Initially formed in 1976 in London, England, they didn't reach a stable line-up or decide on the Spandau name until 1978. Their odd title allegedly came from a piece of bathroom graffiti observed during the members early days. Inspired by a mixture of avant-garde synth pop and slick funk. as typified by their early track "Chant No 1 (I Don't Need This Pressure On)", also known by other titles such as "Chant # 1", the band commercially broke through with an artistic public image as remarked upon as their music. Said track reached the #2 spot in the U.K. and was notable for inclusion of the horn section from the group Beggar & Co, which proved a fruitful collaboration on record.
Spandau Ballet's first two albums, 1981's 'Journeys to Glory' and 1982's 'Diamond', found them also mining their art rock and glam rock roots as their fan-base expanded, the group looking to the works of David Bowie and Roxy Music for inspiration. Both albums charted in the U.K. top 20 and were later certified gold by the RIAA. Additional popular songs from the band in this era include "To Cut a Long Story Short" and "Freeze" (also known as "The Freeze". The group also notably picked up a semi-friendly rivalry with new wave contemporaries Duran Duran.
After four hits in the U.K. followed by a couple of less successful releases, however, Spandau Ballet's chart career appeared to be on the wane. Yet Instinction, re-ignited their fortunes and became the first of eleven consecutive singles to reach the Top 20
Immensely popular in the UK, the New Romantic group eventually mellowed into a mainstream pop act. As with Duran Duran they 'broke America', albeit briefly - the title track of their 3rd album True peaked in the Top 5 of the Singles charts. The song gained a new life in the 1990's and beyond by being sampled in the songs Set Adrift on Memory Bliss by PM Dawn and N Dey Say by Nelly.
After a split in 1990 and a court case almost ten years later involving Hadley, Keeble & Norman suing Gary Kemp over royalties, they announced in March 2009 a reformation.
Snakes And Lovers
Spandau Ballet Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Well there's something at our door
Now we're fighting together,
As dogs of war
When the moon is shining,
And you're wrapped around our sins
Then our souls starts a-howling
And the show begins
Something comes and slips into it's heart
Snakes and lovers,
Try to shed our sins
We're undercover,
But it's slipped beneath our skins
Snakes and lovers,
Holding on in the night
Are you sleeping tight?
In our garden of eden,
With the poison in disguise
We had grown love together
In paradise
Now utopia's falling
And the messages are clear
That the evil is crawling,
And fear is near
Now temptation comes to try,
So I bite the apple of my eye
Snakes and lovers,
Try to shed our sins
We're undercover,
But it's slipped beneath our skins
Snakes and lovers,
Holding on in the night
Are you sleeping tight?
Now you're alone in your room,
And all of the walls they are turning
And down on the streets where I walk,
The light on my eyes it is burning
So come on and take me, my dear
And bear the fruits of what we know
Then our minds will be clear,
And our hearts will not let go
Just one more step and we will be over
Snakes and lovers,
Try to shed our sins
We're undercover,
But it's slipped beneath our skins
Snakes and lovers,
Holding on in the night
Are you sleeping tight?
Holding on in the night
Are you sleeping tight?
The lyrics of Spandau Ballet's "Snakes and Lovers" address the universal themes of temptation, sin, and the fall from grace. The singer describes the arrival of "something" at their door, and the subsequent bonding of two fighting parties, who become "dogs of war." These groups are then symbolized by "snakes and lovers," who are trying to shed their sins and be undercover but are unsuccessful in doing so as they've slipped beneath their skins, metaphorically alluding to the idea that the sins the singer is referring to are so profound that they have become an inherent part of them. The added layer of secrecy, in which the sinners are lurking around at night adds to the overall atmosphere of the song. The singer is aware that they have fallen from grace, but they are willing to continue to bear the fruits of their knowledge, implying that they are not willing to change despite understanding that their actions have consequences.
The singer mentions the Apple of the eye, which is again symbolic of how a person who is knowingly doing wrong loses their sense of naïve innocence and taints their perception of the world. The lyrics of the song can be interpreted in several ways, with various sections referencing a journey. When the singer states, "Over where the city starts, something comes and slips into its heart," the song is suggesting that they feel as though they are embarking upon a new life path, with temptations and sins challenging them at every turn. By repeating the themes of shedding sin, staying undercover and the strains of the past catching up, the song suggests an overall sense of a lack of closure or resolution.
Line by Line Meaning
I just don't understand it,
I am unable make sense of what's happening
Well there's something at our door
We are facing a situation that requires our attention
Now we're fighting together,
We are working together towards a common goal
As dogs of war
We are fiercely and relentlessly fighting for victory
When the moon is shining,
Under the light of the moon
And you're wrapped around our sins
Indulging in our guilty pleasures
Then our souls starts a-howling
We become overwhelmed with intense emotions
And the show begins
The drama unfolds
Over where the city starts,
At the edge of the city
Something comes and slips into it's heart
Something penetrates and impacts the city deeply
Snakes and lovers,
The opposing forces of good and evil / love and lust
Try to shed our sins
Attempting to absolve ourselves of our wrongdoings
We're undercover,
We are hiding our true intentions
But it's slipped beneath our skins
But our true feelings or desires are seeping through
Holding on in the night
Struggling through the darkness of our problems
Are you sleeping tight?
Are you peacefully unaware of our struggles?
In our garden of eden,
In our perfect and idealized world
With the poison in disguise
With the hidden danger lurking beneath the surface
We had grown love together
We had cultivated a deep love for each other
In paradise
In our idealized world of innocence and bliss
Now utopia's falling
Now our perfect world is deteriorating
And the messages are clear
The signs are obvious
That the evil is crawling,
That evil is slowly and insidiously making its way in
And fear is near
And we are nearing a state of panic and anxiety
Now temptation comes to try,
Now we are being tempted to give in to our desires
So I bite the apple of my eye
So I give in to my temptation
Now you're alone in your room,
Now that you're by yourself
And all of the walls they are turning
And everything seems to be closing in on you
And down on the streets where I walk,
And as I walk on the streets
The light on my eyes it is burning
The light is shining so bright that it's causing pain
So come on and take me, my dear
So come and be with me
And bear the fruits of what we know
And reap the rewards of what we have learned
Then our minds will be clear,
Then we will have clarity of thought
And our hearts will not let go
And our emotions will not falter
Just one more step and we will be over
We are almost at the end
Contributed by Avery N. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@anmoeb
I just don't understand it,
Well there's something at our door
Now we're fighting together,
As dogs of war
When the moon is shining,
And you're wrapped around our sins
Then our souls starts a-howling
And the show begins
Over where the city starts,
Something comes and slips into it's heart
Snakes and lovers,
Try to shed our sins
We're undercover,
But it's slipped beneath our skins
Snakes and lovers,
Holding on in the night
Are you sleeping tight?
In our garden of eden,
With the poison in disguise
We had grown love together
In paradise
Now utopia's falling
And the messages are clear
That the evil is crawling,
And fear is near
Now temptation comes to try,
So I bite the apple of my eye
Snakes and lovers,
Try to shed our sins
We're undercover,
But it's slipped beneath our skins
Snakes and lovers,
Holding on in the night
Are you sleeping tight?
Now you're alone in your room,
And all of the walls they are turning
And down on the streets where I walk,
The light on my eyes it is burning
So come on and take me, my dear
And bear the fruits of what we know
Then our minds will be clear,
And our hearts will not let go
Just one more step and we will be over
Snakes and lovers,
Try to shed our sins
We're undercover,
But it's slipped beneath our skins
Snakes and lovers,
Holding on in the night
Are you sleeping tight?
Holding on in the night
Are you sleeping tight?
@martinhillersweden
The refrain is an almost unique! The chord sequence is so great!
The stick is also a catcher!
@garycarr3857
1986
@karinalubyte1988
INCREDIBLE SONG!
@garycarr3857
1986
@davidgeoghegan8506
Indeed one of the greatest songs pictures of sharing!
@marioramus9681
A perfect Album!
@reptilrrudy2389
Incredible Spandau Ballet song! The song title is similar to "Snakes & Ladders"
@garycarr3857
1986
@robertjohnm.gunabe4591
One of favorite spandau ballet classic hits from Through the Barricades (1986)
@vlad_spb_rocknroll
Great ! Me too ! I love Tony ! He's my fav singer, forever !