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.
La Belle et la Bête
Babyshambles Lyrics
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It's about a nightmare steeped in tradition
It's the story of a coked-up pansy
Who spends his nights in flights of fancy
Met two fellas over Gin and mixers
They talked for a while and soon got the picture
One was a souped up Soho mincer
Then the conversation turned evil
(Evil)
Talked, talked and talked about people
Why did you do it to so many people?
Stumble left out of the boozer
Threw some shrapnel to the legless fusilier
An endless ceiling and another light
With a half-tenner smile and you're looking alright
That girl's out, way ahead of the game
Way ahead of the game
Way ahead of the game
You've turned your back upon her
One too many times
Spent all her hard earned money
Getting high she sang
Is she more beautiful, is she more beautiful
Is she more beautiful than me?
Is she more beautiful, is she more beautiful
Is she more beautiful than me?
She's La Belle Et La Bete at the ball
La Belle Et La Bete at the ball
La Belle Et La Bete at the ball
You know she could have us all
You've turned your back upon her
One too many times
Spent all her hard earned money
Just getting high, she sang
Is she more beautiful, is she more beautiful
Is she more beautiful than me?
Is she more beautiful, is she more beautiful
Is she more beautiful than me?
Is she more beautiful, is she more beautiful
Is she more beautiful than she?
I'll tell you a story but you won't listen
It's about a nightmare steeped in tradition
It's the story of a coked-up pansy
Who spends his nights in flights of fancy
Met two fellas over Gin and mixers
They talked for a while and soon got the picture
One was a souped up Soho mincer
And the other was a pikey with a knowledge for scriptures
Then the conversation turned evil
(Evil)
Talked and talked and talked about people
Why did you do it to so many people?
That girl's out, way ahead of the game
Way ahead of the game
Way ahead of the game
Out, way ahead of the game
You've turned your back upon her
One too many times
Spent all her hard earned money
Just getting high, she sang
Is she more beautiful, is she more beautiful
Is she more beautiful than me?
Is she more beautiful, is she more beautiful
Is she more beautiful than me?
The song La Belle Et La Bete by Babyshambles tells the story of a night out that turns sour, highlighting the destructive nature of drug abuse and the superficiality of judging based on appearance. The lyrics describe a character who is a "coked-up pansy," spending their evenings lost in their own fantasies. They meet two strangers, one a "souped up Soho mincer" and the other a "pikey with a knowledge for scripture," and engage in a conversation that turns "evil," discussing people and the harm they have caused. The singer then observes a girl who is "way ahead of the game" but is constantly let down by those around her and has lost all her money to drugs.
The song seems to critique the culture of drug and alcohol abuse, the superficiality of judging based on appearance, and the toxic attitudes that can arise in social situations. The idea of a "nightmare steeped in tradition" suggests that this kind of behavior has been normalized and even romanticized in certain contexts. The use of French in the title, La Belle Et La Bete, which means "Beauty and the Beast," underscores the theme of appearance versus reality and the idea that things are not always as they seem.
Line by Line Meaning
I'd tell you a story but you won't listen
The singer has a story to tell but feels unheard and ignored.
It's about a nightmare steeped in tradition
The story the singer wants to tell is haunting and rooted in the past.
It's the story of a coked-up pansy
The singer of the story is a drug-addicted and effeminate man.
Who spends his nights in flights of fancy
The artist has vivid and imaginative dreams while under the influence of drugs.
Met two fellas over Gin and mixers
The artist meets two men while drinking gin and mixers.
They talked for a while and soon got the picture
The conversations between the singer and the two men became clear and easy to understand.
One was a souped up Soho mincer
One of the men is a flamboyant and stylish resident of Soho in London.
And the other was a pikey with a knowledge for scripture
The other man is a traveler with a religious background and extensive knowledge of the Bible.
Then the conversation turned evil
The tone of the conversation became malevolent and wicked.
Talked, talked and talked about people
The discussion revolved around gossip and rumors about various individuals.
Why did you do it to so many people?
The singer questions why the two men have harmed so many others.
Stumble left out of the boozer
The artist drunkenly exits the bar.
Threw some shrapnel to the legless fusilier
The singer hurls some small change at a disabled ex-soldier.
An endless ceiling and another light
The singer becomes disoriented and sees endless patterns on the ceiling and other lights in the environment.
With a half-tenner smile and you're looking alright
Despite feeling disorientated, the singer manages to smile and give the impression that everything is okay.
That girl's out, way ahead of the game
An unnamed girl is very successful and accomplished.
You've turned your back upon her
The artist has neglected and ignored the girl mentioned earlier.
One too many times
The singer has neglected the girl on numerous occasions.
Spent all her hard earned money
The singer has used up all of the girl's money that she earned through hard work.
Getting high she sang
The girl has coped with her neglect and drug addiction through singing.
Is she more beautiful than me?
The artist is insecure about the girl's beauty and success compared to their own.
She's La Belle Et La Bete at the ball
The girl is a representation of Beauty and the Beast (La Belle Et La Bete) at a social gathering.
You know she could have us all
The girl has the potential to be successful and influential over everyone present at the event.
Is she more beautiful, is she more beautiful
The artist is still insecure about the girl's beauty compared to their own.
Is she more beautiful than she?
The singer questions whether the girl is more beautiful than the singer themselves.
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: Peter Doherty, Peter William Wolfe, Robert Chevalley
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind