The band's first single, Babyshambles, was released in April 2004 on High Society Records. Fewer than 1,000 copies of the CD and 7" were released and both can now be found changing hands for more than £50 on internet auction sites such as eBay.
During September and October 2004 Babyshambles embarked on a UK tour culminating in two sold-out shows at the London Scala. Despite claims that the band were only touring to raise money to support Doherty's drug habit the tour sold-out and received critical acclaim. The band's second single Killamangiro was released November 29 2004 on Rough Trade Records and reached number 8 in the UK charts. The band embarked on another tour in December amid increasing concern about Doherty's drug use. During a gig in Blackpool the band walked off stage as it became clear Doherty was too intoxicated to perform and a riot broke out at the London Astoria when Doherty failed to turn up for a gig.
In January 2005, Gemma Clarke quit the band, citing disagreements with the management who she considered irresponsible for failing to address Doherty's obvious drug problem. She was replaced with Adam Ficek, Patrick Walden's former bandmate in The White Sport. In February 2005 Doherty, along with fellow musician Alan Wass, was arrested on suspicion of assault and blackmail. It was alleged that Doherty assaulted Max Carlish, a documentary maker, in a London hotel, a charge he strenuously denied. Carlish had made a documentary about Doherty, from which clips were used for the channel 4 documentary 'Stalking Pete Doherty'. After allegedly assaulting Carlish, Doherty spent several nights in prison until £150,000 bail could be raised. After being released on bail Doherty spent several weeks in a recording studio in Wales working on Babyshambles' debut album. All charges against him were dropped in April 2005.
On October 1, 2005, the Babyshambles tour bus was raided by police. Doherty was charged on suspicion of possession of class A drugs and bailed until December, although Doherty claims that the substances were related to his Naltrexone implant.
Work on Babyshambles' debut album continued throughout April and May 2005 with Mick Jones, who worked with Doherty on the producing of The Libertines' albums. The album, Down in Albion was released on 14th November, having been leaked onto the internet on 19th October. It came 10th in the Radio 1 Album Charts. The single Albion was released on the 28th November and came 8th in the Radio 1 Single Charts. Another single Fuck Forever was released on August 15th, reaching #4 on the UK Singles Chart.
Peter Doherty appeared on Newsnight at the end of 2005, and played a few secret and personal gigs to fans at the end of the year. At the start of 2006 the band announced that they would play 3 small club shows in London, Sheffield and Stoke. To fans' surprise, Babyshambles performed at the first of the London dates without guitarist Patrick Walden. Instead of Walden, Doherty played guitar at the London date. The band have since made an announcement that Walden quit the band to pursue other projects. Walden was replaced by Mick Whitnall.
December 2006 saw the release of a new EP, featuring The Blinding EP, the July single 'Beg, Steal & Borrow' and new single 'I Love You (But You're Green)'.
On January 18th, 2007 it was announced that the band signed a "long term" album deal with Parlophone.
Babyshambles released their 2nd album, Shotter's Nation, on October 1, 2007. It was produced by Stephen Street (Morrissey, Blur) and features Bert Jansch on guitar on the last track Lost Art Of Murder.
8 Dead Boys
Babyshambles Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You know there ain't too many left of them
You said, ?I want love, I want it all?
You look better now than last time
But you still look better from afar
The life that you wanted was not in store
You're being in the dark once again
Hello, hello
Hello, my love
Hello, my love
Stop your moaning and I'll give you a taster
They give you and line and they call you a waster
Give you a line, oh what a waster
Say you will or you won't
You do or you don't
You do or you don't
You do or you don't
'Cause you look better now than the last time
But you're still no better than before
The life that you wanted wasn't in store
You're being in the dark once again
Hello, hello
Hello, my love
Hello, my love
When it suits you, you're a friend of mine
When it suits you, you're a friend of mine
When it suits you, you're a friend of mine
When it suits you, you're a friend of mine
When it suits you, you're a friend of mine
When it suits you, you're a friend of mine
When it suits you, you're a friend of mine
When it suits you, you're a friend of mine
When it suits you, you're a friend of mine
When it suits you, you're a friend of mine
When it suits you, you're a friend of mine
When it suits you, you're a friend of mine
You're a friend of mine
You're a friend of mine
You're a friend of mine
You're a friend of mine
'Cause you look better now than the last time
Still no better than before
The life that you wanted was not in store
You're being in the dark once again
You look better now than the last time
Still no better than before
The life that you wanted was not in store
You're being in the dark once again
Hello, my love
The lyrics to Babyshambles' "8 Dead Boys" are a mix of sadness and anger, with heartfelt emotions that can affect anyone who has ever loved, been in love, or lost someone close to them. The song opens with a call to a friend who is no longer there, as the singer reveals there are not too many friends left for him. The lyrics speak of wanting love and wanting it all, while still feeling like something is missing.
