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.
Through The Looking Glass
Babyshambles Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Between the pillows and the skies
That beg into your eyes
Through the looking glass
And between your thighs
And it's written no small surprise
Let's straight down the rabbit hole
There we go
A sentimental thing that occurred to me
I've been waiting to show you
A set of photographs
That'll make you laugh and smile
You might wanna stick one on his nose
Around his teeth, down this drug hole of him
They've nowhere else to go
In the morning there's a buzz of flies
Between the pillows and the skies
That beg into your eyes
Through the looking glass
And between your thighs
And it's written no small surprise
Let's straight down the rabbit hole
There we go
I've been meaning to tell you
A sentimental thing that occurred to me
I've been waiting to show you
A set of photographs
The lyrics of Babyshambles' "Through the Looking Glass" are seeped in Lewis Carroll's "Alice's Adventures in Wonderland" but have a distinctive and gritty interpretation. The song opens with a surreal image of a buzzing of flies that seem to seamlessly blend in with the sky, as well as the pillows, which are likely a metaphor for a comfortable life. The phrase "beg into your eyes" could be an emphasis on how death or decay could suddenly appear nasty and uninvitedly intrude on a seemingly comfortable life, much like how insects habitually violate objects to make sure that they are edible.
As the song progresses, we realize that the buzzing flies may be a metaphor for drugs, specifically heroin, and the rabbit hole is a reference to Alice's entry into Wonderland. Through the looking glass, therefore, means the drug high that she experiences by obtaining heroin. The lyrics then segue into a conversation where a speaker attempts to show his companion some pictures. The mention of sticking one on the nose links the song back to the first stanza, emphasizing the grimy nature of the environment that the two characters are in.
In summation, "Through the Looking Glass" speaks about the deceptive nature of appearances and the thin line between ecstasy and desolation. It attempts to shed light on the ugly underbelly of consumerism and how people are willing to go down the rabbit hole, which is likely to result in dire consequences.
Line by Line Meaning
In the morning there's a buzz of flies
When morning arrives, you can hear the unpleasant sound of flies buzzing around.
Between the pillows and the skies
The flies are flying around in the space between the pillows and the ceiling.
That beg into your eyes
The flies are bothering you by flying around your face and eyes.
Through the looking glass
The lyrics refer to the famous work of literature, 'Alice in Wonderland', where a mirror (the looking glass) is used to transport the artist to a surreal, dreamlike world.
And between your thighs
The flies are also flying around the intimate area of your body.
And it's written no small surprise
The situation is quite unexpected and strange.
Let's straight down the rabbit hole
The reference to the rabbit hole is another nod to 'Alice in Wonderland' and suggests the invitation to go on a wild, unpredictable journey.
There we go
The journey begins.
I've been meaning to tell you
The artist has something important to say.
A sentimental thing that occurred to me
The artist is referring to a thought that has emotional significance to them.
I've been waiting to show you
The singer is eager to share something with you.
A set of photographs
The artist has a collection of pictures to show you.
That'll make you laugh and smile
The singer thinks the photographs will bring you joy and happiness.
You might wanna stick one on his nose
The singer suggests that you should consider putting one of the photographs on someone's nose. The referent of 'his' is uncertain and could be left to interpretation.
Around his teeth, down this drug hole of him
The singer suggests that the person could use the photograph to distract themselves from their drug use.
They've nowhere else to go
The photograph could be a source of entertainment as there's nothing else to do in the environment they're in.
Contributed by Madison Y. Suggest a correction in the comments below.