Mark Ronson names the greatest opening line to an album: “Insane arrogance”
An opening track of an album should be a defiant statement, letting the listener know exactly what world they are entering for the next 30 minutes or more. On The Stone Roses’ iconic 1989 debut album, they managed to achieve that feat with the mere introduction of the bass line on ‘I Wanna Be Adored’.
Slowly appearing through the mist, the anonymous performance of the band’s enigmatic bassist, Mani, is atmospheric indie at its very best. While the record glitters and shines on its more acid-house inspired tracks like ‘Fools Gold’ and ‘Waterfall’, the 30-second introduction of the opening track is as clear an indicator as any as to how the rest of the record will unfold.
Joining Mani shortly after the opening note is John Squire, whose hypnotic guitar playing becomes a prominent feature on the record. Squire treads lightly on his fretboard, offsetting the sludgey nature of Mani’s bass line with a guitar lick that’s delicate and melodic, highlighting this juxtaposed nature of grunge and dance that laces the album.
A grand entrance was unveiled for Ian Brown to deliver an emphatic opening lyric, and he didn’t disappoint. Echoing through the reverberated microphone, he uttered a line that Mark Ronson has since remarked as the greatest opening lyric of all time.
When asked to pick a definitive, he boldly stated: “The Stone Roses, ‘I Wanna Be Adored’ – ‘I don’t have to sell my soul/He’s already in me’ – Not only is it an amazing lyric, it’s track one, side one. That sort of insane arrogance leads off on a record that justifies insane arrogance – that’s pretty powerful.”
There’s an arrogance to the delivery and belief, sure, but not in the sentiment. Brown isn’t practising apathy, whereby he accepts satanic status and proudly announces himself as someone devoid of morality. He is instead putting the judgment back on the listener.
Acutely aware of the relationship between fan and artist, Brown is almost pleading with the listener to refrain from wilfully adoring him, as doing so plunges him into a sinful state. He explained that he “didn’t actually want people to adore me… I was trying to say then, if you want to be adored, it’s like a sin, like lust or gluttony or something like that.” The boldness of the statement is heightened by its repeated use in the song, and throughout the entirety of ‘I Wanna Be Adored’, Brown returns to those simple two lines in every verse.
Therein lies the arrogance that Ronson likely refers to, for this is a debut album from a relatively young and untested band who, rather than choosing to flaunt their ability on the opening track, instead brazenly repeat one simple line to prove that they don’t need lyrical tricks to showcase their greatness.
It was a brave, but well-executed tactic. This debut record was simple in its statement, but nuanced in its delivery, and so became one of the most self-assured portrayals of a band in history, ironically making them a universally adored band.
