The themes and imagery in the band's songs were often influenced by futuristic, dystopian, or post-apocalyptic films such as A Clockwork Orange, The Terminator, Blade Runner, and the Mad Max trilogy. The band's music and image also mashed together a range of other pop culture influences, including the New York electronica duo Suicide, Marc Bolan's T-Rex, and the swagger and sex appeal of Eddie Cochran, Elvis Presley, and glam rock.
The original line-up also featured Martin Degville, Neal X (Whitmore), Chris Kavanagh, and Ray Mayhew. Tony James' friend Mick Jones, a former member of The Clash, gave James advice about starting the band and selecting musicians. While searching for members, in 1983 Tony James tried out Andrew Eldritch from The Sisters of Mercy and, on Mick Jones' suggestion, auditioned the then-unknown Annie Lennox. As well, Jones gave James a Roland G-707 synth guitar, which at the time was a new and rarely-used device. The futuristic, electronic sounds of the synth guitar helped James to create Sputnik's new wave-cyberpunk sound.
The band took its name from a Moscow street gang called Sigue Sigue Sputnik, which means "Burn, burn, satellite." Their outlandish appearance and image, which included towering, multicoloured mohawk hairstyles, wigs, makeup, and multiple piercings, and gender-bending fetish clothing (plastic, rubber, or leather outfits, fishnet stockings, and stiletto heels) garnered a great deal of attention from the media. While these styles have since been used by a number of gothic or glam bands, in the mid-1980s, Sigue Sigue band members' appearance was unique and startling.
The "packaging" of the band's appearance and presentation was carefully considered well before the band ever performed in public. Inspired by the Sex Pistols manager Malcolm McLaren's unorthodox methods of promoting a band, Tony James generated a great deal of hype about Sigue Sigue Sputnik, while wisely not allowing anyone from the music industry a chance to hear the band. James famously showed record executives a short video collage of futuristic and science-fiction movie clips as a "demo tape" of the band. The buzz became a frenzy as several record labels began a bidding war to sign Sigue Sigue Sputnik. James finally settled on EMI, which was rumored to have given the band a £1 million advance.
The group split soon after the release of their second album, Dress for Excess (the initial single from which, Success, was produced by British hitmakers Stock Aitken Waterman). Tony James stated that the band "...couldn't sustain this pretend bastardized version of Sputnik." James also blamed the media for the band's fall from grace. When Sputnik's first singles were released, the media and James' promotional efforts worked symbiotically, sharing the mutual benefits of the band's hype and shock value. Once the initial shock and tabloid outrage over the band's unusual image and appearance had worn off, media coverage became dismissive, criticizing the band's focus on image and style.
The band was reformed once in the 1990s (featuring Tomoyasu Hotei on guitar and Christopher Novak singing) releasing Sputnik: The Next Generation and once again in 2001 with Martin Degville and Neal X, which resulted in the release of Piratespace. The reformed Sigue Sigue Sputnik continues to play live, and it has also produced a number of remixes of other artists' work. In 2004, lead singer Martin Degville left the band to pursue a solo career.
http://www.sputnikworld.com
http://www.sputnik2.com
DISCOGRAPHY
Success
Sigue Sigue Sputnik Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
A beatbox Jesus dancing jive
Venus Mars and Saturn five
A billion TV stars alive
Champagne champagne and model girls
Credit cards let's buy the world
Visa club and Gold Am X
Sex fun success
Sex fun success
Luxury - give it me
Nothing more and nothing less
Than success
Dallas dollars limousines
Debutantes and dynasty
Here's a dream that money buys
Late to bed and late to rise
Luxury - give it me
- Get it, I got it
Fantasy and ecstasy
- Get it, I got it
Grab a piece of that golden fleece
Yeah Yeah Yeah Yeah
On the beach with the nouveau riche
Yeah Yeah Yeah Yeah
On the beach with a Rolls Royce each
Yeah Yeah Yeah Yeah
Yeah-Yeah-Yeah
Success
Roll X Rolls Royce Romeo
Say hello to Savile Row
Take a cheque from Coutts & Co.
Limousines - all systems go
The lyrics to Sigue Sigue Sputnik's "Success" portray a hedonistic and materialistic lifestyle that is seen as the ultimate goal for success. The singer claims to be a "God" who has arrived to offer this dream to the listener. The lyrics reference various symbols of wealth and excess such as credit cards, model girls, Rolls Royces, and champagne, emphasizing the idea that money and material possessions are what constitute success. The chorus repeats the phrase "sex fun success" which suggests that these three elements are the foundation of achieving the ultimate goal.
The verses are filled with imagery of extravagance and luxury, with references to characters such as Princess Stephanie and the TV stars who embody this lifestyle. The singer mentions the late-night partying and late-morning waking, further emphasizing the carefree and wild lifestyle that comes with success.
Overall, the lyrics of "Success" reflect the glamorization of wealth and material possessions as the ultimate measure of success, while also portraying this lifestyle as one of pleasure and indulgence.
Line by Line Meaning
I'm your God I've just arrived
I am your savior, newly arrived on the scene.
A beatbox Jesus dancing jive
Like Jesus, I have come to bring salvation, but instead of preaching, I will spread my message through music and dance.
