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.
Lost Art Of Murder
Babyshambles Lyrics
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Find yourself washed up in paradise
Like before you didn't mind
Someone else washed up in paradise, everyday
What a nice day for a murder
Yourself a killer but the only thing you're killing is your time
There's nothing absurder than a burd'
Don't look back at me like that, she won't take you back
I said too much, been too unkind
Get off your back, stop smoking that
Change your life, just might change her mind, her mind
Roll a four, roll a nine
Find yourself washed up in paradise
All the fours to all the nines
I lost my phone in paradise, pay as you go
What a nice day for a murder
Say you're a killer, I think you're killing is time
There's nothing absurder than a burd'
It's a burden to your heart, soul, body, spirit and mind
Oh, don't look at me like that, she won't take you back
Done too much, been too unkind
Get up off your back, stop smoking that
Change your life, think it'll change her mind
Don't look at me like that, she won't take you back
Said too much, been too unkind
Get up off your back, stop smoking that
Change your life, just might change her mind
The lyrics to Babyshambles' "Lost Art of Murder" depict a person who seems to be in search of something in paradise. The lines "Roll a four, roll a nine/Find yourself washed up in paradise/Like before you didn't mind/Someone else washed up in paradise, everyday" suggest that the person is seeking a sense of pleasure or fulfillment in paradise, but that they are also aware that this is a temporary escape. The lyric "What a nice day for a murder/Yourself a killer but the only thing you're killing is your time" implies that this person is engaging in self-destructive behavior as a means of filling the void in their life.
The chorus of the song emphasizes the idea that the person's behavior is harmful to themselves and those around them. The line "There's nothing absurder than a burd'/It's a burden to your heart, soul, body, spirit and mind" suggests that the person's actions are not only wasteful, but actually harmful to their own being. The repetition of the lines "Don't look at me like that, she won't take you back/Said too much, been too unkind/Get up off your back, stop smoking that/Change your life, just might change her mind" suggests that the person is aware of their destructive behavior and the impact it has on their relationships, but still struggles to break free from it.
Line by Line Meaning
Roll a four, roll a nine
Take a chance in life and explore the unknown
Find yourself washed up in paradise
Discover something unexpected in a beautiful place
Like before you didn't mind
Nonchalantly accepting of the situation
Someone else washed up in paradise, everyday
Others find happiness in unexpected places all the time
What a nice day for a murder
It's a beautiful day to do something drastic
Yourself a killer but the only thing you're killing is your time
You may feel like you're living dangerously, but in reality you're just wasting your time
There's nothing absurder than a burd'
There's nothing sillier than making mistakes repeatedly
It's a burden to your heart, soul, body, spirit and mind
The consequences of your actions will affect every aspect of yourself
Don't look back at me like that, she won't take you back
Don't give me a longing look, it won't change the outcome
I said too much, been too unkind
I've spoken out of turn and have been hurtful
Get off your back, stop smoking that
Stop being lazy and wasting your time on something harmful
Change your life, just might change her mind, her mind
If you change your ways, it may alter someone else's perception of you
All the fours to all the nines
Acknowledging the unpredictable nature of life
I lost my phone in paradise, pay as you go
Even in paradise, things can go wrong
Say you're a killer, I think you're killing is time
You may think you're living dangerously, but in reality you're just wasting your time
Oh, don't look at me like that, she won't take you back
Don't give me a longing look, it won't change the outcome
Done too much, been too unkind
I've said and done things that were hurtful
Change your life, think it'll change her mind
If you change your ways, it may alter someone else's perception of you
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: PETER DOHERTY
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind