The Adicts are an English Punk rock band from Ipswich, Suffolk. They began … Read Full Bio ↴The Adicts are an English Punk rock band from Ipswich, Suffolk. They began life as the Afterbirth & The Pinz, in their hometown of Ipswich in late 1975. Popular in the 1980s, they were often in the indie charts at that time.
They soon changed their name to The Adicts and became known for their distinctive Clockwork Orange 'Droog' image, which, along with their urgent, uptempo music and light-hearted lyrics, helped set them very much apart from the rest of the genre. Temporary 1980s name changes to ADX and FUN ADICTS, for a children's TV appearance, also occurred.

Their song "Viva La Revolution" was featured in the video game Tony Hawk's Underground.

The band still has all its original members, uncommon for a band with such longevity.

The music of The Adicts proves that punk music is a very broad genre, often featuring extra instruments and sound clips such as carousel music (How Sad), violin played by Derick Cook (Joker in the Pack), gongs and keyboard percussion by Anthony Boyd (Chinese Takeaway), and even completely different songs like the switch to Gain To Lose's Tune #24 at the end of G.I.R.L..

The look of the majority of the bandmates is that of the Droogs from the Stanley Kubrick film A Clockwork Orange based on the book by Anthony Burgess. All white with black combat boots and black bowler hats. The band says that the look appealed to them because of the teenage angst associated with A Clockwork Orange. Singer "Monkey" wears full joker make-up and his clothes are wild, patterned suits, flared trousers, colorful dress shirts, and other such things. His favorites seem to be checkerboard patterns, or polkadots. And of course, there's the obligatory bowler hat and gloves. Along with the look come stage antics involving streamers, confetti, playing cards, joker hats, toy instruments, and glitter just to name a few things.

members:
Keith 'Monkey' Warren - Vocals.
Mel (Spider)Ellis - Bass
Pete Dee Davison - Guitar
Michael 'Kid Dee' Davison - Drums
John 'Scruff' Ellis (Mel’s brother) - Guitar
Dan Gratziani - Violin,Piano,Mandolin

Over There
The Adicts Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Funny how life can be
I question my self esteem
I’m not shirking it, I just question it
Kids just wanna know more

I’m just like anyone
Looking for answers since I was born
I still question it

I’m not faking it
I just wanna know more

Over there, over there
The sun is always shining
Over there, over there
But the sun don’t shine on me

And I’ll say Oooh ooh, to every boy and girl
And I’ll say Oooh ooh, oh we’re gonna get there

And I’ll say Oooh ooh, to every boy and girl
And I’ll say Oooh ooh, yeah we’re gonna get there
Yeah we’re gonna get there

Funny how life can be
I question my self esteem
I’m not shirking it, I just question it
I just wanna know more

I’m just like anyone
Looking for answers since I was born
I still question it
I’m not faking it
I just wanna know more

Over there, over there
The sun is always shining
Over there, over there
But the sun don’t shine on me

And I’ll say Oooh ooh, to every boy and girl
And I’ll say Oooh ooh, yeah we’re gonna get there

And I’ll say Oooh ooh, to every boy and girl
And I’ll say Oooh ooh, yeah we’re gonna get there
Yeah we’re gonna get there, yeah we’re gonna get…

Over there, over there
The sun is always shining
Over there, over there
But the sun don’t shine on me

And I’ll say Oooh ooh, to every boy and girl
And I’ll say Oooh ooh, yeah we’re gonna get there

And I’ll say Oooh ooh, to every boy and girl

And I’ll say Oooh ooh, yeah we’re gonna get there
Yeah we’re gonna get there, yeah we’re gonna get there

Overall Meaning

The Adicts’ song “Over There” is an introspective tune reflecting on questions about self-esteem, personal growth, and struggles with finding one’s place in the world. The lyrics convey a feeling of alienation from the mainstream, as if though the character is struggling to fit in, even as they question their motives and desires. The song speaks to a universal human experience of searching for purpose, meaning, and identity.

The lyrics "over there" refer to a place where the sun is always shining, a metaphor for a place of happiness and contentment, contrasting with the character's own struggles. The line "But the sun don't shine on me" emphasizes the feeling of the character's exclusion from this happy place, and the longing to belong or find their path. The repeated "Oooh ooh" throughout the song serves as a reminder that the journey towards self-discovery and growth is for everyone, not just the character.

Overall, "Over There" functions as an anthem for anyone feeling lost or uncertain in their lives, offering a message of hope and assurance that, with perseverance, one day they too will reach their metaphorical sunny destination.

Line by Line Meaning

Funny how life can be
It's interesting to see how life is,

I question my self esteem
I doubt my worth and value,

I'm not shirking it, I just question it
I'm not avoiding the issue, I'm just openly questioning it,

Kids just wanna know more
Children always seek new knowledge and understanding,

I'm just like anyone
I am no different from anyone else,

Looking for answers since I was born
I have been searching for clarity and truth since the beginning of my life,

I still question it
I continue to have doubts and uncertainties,

I'm not faking it
I am not pretending to be someone I am not,

I just wanna know more
I just desire more knowledge and understanding,

Over there, over there
Somewhere else, far away,

The sun is always shining
Life seems perfect and happy in that place,