The band was formed in 1973 in London, United Kingdom on the initiative of vocalist, songwriter and keyboardist John Foxx (born Dennis Leigh). Originally known as Tiger Lily, the first lineup included Foxx plus Chris Cross (bass guitar), Billy Currie (keyboards/violins), Stevie Shears (guitar) and Warren Cann (percussion). The group released one single in 1974, a cover of "Ain't Misbehaving," before changing their name to Ultravox!, the exclamation point being a reference to the krautrock band Neu! that was produced by Conny Plank (who later produced some Ultravox albums). On the strength of their live act, they signed to Island Records in 1976, releasing their eponymous debut album in February 1977.
In common with many other bands which would go on to form Britain's punk and New Wave movements, Ultravox drew inspiration from the art-school side of glam rock, from bands such as Roxy Music and the New York Dolls, as well as from David Bowie and Brian Eno's early pop-fueled albums. Their eponymous debut album was self-produced by the band, yet Brian Eno (whose next job after these sessions was working with Bowie on 'Low') co-produced two songs and Steve Lillywhite also contributed. Sales were disappointing, and neither 'Ultravox!' nor the associated single "Dangerous Rhythm" managed to enter the U.K. charts.
Ultravox returned later in 1977 with the punkier 'Ha!-Ha!-Ha!'. Although sales of both the album and its lead single "ROckwrok" (which, despite a chorus featuring the lines "Come on, let's tangle in the dark/Fuck like a dog, bite like a shark", was played on BBC Radio 1) were still unimpressive, they had a growing fan-base. Steve Shears was sacked, later deciding to form the new band Faith Global. Although most of 'Ha!-Ha!-Ha!' was dominated by guitars and electric violin, the final track, "Hiroshima Mon Amour," was a prototypical synth pop song which gave a hint to the band's new direction. It remains a critical and fan favourite of the group's early incarnation, and it was even performed by the group on the 'Old Grey Whistle Test'. In 1978, the group quietly dropped the exclamation mark, becoming simply "Ultravox".
Their third album, 1978's Systems of Romance, was recorded under the ear of Conny Plank at his studio in rural Germany and featured new guitarist Robin Simon. It also failed commercially and Island dropped the band. After a US tour in 1979, John Foxx left to pursue a solo career whilst Robin Simon left to join the band Magazine. Musically, the album was a distinct development from the band's previous work and provided a blueprint for Ultravox's subsequent work, bringing synthesisers to the forefront of the group's sound. Island released a compilation of highlights from the group's first three albums in 1979, Three Into One, which was until the mid-1990s the most widespread of Ultravox's early releases.
Midge Ure, an already accomplished musician, was asked to join the band. He had achieved minor success with semi-glam outfit Slik and Glen Matlock's more punk-inspired The Rich Kids, although in 1979 he was temporarily playing with hard rock band Thin Lizzy. Midge Ure and Billy Currie had met in the Visage project, a studio project fronted by Steve Strange. Midge therefore replaced John Foxx for their next album, which would become their most successful to date, taking the already influential Ultravox sound and giving it a commercial appeal it had previously lacked.
Recorded in London and mixed by Conny Plank and the band once more in Germany,
Vienna was released on the new label Chrysalis Records in 1980, achieving a substantial hit with the title track (inspired by Carol Reed's The Third Man), which was accompanied with a distinctive video. It topped out at number two (Joe Dolce's "Shaddap You Face" infamously kept it from the top spot) on the UK Top 40 in 1981. The album reached number five, and was soon followed by Rage in Eden (1981), the band returning to Conny Plank's studio for what turned out to be a difficult recording session.
Ultravox teamed up with legendary producer George Martin for 1982's Quartet, which became their most successful album in the USA.
After touring with their 1984 Lament, and appearing at Live Aid, Warren Cann was fired and pursued a career in acting in the USA. The remaining members, along with Big Country's Mark Brzezicki, resurfaced with U-Vox in 1986 before going their separate ways the following year. Billy Currie and singer/guitarist Tony Fenelle reformed the band in 1992 to record Revelation, and Sam Blue lent his voice to their final release, Ingenuity (1996).
The band's international legion of followers yearned for some sort of reconcilliation. Both Billy Currie and Midge Ure pursued solo careers after the band were put officially on ice by Currie in 1996, Ure continuing to peform solo versions of Ultravox hits live.
Fans were therefore delighted when an announcement came in November 2008 that the 'classic' Cann/Cross/Currie/Ure line-up were to reform and play a fourteen-date UK tour entitled Return To Eden in April 2009. With Vienna and Rage In Eden being remastered and re-released and plans for a greatest hits compilation to accompany the tour, Ultravox are now set for a return to prominence.
After their successful 'Return to Eden Tour', Ultravox signed a deal with Universal Records and talk of new studio albums heated up. On February 21st 2011, a new EP, Moments from Eden, came out.
The band's latest album is 2012's 'Brilliant', featuring the 80s line-up of Midge Ure, Billy Currie, Chris Cross, and Warren Cann. Picking up a strong fan response, their recent touring has brought them to big crowds alongside rockers Simple Minds.
Website: http://www.ultravox.org.uk
ROckWrok
Ultravox Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
ROckWrok
ROckWrok
ROckWrokrockwrok
Blast off, the walls are down
Cast off, the wolves are out
Come on, there's no time, I can't wait
Rip off my clothes, I'm stripping yours
What a magnificent disgrace
C'mon and tangle in the dark, dark
Fuck like a dog, bite like a shark, shark
When it's wet and hot you want to ROckWrok
ROckWrok, ROckWrok
ROckWrokrockwrok
Penetration boys in hotel lifts
Invitations on sinking ships
The whole wide world fits hip to hip
In aircraft destroyers and cinema foyers
The chaste and the chasers, amazing the neighbours
Gay, wild and willing, stripped of grace
A sombre rumba in the dark, dark
Fuck like a dog, bite like a shark, shark
The population's got to ROckWrok
ROckWrok, ROckWrok
ROckWrokrockwrok
ROckWrok
ROckWrok
ROckWrok
ROckWrokrockwrokrockwrokrockwrok
A doodlebugger in the dark, dark
Fuck like a dog, bite like a shark, shark
When they find the top you've got to ROckWrok
ROckWrok, ROckWrok
ROckWrokrockwrok
A nimble mambo in the park, park
Fuck like a dog, bite like a shark, shark
The population's got to ROckWrok
ROckWrok, ROckWrok
ROckWrokrockwrok
An anal sailor in the bar, bar
Fuck like a dog, bite like a shark, shark
When it's wet and hot you want to ROckWrok
ROckWrok, ROckWrok
ROckWrok, ROckWrok
ROckWrok, ROckWrok
ROckWrok, ROckWrok
ROckWrok, ROckWrok
ROckWrok, ROckWrok
ROckWrok, ROckWrok
A plucky sucker in the car park
Fuck like a dog, bite like a shark, shark
There's nothing left for us, just ROckWrok
ROckWrok, ROckWrok
ROckWrokrockwrok
A willing waltzer in the car, stark
Fuck like a dog, bite like a shark, shark
Austerity makes you want to ROckWrok
ROckWrok, ROckWrok
ROckWrok
The song "RockWrok" by Ultravox talks about the primal urge of sexual desire and its liberating power. The lyrics describe a world where inhibitions are cast off and people can express their desires freely. The song encourages listeners to let themselves go completely and indulge in sexual pleasure without guilt or shame. The title "RockWrok" itself is a play on words that emphasizes the energetic, rhythmic quality of the song.
Throughout the lyrics, the song makes allusions to various forms of sexual encounters, from penetration in hotel lifts to "an anal sailor in the bar." The song also touches on the idea that sex can be a form of rebellion against societal norms, with lines like "stripped of grace" and "austerity makes you want to RockWrok." The music itself is fast-paced and high-energy, with driving guitar riffs and a pulsing beat that emphasizes the urgency of the lyrics.
Line by Line Meaning
ROckWrok
The repeated use of the phrase ROckWrok sets the tone for the song, urging the listener to engage in uninhibited, raw and feverish sexual activity. It serves as a call-to-action to let loose and enjoy oneself to the fullest.
