Goody Two Shoes (song)

"Goody Two Shoes"
Single by Adam Ant
from the album Friend or Foe
B-side	"Red Scab"
Released	1982
Format	7"
Recorded	1982
Genre	Power pop, New Wave
Length	7:21
Label	CBS
Writer(s)	Adam Ant, Marco Pirroni
Producer	Adam Ant, Marco Pirroni, Chris Hughes
Adam Ant singles chronology
"Goody Two Shoes" (1982) "Friend or Foe" (1982)

"Goody Two Shoes" is a popular song by Adam Ant. The song was released on the album Friend or Foe in 1982. The title phrase is a disparaging term for someone who is overly virtuous or conformist.

History

Following the dissolution of Adam and the Ants in early 1982, Adam Ant pursued a solo career. His debut as a solo artist, "Goody Two Shoes" was written by Adam Ant and Marco Pirroni and produced by Ant, Pirroni and Chris Hughes. The song details Ant's frustration with press intrusion, which was reinforced by the video and his clean cut image.

The song was an instant hit, reaching #1 on the UK singles chart for two weeks in June 1982 and later repeating the feat in Australia. Despite the success, this was his third and final #1 single. The song was his first and biggest hit on the Billboard Hot 100 in the US, peaking at #12.

Interestingly, there are two versions of the cover. The first has 'Adam and the Ants' across the top of the sleeve and the later version just 'Adam Ant'. This is probably due to the confusion around the timing of Adam going solo, particularly as the song was performed by three fifths of the band (Adam, Marco and Merrick).

Track listing

All songs written by Adam Ant except as noted.

1. "Goody Two Shoes" (Adam Ant/Marco Pirroni)– 3:15
2. "Red Scab" – 4:06

Chart performance

Chart (1982)	Peak position
Dutch Mega Top 50	13
UK Singles Chart	1
U.S. Billboard Hot 100	12
U.S. Billboard Top Rock Tracks	7

Music video

The music video presents a stylized vision of a day in the life of Adam Ant, from dressing in the morning to performing on stage, to being hounded by the media. At the end of the day, he takes home a woman journalist played by British actress Caroline Munro.

The video also starred veteran actors Graham Stark as the butler and Dandy Nichols.

Covers

Punk band Unwritten Law later covered this song. The original version, by Adam Ant, was featured in the film Hot Fuzz.

See also

• The History of Little Goody Two-Shoes

Preceded by "House of Fun" by Madness	UK number-one single 12 June 1982 -19 June 1982	Succeeded by "I've Never Been to Me" by Charlene
Preceded by "I Ran (So Far Away)" by A Flock of Seagulls	Australian Kent Music Report number-one single 16 August 1982 - 23 August 1982	Succeeded by "The Other Woman" by Ray Parker, Jr.