of returning.
I'd burn the place to the ground.
I feel so strongly about leaving that I would rather see the place destroyed.
Words only could break that ring
Verbal abuse hurts worse than physical abuse.
You know the words still sting
The emotional pain remains long after the words have been spoken.
So much harder than the blows ever did.
Even physical pain doesn't compare to the pain of emotional abuse.
Heart, though it's hot and violent
I feel passionately.
My head is cool and quiet
But I'm thinking logically and rationally.
As the ashes that fall from the sky
Like the debris of something that has been destroyed.
Now, I know this shattered feeling,
I have come to recognize and accept the pain and hurt I feel.
Trampled but still breathing.
Though I've been beaten down, I'm still alive and standing.
I'm just waiting for a good day
I'm still hopeful and waiting for things to get better.
Never going back there again,
I am resolute in my decision to leave this place behind.
I'm never going back there again.
There is no turning back for me.
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd., Fintage House Publishing, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: SIMON JOHN CHARLES LE BON, NICK RHODES, JOHN NIGEL TAYLOR, ROGER ANDREW TAYLOR, CID EDUARDO MEIRELES, ANDREW TAYLOR
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind