‘Hungry Like the Wolf’ is a song by English new wave band Duran Duran. Written by the band members, and produced by Colin Thurston for the group's second studio album, Rio (1982). It reached No. 5 on the UK Singles Chart, remaining six weeks in the top 10, and 12 weeks in total. It received a platinum certification from the British Phonographic Industry (BPI). The release of the single helped Rio reach No. 2 on the albums chart. In Ireland, the single entered the chart on 23 May 1982 and reached No. 4 on the Irish Singles Chart, becoming the band's first top-10 hit in that country.
The music video for ‘Hungry Like the Wolf’ was directed by Russell Mulcahy and filmed in Sri Lanka. Although the band initially failed to break into the US market, MTV placed the ‘Hungry Like the Wolf’ video into heavy rotation. Subsequently, the group gained much exposure; the song peaked at the No. 3 spot on the Billboard Hot 100 in March 1983, and Duran Duran became an international sensation. The video won the first Grammy Award for Best Short Form Music Video in 1984.
‘Hungry Like the Wolf’ was written and recorded on a Saturday in the spring of 1982, at the basement studios of EMI's London headquarters. The song was built throughout the day as each band member arrived, and by the evening it was essentially complete. "That track came from fiddling with the new technology that was starting to come in," guitarist Andy Taylor said in an interview with Blender magazine. The lyrics were inspired by Little Red Riding Hood, and the repeating of the word "do" at the end of each verse takes its melody from the instrumentals in Gordon Lightfoot's song "If You Could Read My Mind."
In 2006, VH1 ranked ‘Hungry Like the Wolf’ No. 3 on its list of the "100 Greatest Songs of the 80's." In 2021, Rolling Stone listed the song at No. 398 on "The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time."
Labels – EMI, Harvest, Capitol
Songwriters – Nick Rhodes, Simon Le Bon, John Taylor, Roger Taylor, Andy Taylor
Producer – Colin Thurston
SONG LYRICS
[Intro]Ha-ha!
[Verse 1]
Darken the city, night is a wire
Steam in the subway, earth is afire
Do-do-do-do, do-do-do, do-do, do-do-do, do-do
Woman, you want me, give me a sign
And catch my breathing even closer behind
Do-do-do-do, do-do-do, do-do, do-do-do, do-do
[Chorus]
In touch with the ground
I'm on the hunt, I'm after you
Smell like I sound, I'm lost in a crowd
And I'm hungry like the wolf
Straddle the line, in discord and rhyme
I'm on the hunt, I'm after you
Mouth is alive with juices like wine
And I'm hungry like the wolf
[Verse 2]
Stalked in the forest, too close to hide
I'll be upon you by the moonlight side
Do-do-do-do, do-do-do, do-do, do-do-do, do-do
High blood drumming on your skin, it's so tight
You feel my heat, I'm just a moment behind
Do-do-do-do, do-do-do, do-do, do-do-do, do-do
[Chorus]
In touch with the ground
I'm on the hunt, I'm after you
Scent and a sound, I'm lost, and I'm found
And I'm hungry like the wolf
Strut on a line, it's discord and rhyme
I howl, and I whine, I'm after you
Mouth is alive, all running inside
And I'm hungry like the wolf
[Interlude]
Hungry like the wolf
Hungry like the wolf
Hungry like the wolf
[Chorus]
Burning the ground, I break from the crowd
I'm on the hunt, I'm after you
I smell like I sound, I'm lost, and I'm found
And I'm hungry like the wolf
Strut on a line, it's discord and rhyme
I'm on the hunt, I'm after you
Mouth is alive with juices like wine
And I'm hungry like the wolf
[Chorus]
Burning the ground, I break from the crowd
I'm on the hunt, I'm after you
Scent and a sound, I'm lost, and I'm found
And I'm hungry like the wolf
Strut on a line, it's discord and rhyme
I howl, and I whine, I'm after you
Mouth is alive, all running inside
And I’m…