Music Monday: Prince Charming

We’re staying with the Eighties this week on Music Monday and an unusual tune that hit the top of the charts in the UK late in 1981. Adam and the Ants were born out of the noise that was punk rock in the late 1970s. They struggled to gain popular appeal until they re-imaged themselves with Native American-inspired costumes and make-up. This along with a strong rhythm section featuring TWO drummers each playing their own kit found a responsive following at a time when putting on make-up and fancy dress was the in-thing to do. They found chart success with the singles “Dog Eat Dog” and “Antmusic” in 1980, following this with their first British number one, “Stand and Deliver” the following year. Today’s featured song, “Prince Charming” was their second number one in a row. In 1982, Adam Ant, the lead singer (born Stuart Goddard), went solo with the song “Goody Two Shoes” which I believe managed to get airplay in the States.

My older brother was a huge Adam and the Ants fan, at least for the few years they were popular. I enjoyed their music, but wasn’t nearly as into them. Of all the songs I heard on the radio and through my brother’s bedroom wall, this one is probably my favorite. There’s something about the simplicity and yet quirkiness of it, the way each chord drops a half-step creating an unusual feel, the four or five key changes, and that “Prince Charming, Prince Charming, ridicule is nothing to be scared of” repeated at the end.

Some have suggested the song is a response to allegations about Adam Ant’s sexuality. According to Ant, the song was actually inspired by Beau Brummell, the famous tailor of Regency England who revolutionized men’s fashion. But the message of the song seems to me to have fairly broad appeal: “Don’t you ever lower yourself forgetting all your standards,” “Respect yourself and all of those around you,” “Ridicule is nothing to be scared of.” At a time when young people were experimenting with different forms of expression, such a message couldn’t help but resonate. Indeed, for anyone who struggles with being their own person, going against the tide of popular taste,  trying to hold their own against peer pressure to conform, these few lines say a lot.

As I said, musically there’s not a lot to the song. The tune is essentially this, repeated in different keys (click to enlarge):

Here are the words and chords. Sorry guitarists, but this is a song that is best played with barre chords (click to enlarge):

Here’s the music video: