Adam and the Ants – Antmusic

Adam and the Ants – Antmusic

‘Antmusic’ is a song by English rock band Adam and the Ants, released as the third single in the UK from the album Kings of the Wild Frontier. ‘Antmusic’ (often stylised in inverted commas) peaked at No. 2 in the UK in January 1981, being held off the top by the re-release of John Lennon's ‘Imagine’ after his murder in New York City on 8 December 1980. In Australia, the single spent five weeks at No. 1 and earned the band platinum certification for sales of over 100,000 copies. It also reached No. 2 in South Africa, No. 4 in Ireland, and No. 6 in New Zealand. In the North America, the song reached No. 14 on the US Rock Albums & Top Tracks chart, as well as number 19 on the National Disco Action Top 30 chart (alongside ‘Dog Eat Dog’ and ‘Kings of the Wild Frontier’), but it did not find success in Canada.

Antmusic is still a fun listen, 41 years on. Defined by its Burundi beat rhythms, it’s more raw than some of the band’s other 7”s, and its look-at-me lyrics (“So unplug the jukebox and do us all a favour/ That music’s lost its taste so try another flavour/ Antmusic, antmusic, antmusic, antmusic”) still raises a smile.

Adam and the Ants toured Australia in 1981 and appeared on influential TV pop show Countdown. The music video to ‘Antmusic’ features the group playing in a discothèque with a giant juke box, and persuading the young audience to turn away from disco music and dance to the new-styled ‘Antmusic’. The music video was directed by Steve Barron.

Labels – Epic (UK), CBS (Australia)
Songwriters – Adam Ant, Marco Pirroni
Producer – Chris Hughes

SONG LYRICS

Well, I'm standing here, looking at you
What do I see? I'm looking straight through
It's so sad when you're young
To be told you're having fun
 
So unplug the jukebox
And do us all a favour
That music's lost its taste
So try another flavour
 
Ant music (Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh)
Ant music (Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh)
Ant music (Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh)
Ant music (Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh)
 
Well, I'm standing here, what do I see?
A big nothing threatening me
It's so sad when you're young
To be told you're having fun
 
So unplug the jukebox
And do us all a favour
That music's lost its taste
So try another flavour
 
Ant music (Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh)
Ant music (Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh)
Ant music (Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh)
Ant music (Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh)
 
[Guitar solo]
 
So unplug the jukebox
And do us all a favour
That music's lost its taste
So try another flavour
 
Ant music (Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh)
Ant music (Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh)
Ant music (Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh)
Ant music (Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh)
 
Don't tread on an ant, he's done nothing to you
There might come a day when he's treading on you
Don't tread on an ant, you'll end up black and blue
You cut off his head, legs come looking for you
 
So unplug the jukebox
And do us all a favour
That music's lost its taste
So try another flavour
 
Ant music (Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh)
Ant music (Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh)
Ant music (Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh)
Ant music (Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh)
So unplug the jukebox
And do us all a favour
That music's lost its taste
So try another flavour
 
Ant music (Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh)
Ant music (Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh)
Ant music (Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh)
Ant music (Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh)
Ant music (Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh)
Ant music (Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh)
Ant music (Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh)
Ant music (Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh)
Ant music (Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh)
Ant music (Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh)
Ant music (Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh)
Ant music (Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh)
Ant music (Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh)
Ant music (Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh)…
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