Taunting Virtue with Adam Ant’s Goody Two Shoes
Goody Two Shoes by Adam Ant was a hit in 1982, reaching number 12 in the US and number 1 in the UK. How did Ant shape this common taunt for the excessively virtuous into an infectious hit? By coupling a toe-tapping rhythm with a super sexy, punk-rock look rooted in Napoleonic military uniforms and war paint. Naturally.
Goody Two Shoes by Adam Ant: The original video
The Look:
Adam’s pelisse jacket with frog fastenings and braid trim, given to him by a friend, was from the film “The Charge of the Light Brigade.” The style of coat was worn by hussars, a class of light military in central Europe in the 15th and 16th centuries (and later by the military during the Napoleonic Wars) and so is sometimes called a hussar jacket.
Here’s Adam on British talk show “Loose Women” discussing his influences, career, mental health, and talks about the origins of his character as a survivor of those Napoleonic Wars.
Interview with Adam, where he discusses the jacket’s possible influence on Michael Jackson
James Franco pays homage to Adam Ant’s iconic look in this photoshoot
Even the Victoria and Albert museum is ga ga for his costumes in this retrospective: “Battlefield to Boudoir: The Costumes of Adam Ant.”
The History of Goody Two Shoes details the origins of the phrase in a story of rewarded virtue, originally penned by Oliver Goldsmith and published by John Newberry. Here’s a free biography of Goldsmith by none other than Washington Irving.
Plus: Oh, the things we can learn from lice. Like when people started wearing clothes!
PS: Also infectious? Tito Puente’s Oye Como Va which features him on Latin timbales, which he popularized. Think drum jokes are hilarious? Check out Puente fan Fred Armisen’s “Standup for Drummers” special on Netflix.