Adam Ant had his first solo hit with the not-so-subtle innuendos of this swinging, self-referential toe-tapper. Ant recalls: "I come from a background where there's no money, so I thought 'This ain't going to last.' So I was pretty much just focused on the dull, eye-on-the-prize mentality of an athlete; you know, sportsmen don't drink, they don't smoke, they don't take drugs. They shouldn't, and I was having no drugs in my band at all - none - and unfortunately drugs did creep into the band. That's when I got rid of them and I went solo. I didn't want to split up the Ants. That was my baby. It was a physical thing, rock and roll."
Marco Pirroni remained with him from the Ants, and the two of them co-wrote 'Goody Two Shoes' about the intrusiveness of the press. Ant says: "'Goody Two Shoes' was a sort of answer back manifesto and just trying to keep things level-headed because I felt that, and still do, to a degree, that going on stage is creating an illusion. It's magical and it's wonderful and I love doing it, but off stage there has to be time out...Really it was a manifesto. It's just saying 'look, don't drink, don't smoke; what do you do?' Then they want to know what 'do you do' is and I'm not telling them, 'cause it's none of their business."
The line, "When I saw you kneeling, crying words that you mean, opening the eyeballs, pretending you're Al Green, Al Green" was inspired by a Dexy's Midnight Runners concert that Adam saw in 1981: "When I saw Kevin Rowland sing those words and really get into it, I think it was more honest than anything the Clash had ever done."
Ants drummer and producer Christopher Merrick Hughes also worked on the single and demos for the 'Friend or Foe' album before moving on to other projects. 'Goody Two Shoes' went to the top of the charts in Australia and the UK, and thirteen in the Netherlands. A year later, it became his biggest hit in the US, going to number twelve.
There were two different versions of the video. Ant says: "My videos come from my favorite films. That was out of 'Jailhouse Rock'. it was an homage to Elvis. It was really heroic characters. There's a romance about highwaymen; there's a romance about pirates; you know, people on the outside of society and very colorful people. And really,the white stripe is a declaration of war at everybody else, 'cause by that time, when you've had three years of people saying 'No, you're rubbish! No! No! No!', then you get an attitude."
With the heartbreak open
So much you can't hide
Put on a little makeup, makeup
Make sure they get your good side, good side
If the words unspoken
Get stuck in your throat
Send a treasure token, token
Write it on a pound note, pound note
Goody two, goody two
Goody, goody two shoes
Goody two, goody two
Goody, goody two shoes
Don't drink, don't smoke
What do you do
Don't drink, don't smoke
What do you do
Subtle innuendos follow
There must be something inside
We don't follow fashion
That would be a joke
You know we're going to set them, set them
So everyone can take note, take note
When they saw you kneeling
Crying words that you mean
Opening their eyeballs, eyeballs
Pretending that you're Al Green, Al Green
Goody two, goody two
Goody, goody two shoes
Goody two, goody two
Goody, goody two shoes
Don't drink, don't smoke
What do you do
Don't drink, don't smoke
What do you do
Subtle innuendos follow
There must be something inside
No one's gonna tell me
What's wrong or what's right
Or tell me who to eat with, sleep with
Or that I've won the big fight, big fight
Look out or they'll tell you
You're a Superstar
Two weeks and you're an all time legend
I think the games have gone much too far
If the words unspoken
Get stuck in your throat
Send a treasure token, token
Write it on a pound note, pound note
Don't drink, don't smoke
What do you do
Don't drink, don't smoke
What do you do
Subtle innuendos follow
Must be something inside
Don't drink, don't smoke
What do you do
Don't drink, don't smoke
What do you do
Subtle innuendos follow
Must be something inside
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