The lines, "Stop your moaning and I'll give you a taster. They give you a line and they call you a waster," suggest that the singer is losing patience with someone who is complaining about their life, and the mention of "a line" creates a connection to drugs. The verses are followed by a chorus that contains the repeated phrase, "Hello, my love," emphasizing the sense of lost love and confusion.
Throughout the song, there is a sense of disillusionment with the world and a yearning for something more. The singer also speaks of feeling trapped in darkness once again, possibly a reference to depression or addiction. The repetition of the phrase "When it suits you, you're a friend of mine" suggests that the singer's friend is only around when it benefits them. In the end, the singer seems to have given up on the search for love, acceptance, and friendship, and resigns himself to the life he has been dealt.
Line by Line Meaning
Sit right down if you're a friend
If you're a true friend of mine, please sit down.
You know there ain't too many left of them
I am aware that our group of friends is getting smaller.
You said, ?I want love, I want it all?
You once expressed that you desired a complete and fulfilling love.
You look better now than last time
You appear more presentable now than the previous time I saw you.
But you still look better from afar
However, you only retain that appearance from a distance.
The life that you wanted was not in store
Your desires for your life are unfulfilled or not available.
You're being in the dark once again
You remain ignorant or clueless about your situation.
Hello, hello
Greetings.
Hello, my love
Welcome, my beloved one.
Stop your moaning and I'll give you a taster
Stop complaining and I'll give you a small sample of something.
They give you and line and they call you a waster
They provide you with drugs, which makes them refer to you as a wasteful person.
Give you a line, oh what a waster
When they give you a line of drugs, how much of a waste you are becomes apparent.
Say you will or you won't
Make a decision, you cannot remain indecisive.
You do or you don't
Take action, or don't.
You do or you don't
Either take action or don't take action.
You do or you don't
You must decide whether to do something or not.
'Cause you look better now than the last time
You appear more presentable now than the previous time I saw you.
But you're still no better than before
However, your overall situation is still unchanged and remains stagnant.
When it suits you, you're a friend of mine
You only consider me a friend when it is convenient for you.
You're a friend of mine
You are one of my friends.
The life that you wanted was not in store
Your desires for your life are unfulfilled or not available.
You're being in the dark once again
You remain ignorant or clueless about your situation.
Hello, my love
Greetings, beloved one.
You look better now than the last time
You appear more presentable now than the previous time I saw you.
Still no better than before
However, your overall situation is still unchanged and remains stagnant.
The life that you wanted was not in store
Your desires for your life are unfulfilled or not available.
You're being in the dark once again
You remain ignorant or clueless about your situation.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: PATRICK GEORGE WALDEN, PETER DOHERTY
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@tanousc
Sit right down if you're a friend
You know there ain't too many left of them
You said, ?I want love, I want it all?You look better now than last time
But you still look better from afar
The life that you wanted was not in store
You're being in the dark once againHello, hello
Hello, my love
Hello, my loveStop your moaning and I'll give you a taster
They give you and line and they call you a waster
Give you a line, oh what a waster
Say you will or you won'tYou do or you don't
You do or you don't
You do or you don't'Cause you look better now than the last time
But you're still no better than before
The life that you wanted wasn't in store
You're being in the dark once againHello, hello
Hello, my love
Hello, my loveWhen it suits you, you're a friend of mine
When it suits you, you're a friend of mine
When it suits you, you're a friend of mine
When it suits you, you're a friend of mineWhen it suits you, you're a friend of mine
When it suits you, you're a friend of mine
When it suits you, you're a friend of mine
When it suits you, you're a friend of mineWhen it suits you, you're a friend of mine
When it suits you, you're a friend of mine
When it suits you, you're a friend of mine
When it suits you, you're a friend of mineYou're a friend of mine
You're a friend of mine
You're a friend of mine
You're a friend of mine'Cause you look better now than the last time
Still no better than before
The life that you wanted was not in store
You're being in the dark once againYou look better now than the last time
Still no better than before
The life that you wanted was not in store
You're being in the dark once againHello, my love
@stoner4311
this song gets better everytime i hear it. thanx for puttin up
@vbrunt
This song kills me - this album nearly killed me... damn love Doherty
@gromitpesley
How did the album nearly kill you if this killed you?
@ahmedmahon2022
Technically he's not misrepresenting the situation. He used the present participle. The song is in the process of killing him (in other words, he's not dead yet), or at least that interpretation is valid on the surface. We can only speculate as to what vcb0424 intended at the time he wrote the comment. But if you want to be pedantic, as seems to be your inclination, we must examine all possible connotations of the phrase in question even if, admittedly, said phrase appears incongruous and nonsensical.
@jackfirmin5814
well said
@garybalfour3953
Same what a album
@JLSXXX
Love this hes the best
@davidhay9699
Biblically good song, love the Doherty scream in it... Its a chaotic shambles of a song but that's wot makes it, amazing...Its gd full volume 4 best experience of the song.
@alivebytheriver
total class love the lyrics
@JLSXXX
Always and forever.xxxxxxx