Blast off, the walls are down
This line represents the opening of oneself to new experiences and ventures, seeking new frontiers and abandoning the construct of societal norms.
Cast off, the wolves are out
The idea of shedding one's inhibitions to engage in primal activities is being conveyed in this line. It could also refer to casting off one's safety net, taking risks and living daringly.
Come on, there's no time, I can't wait
The artist is urging the listener to act, to seize the moment before it passes, to take advantage of the present to engage in activities that may not be acceptable in conventional circumstances.
Rip off my clothes, I'm stripping yours
This line is an invitation to have sex. The act of undressing or stripping each other's clothes is an essential part of any sexual activity, and this line emphasizes the importance of it.
Harder we're starved, wired and barbed
The singer is conveying the idea that the nature of human sexuality is raw and insatiable, with no limit to its physical, emotional or psychological appetite. Wired and Barbed may refer to a heightened state of arousal, ready to pounce at any given moment.
What a magnificent disgrace
The singer suggests that while the behavior may be considered taboo, sinful even, the raw and intimate nature of the act is quite beautiful and liberating.
C'mon and tangle in the dark, dark
This line is an invitation to let go of inhibitions and engage in physical intimacy in a mutually dark and non-judgmental space.
Fuck like a dog, bite like a shark, shark
The artist is urging the listener to embrace their primal nature and engage in animalistic behavior during sex. The use of the metaphor 'bite like a shark' may allude to the pleasure derived from certain forms of pain.
When it's wet and hot you want to ROckWrok
This line alludes to the heightened sense of arousal on a hot and sweaty day and invites the listener to indulge in that feeling with free abandon.
Penetration boys in hotel lifts
The singer is describing a group of people engaging in sexual activity (boys) in a public space (hotel lifts). The idea of the public is reinforced by the reference to sinking ships which portrays a lack of privacy and the risk of getting caught.
Invitations on sinking ships
This line represents the invitation to abandon oneself on a sinking ship, to live fully even when the outcome is uncertain.
The whole wide world fits hip to hip
The line implies that every person on the planet is potentially a sexual partner. It urges the listener to embrace that thought with abandon and live freely.
In aircraft destroyers and cinema foyers
The line implies that sex can and should happen anywhere, regardless of whether it's a public or private space.
The chaste and the chasers, amazing the neighbours
This line implies that people of all sexual orientations are engaging in various sexual acts, regardless of societal norms, and this behavior is turning heads.
Gay, wild and willing, stripped of grace
This line enforces the idea of sexual play with abandon and disregarding the norm of the chaste, whereby those willing to indulge in that freedom are stripped of their grace
A sombre rumba in the dark, dark
This line implies that even in less than ideal situations, one can still engage in sexual play and have a good time (sombre Rumba). The darkness also alludes to a sense of privacy and abandon.
The population's got to ROckWrok
This line alludes to the idea that the masses are engaging in sexual intimacy in its rawest form, and it's not taboo; hence it's relatable.
A doodlebugger in the dark, dark
This line implies that anyone can engage in sexual play, regardless of social status or cultural background. This line also reinforces the idea that the sexual act is exploratory and playful.
When they find the top, you've got to ROckWrok
This line alludes to the idea of playing to the top of one's ability and the elation that comes with this. It is an invitation to enjoy oneself fully in the sexual act.
A nimble mambo in the park, park
This line implies that sexual activity can be exercised even in public spaces, such as a park. The nimble mambo is playful and suggestive of physical dexterity.
An anal sailor in the bar, bar
The line suggests that sexual play is never a dull affair and could be enjoyed by engaging in various acts such as sex. The anal sailor implies sexual acts that would be deemed taboo or frowned upon in society.
There's nothing left for us, just ROckWrok
This line implies that sexual intimacy is the highest form of enjoyment and fulfillment, and no other activity compares to it.
Austerity makes you want to ROckWrok
This line implies that sexual intimacy is one activity that provides an outlet in times of physical or emotional austerity, and it could be indulged to help overcome such challenging times.
Contributed by Charlotte N. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Philip Kassabian
on The Frozen Ones
A great Ultravox song.
Philip Kassabian
on Dancing With Tears in My Eyes
A great and emotional song.