Venus Mars and Saturn five
I possess cosmic power and am the ruler of planets and stars.
A billion TV stars alive
I am a superstar on TV, and there are many others like me.
Champagne champagne and model girls
I enjoy the finest luxuries, including champagne and beautiful women.
Credit cards let's buy the world
I have unlimited financial resources and can buy anything I desire.
Visa club and Gold Am X
I am a member of exclusive credit card clubs and own a luxurious car.
Caroline and Princess Steph
I associate with the elite and have connections to aristocracy.
Sex fun success
My life revolves around pleasure, indulgence, and achievement.
Sex fun success
My life revolves around pleasure, indulgence, and achievement.
Luxury - give it me
I must have the finest things in life to feel fulfilled.
Nothing more and nothing less
I do not need anything additional or less than what I possess to be content.
Than success
Success is the only thing that matters.
Dallas dollars limousines
I have wealth from the oil-rich city of Dallas and travel in luxurious limousines.
Debutantes and dynasty
I have a rich heritage and access to socialite circles.
Here's a dream that money buys
I can fulfill any dream I have with my wealth.
Late to bed and late to rise
I can afford to indulge in a leisurely lifestyle and not worry about schedules.
Luxury - give it me
I must have the finest things in life to feel fulfilled.
- Get it, I got it
I already possess everything I need for success.
Fantasy and ecstasy
I am constantly chasing new thrills and exotic experiences.
- Get it, I got it
I already possess everything I need for success.
Grab a piece of that golden fleece
I will pursue, conquer, and possess anything valuable or desirable.
Yeah Yeah Yeah Yeah
I am unstoppable and always successful.
On the beach with the nouveau riche
I mingle with other wealthy, successful people on exclusive beaches.
Yeah Yeah Yeah Yeah
I am unstoppable and always successful.
On the beach with a Rolls Royce each
My fellow rich and I show off our luxurious cars on the beach.
Yeah Yeah Yeah Yeah
I am unstoppable and always successful.
Success
Success is the ultimate fulfillment and the only thing that matters in life.
Roll X Rolls Royce Romeo
I own an expensive Rolls Royce car, named 'Romeo.'
Say hello to Savile Row
I own custom-made, perfectly tailored suits from the famous Savile Row.
Take a cheque from Coutts & Co.
I have a limitless cash flow from the exclusive wealth management firm, Coutts & Co.
Limousines - all systems go
I have many luxurious limousines that are always ready for use.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: MARTIN DEGVILLE, NEAL WHITMORE, TONY JAMES
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@murilodemelosantos1396
I'm your God I've just arrived
A beatbox Jesus dancing jive
Venus Mars and Saturn five
A billion TV stars alive
Champagne champagne and model girls
Credit cards let's buy the world
Visa club and Gold Am X
Caroline and Princess Steph
Sex fun success
Sex fun success
Luxury - give it me
Nothing more and nothing less
Than success
Dallas dollars limousines
Debutantes and dynasty
Here's a dream that money buys
Late to bed and late to rise
Luxury - give it me
- Get it, I got it
Fantasy and ecstasy
- Get it, I got it
Grab a piece of that golden fleece
Yeah Yeah Yeah Yeah
On the beach with the nouveau riche
Yeah Yeah Yeah Yeah
On the beach with a Rolls Royce each
Yeah Yeah Yeah Yeah
Yeah-Yeah-Yeah
Success
Roll X Rolls Royce Romeo
Say hello to Savile Row
Take a cheque from Coutts & Co.
Limousines - all systems go
@marciotorrente3143
Reza pra angela torrente SARA do coração
Reza pro Eduardo TORRENTE SARA DO coração
Reza pra Daniela Marin SARA DO coração
Reza pro Lucas TORRENTE SARA DO coração
Reza pra Sabrina TORRENTE SARA DO coração
Reza pro João eliziario SARA DO coração
Reza pra Patricia Andrade SARA DO coração
Reza pro João Henrique Andrade SARA DO coração
Reza pro Josué Pedro SARA DO coração
@Dr.Quarex
Rick Astley cameo was delightfully unexpected but definitely helped amp up the 80sness even further
@kristianbarford
Schofield and Glitter in the same video. Quality work.
@AdiRudi
The most 80s song ever. And produced by some of the defining producers of the 80s
@cristiangomez8158
Que joya!!!!!. Maravillosa época de finales de los '80!!!!.
@kurtrunte
absolute classic
@vikbob1
Из самых любимых вещей ! ! ! Не парит совершенно ! Ребята молодцы ! Очень весело и хорошо !!!!!!
@alexeysamokhin9629
Чувствуется ритм времени.
@DonCossackRu
Спасибо Stock, Aitken, Watermann.
@dennisoconnor4338
ONE OF MY FAVES FROM BACK THE DAY!!
@glamnesianouveaux2039
I remember in 1988 when Success was released I was so surprised Sigue Sigue Sputnik worked with SAW for this track but it worked! And SAW needed some edge injection by 1988! From 1984 to 1987 SAW had edge and then they lost it so Sigue Sigue Sputnik was a bit of cool pop track edge cred for them!