[4] In an interview with Smash Hits magazine in 1982, lead singer Jim Kerr explained that the meaning behind "Glittering Prize", stating that the song is "about getting a glimpse of something and going out on a chase for it against all the odds.

[8] Classic Rock History claims that James Morrison influences are evident on "Glittering Prize", stating that the bass line featured throughout the song was a highlight.

The first one is set in a golden room where the band members (Jim Kerr, Charlie Burchill, and Mick MacNeil only), all dressed in black, perform the song.

The other stage is set in a dark, museum-like room, under the surveillance of a napping security guard, and featuring hanging portraits of the band members' faces made of gold.

A story unfolds in this latter stage as a young woman in a bikini and whose body is all painted in gold, stealthily penetrating the room and reaching out to a sarcophagus within which lies a pharaoh version of Kerr.