10 Worst Music Lyrics Of The '80s
4. Vienna - Ultravox
The illusion of atmosphere and sophistication that Ultravox created with the video for 'Vienna' belied the fact that in actuality it was a song about very little. The clue is right here in the chorus: 'It means nothing to me, this means nothing to me, oh Vienna'. Quite. It is very hard to avoid the suspicion that what we have here is a prime example of style over substance.
The content of the verses is equally obtuse, abstraction disguised as something a lot deeper: 'Lying and waiting, a man in the dark in a picture frame'. 'Vienna' arrived at a time when the musical landscape of the UK was embracing the softer, post punk, non-confrontational sounds of the new romantics. Keyboards, drum machines, moody videos - these were the ingredients - there was no rebellion in the air!
Ironically, prior to Midge Ure joining the band, Ultravox were one of the earliest new wave bands, with a spiky aggressive sound. It didn't score them any hits; once Ure arrived their fortunes, as well as their sound changed massively. For those who don't know what the original band sounded like, check out 'Young Savage' and brace yourself!