Cock Sparrer
One of the first Oi! bands, Cock Sparrer was playing loud, raw, Cockney wor… Read Full Bio ↴One of the first Oi! bands, Cock Sparrer was playing loud, raw, Cockney working-class anthems as early as the first wave of British punk, although record company difficulties prevented them from issuing much material until the early '80s, when the Oi!movement was well underway. The group formed in London's East End in 1975, originally as a hard-edged pub rock combo in the vein of Dr. Feelgood. Four of the members -- vocalist Colin McFaull, guitarist Mick Beaufoy, bassist Steve Burgess, and drummer Steve Bruce -- had been schoolmates since age 11, and had been playing together in cover bands three years prior. They were joined by rhythm guitarist Gary Lammin (Burgess' cousin), and soon began playing the Bridgehouse Pub in Canning Town on a regular basis. The emergence of the Sex Pistols presented an opportunity to further toughen up their sound, which sparked a brief interest from Pistols manager Malcolm McLaren that didn't end up amounting to much. In 1977, Cock Sparrer signed with Decca Records (which had already landed another proto-Oi! band in Slaughter & the Dogs) and recorded their debut single, "Runnin' Riot," which was followed by a cover of the Rolling Stones' "We Love You." However, disagreements with Decca led to the sense that the band's simple, basic, street-level sound wasn't really understood; as a result, their self-titled debut was, for some reason, issued only in Spain. Lammin left the group to pursue an acting career not long after, and a frustrated Cock Sparrer went on an unofficial hiatus.

By the early '80s, bands like Sham 69, the Angelic Upstarts, and the Cockney Rejects had transformed the working-class punk sensibility into a Cockney-dominated subgenre dubbed Oi! As early progenitors of the scene, Cock Sparrer was in demand once again, especially after their song "Sunday Stripper" appeared on an Oi! compilation. They began gigging again and quickly landed a record deal, resulting in the 1982 hit single "England Belongs to Me," which struck a chord during the middle of the Falklands War. Cock Sparrer's official U.K. debut album, Shock Troops, was also released in 1982 and became a long-standing Oi! favorite. Guitarist Beaufoy left the band in 1983 and was replaced by the tandem of Chris Skepis (rhythm) and Shug O'Neill (lead). This lineup recorded the follow-up album, 1984's Runnin' Riot in '84, but Skepis and O'Neill both departed shortly thereafter. Beaufoy rejoined briefly for the Live & Loud album, released in 1987, but disagreements within the band and (again) with their record company precipitated another breakup.

In late 1992, Cock Sparrer was invited to play a reunion gig at the Astoria, near Charing Cross. The appearance of over 2,000 fans stunned the band into a full-fledged reunion, featuring the original quartet of McFaull, Beaufoy, Burgess, and Bruce, plus new rhythm guitarist Daryl Smith. In early 1994, Cock Sparrer released Guilty as Charged, their first album of all-new material in a decade. The odds-and-ends EP Run Away followed in 1995, featuring live and studio recordings; the proper follow-up to Guilty as Charged, Two Monkeys, was released in 1997, with rumors that it would be the band's last album featuring all new material. A spate of compilations and live recordings followed during the next few years, with the band continuing to tour extensively, hitting the U.S. in 2000.
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Cock Sparrer Lyrics


01. Where Are They Now I believed in julie when she said how easy it…
03. bird trouble You got, you got, you know what You got, you got,…
05- Take 'Em All We worked our way up from east end pubs To gigs…
A.U A U come outside I'm fed up with you looking Like the…
A.U. A U come outside I'm fed up with you looking Like the…
Again & Again Hey, people down the street don't know what's goin' on. They…
Anthem Give me your hopes, give me your dreams Give me your…
Argy Bargy It started off like any other show Sunday nights on the…
Au A U come outside I'm fed up with you looking Like the…
Bats Out Just another tour, just another gig, just another sound and…
Battersea Bardot With your hair so white you could light up the…
Because You Because you're young, sharp as a knife You need that buzz…
Before the Flame Dies People say that life ain't fair And then they say what…



Believe Everybody seems to know what everyone should do Everybody′s …
Better Than This I used to think that the time would come When I'd…
Bird Trouble You got, you got, you know what You got, you got,…
Chip on My Shoulder Well the country's burned down look at it smoulder I wanna…
Chip On My Shoulder - Live Well the country′s burned down look at it smoulder I wanna…
Chip on My Shoulder 1 Well the country's burned down look at it smoulder I wanna…
Closedown I am a product of the sixth degree Don't you wish…
Colonel Bogey Hitler has only one big ball Göring he has two but…
Crack in the Mirror Crack in the Mirror Got drunk on Friday night, woke up…
Don Tower blocks we lived in all come tumbling down Moved out…
Don't Say a Word There are people who know everything about you Every place t…
Don´t Say A Word There are people who know everything about you Every place …
Droogs Don [Chorus] Droogs don't run Droogs don't run If you're in any…
Droogs Don´t Run [Chorus] Droogs don't run Droogs don't run If you're in…
East End Girl When she's hot it's the heat of a burning at…
England Belongs to Me Years of being told you ain't as good as us Join…
Every Step Of The Way I was there in world war one I remember Vietnam I…
Family of One I opened my door to you, a circle of trust You…
Get a Rope From the streets of Aberdeen to the Brighton scene There's s…
Gonna Be Alright I know you and you want to be here Not being…
Goodbye We were born by the Thames' running water, sons of…
Got Your Number It can't be right what I'm reading here No one believes…
Gotta Get Out For years we stood, side by side Heads held high, heart…
I Feel a Death Coming On I see it in the women, the coldness in their…
I Fit Central Heating I fit central heating, I have done it now for…
I Got Your Number It can't be right what I'm reading here No one believes…
I Live in Marbella Well I worked on a site and I soldered up…
I Need a Witness i got home this morning 'bout a quarter to four i…
I've Got Your Number It can't be right what I'm reading here No one believes…
Is Anbody There Well you won't hear us on the radio or Top…
Ive Got Your Number It can't be right what I'm reading here No one believes…
Last Orders The first time that I saw her it was getting…
Last Train to Dagenham I'll be on the last train to Dagenham I've been drinking…
Lies Cheats never prosper, crime don't pay, The meek shall inheri…
Nothing Like You Never been one to walk that road I′ve never been one…
One By One It can't be right what I'm reading here No one believes…
Out on an Island Everybody's got a number tattooed on their soul And the time…
Price Too High to Pay So what you gonna do, you gonna stick with the…
Riot Squad When we were at school I thought he had it…
Roads to Freedom Life sucks and then you die That's what my old man…
Run Away Johnny Run away Johnny [x3] Johnny run away The bosses are the men…
Run for Cover Cock Sparrer Run For Cover [Pretty Close To Correct] Can't …
Run for Cover* Can't eat, don't sleep no more. Whatever you said, It's all…
Run With the Blind Run with the blind, the best of your kind Your leaders,…
Runaway Johnny Run away Johnny [x3] Johnny run away The bosses are the men…
Runnin Things you say, Things you do sure worry me, When were…
Secret Army Collecting funds for the holy fight Like a door to door…
Sister Suzie Ohhhhh We can't go on like this And you know what I'm…
Sister Suzie (demo) Ohhhhh We can't go on like this And you know what I'm…
Somebody's Brother; Somebody's Son It was a great night, now he walks under the…
Sons of the New Millennium Born in the nineties, dragged up fast That′s the way to…
Spirit of '76 It’s the hottest summer anyone can remember Everybody know…
Strip When I met you, you were on your own No looks,…
Suicide Girls Four in the morning, out all night Going where she can't…
Sun says We got Reds under the bed We got lovely's nude and…
Sunday Stripper She came from, well, in Garden City 'fore she moved into…
Sussed He walks in the room, giving it the big ′un Telling…
Take We worked our way up from east end pubs To gigs…
Take ´em All We worked our way up from east end pubs To gigs…
Tart There's something we both know You're meant for me but even…
Teenage Heart Friend of my mine said he rather be dead, with…
The Sun Says We got Reds under the bed We got lovely's nude and…
They Mean Murder When I was young those stories took me in Of G.I.Joe…
Think Again I've got a friend just an ordinary guy But sometimes he…
Think Again# I've got a friend just an ordinary guy But sometimes he…
Time to Be Me So you think you're gonna cause a splash You're gonna make…
TM 11 I Feel A Death Coming On I see it in the women, the coldness in their…
Too Late Day after day fingers to the bone To earn another pound,…
Tough Guys I know he's not the kind, the kind that settles…
Trouble on the Terraces You say you want the authorities to take action But I…
Us Against the World Believe in this it′s always true There is a light we're…
Watch Your Back Hey, hey, hey, hey Hey, hey, hey, hey Yeah, you know I tell…
We We don't care if you only love ""we"" We don't care…
We Know How to Live We're going out on Friday night (we know how to…
We Love You We don't care if you only love "we" We don't care…
We're Coming Back We're coming back, we're coming back We're coming back to yo…
We're Coming Back Home We're coming back, we're coming back We're coming back to y…
What Me mum don't like the clothes I wear. Me dad don't…
Where are thay now I believed in julie when she said how easy it…
White Riot White riot - I wanna riot White riot - is a…
Will You I'm going down for a year or more A misunderstanding with…
Working I been working all day for me mate on the…


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