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.
French Dog Blues
Babyshambles Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
No words only melody come so I take my day off my love
My love she sits with me, I love, I love her company
Raindrops on roses and dust filled trinkets
All this washes over you, my French dog blues
Chien Bleu Chien französischer Hund
And the French dog blues
Never surrender to flattery
Frown on, come down on duplicity
And above all things my son
Take the money and run
I still model lackluster panicky in vain search for the remedy
No words only melody comes, I take another day off
Oh, this washes over you, my French dog blues
Chien Bleu Chien französischer Hund
Yeah, I see you
I only ever wanted the one with the flag
All you ever wanted was a sixty dollar bag
And a cheap limousine for your deep pile dreams on the highway
On the highway, highway, oh
Chien Bleu französischer Chien
That is the French dog blues
That is the French dog blues
That is the French dog blues
That is the French dog
The lyrics of Babyshambles' "French Dog Blues" are a mix of stream of consciousness and introspection. The singer is looking for a remedy to his lackluster and panicky life but hasn't found the right words, so he takes a day off with his companion. The chorus repeats "my French dog blues" in French and German, emphasizing a feeling of being lost and alone. The bridge of the song switches gears and advises the listener not to fall victim to flattery or duplicity but to take the money and run.
The imagery in the verse continues with "raindrops on roses and dust-filled trinkets," which could represent items of beauty now neglected, and the "sixty dollar bag" and "cheap limousine" suggesting a search for something fleeting and ultimately unfulfilling. The repetition in the chorus drives home the idea of being stuck in a cycle of melancholy, searching for something that may not exist.
This song is one of many in Babyshambles' catalog that deals with addiction, both to substances and relationships. The lyrics suggest that the idea of finding happiness in fleeting pleasures is an empty endeavor, and the cycle of addiction is hard to break. The repetition of the chorus and the use of different languages could be interpreted as an attempt to break through the language barrier that keeps us from connecting with each other.
Line by Line Meaning
I model lackluster panicky in vain search for the remedy
I try halfheartedly and anxiously to find a solution
No words only melody come so I take my day off my love
I can't find the words to express myself, so I spend time with my loved one instead
My love she sits with me, I love, I love her company
I enjoy being with my partner and their presence brings me joy
Raindrops on roses and dust filled trinkets
I'm overwhelmed by the little things in life, both beautiful and forgotten
All this washes over you, my French dog blues
All of these emotions and thoughts can be overwhelming, like melancholy music
Chien Bleu Chien französischer Hund
Blue dog, French dog
And the French dog blues
Continuation of the emotion as represented by a blue dog and associated with France
Never surrender to flattery
Don't be fooled by compliment, always be cautious
Frown on, come down on duplicity
Disapprove of and condemn deceitful behavior
And above all things my son, take the money and run
When given the opportunity, take a monetary benefit and leave quickly
I still model lackluster panicky in vain search for the remedy
I continue to halfheartedly and anxiously search for a solution
No words only melody comes, I take another day off
I still can't find the words, so I spend another day with my love instead
Oh, this washes over you, my French dog blues
The emotion continues to wash over me, and is still represented by the blue dog from France
Yeah, I see you
I understand what you're going through
I only ever wanted the one with the flag
I always wanted the one who represented something, had an identity
All you ever wanted was a sixty dollar bag
You only wanted a quick fix, a temporary pleasure
And a cheap limousine for your deep pile dreams on the highway
You wanted something flashy and luxurious, to fulfill your aspirations
On the highway, highway, oh
On the open road, where anything seems possible
Chien Bleu französischer Chien
Blue dog, French dog
That is the French dog blues
The blue dog from France symbolizes the melancholy emotion that persists
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: IAN GEORGE BROWN, KATE MOSS, PETER DOHERTY
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Mònica Martín
Like it very much since I was 21 when I discovered this song. Now I'm 30 and I still loving it
JoeBoy !
Exactly the same. Man time flies. Hate getting old
J noble
The same but iam 40.
This album never gets old
You got great taste
Benutzer
For me its neary the same
Benutzer
I was 19 and now im 37 and i rediscovered and really like it like before😊
Dilon Finn
one of my favorite songs of babyshamles.
Wazkaty
La France t'aime Peter ! Vivement ce soir pour ton concert ! 🇫🇷 🏴
donna
Big love to all the french dog writtlers
Delgrady 10
Still a tune
karyna doherty
BUENISISISISIMA ROLA I ♥ PETE BUEN GRUPO!!!! SIN PALABRAS SIMPLEMENTE BUENISIMO!!! =)