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.
What Katy Did Next
Babyshambles Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
If you play with fire you will get burnt
Hell hath no fury
Like woman scorned
I'll tell you my story
Make you wish you never, wish you
Wish you never never, wish you never been born
I may live and learn but never know
I may crash and burn, oh no
I may take my turn
If you love her, then tell her you love her and
You could be kissing her soon
If you need her, oh, tell her you need her and
You won't be missing her soon
Oh, but for a love to be true
It must come from her too
It's a lesson hard learned
If you play with fire you will get burnt
Hell hath no fury
Oh, I may never learn, you never know
I may live and learn, never know
I may crash and burn, oh no
I may take my turn
If you love her, then tell her you love her and
You could be kissing her soon
If you need her, oh, tell her you need her and
You won't be missing her soon
The song "What Katy Did Next" by Babyshambles is a cautionary tale about the consequences of playing with fire, particularly when it comes to relationships. The first verse speaks of a lesson learned: that if one plays with fire, they will inevitably get burnt. The use of the phrase "woman scorned" in the next line alludes to the infamous quote "Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned," suggesting that the singer has upset a woman in some way. The chorus emphasizes the importance of honesty and communication in a relationship. The singer advises the listener to express their love and needs to their partner, lest they miss out on a happy ending. Nevertheless, the chorus also suggests that a successful relationship involves reciprocity.
The second verse repeats the first, further emphasizing that the singer has learned a hard lesson about relationships. The line "I may crash and burn" indicates that the singer is aware of the risks involved in pursuing romance. However, the line "I may take my turn" suggests that they are willing to continue trying despite the risks.
Overall, "What Katy Did Next" encourages the listener to be honest and communicative in their relationships, while also acknowledging the risks and potential consequences.
Line by Line Meaning
There's a lesson I have learnt
I have learned a lesson
If you play with fire you will get burnt
If you do something dangerous or risky, you will suffer the consequences
Hell hath no fury
Women can be very angry and vengeful if they have been wronged
Like woman scorned
This anger can be especially fierce when a woman has been rejected or betrayed in love
I'll tell you my story
I will share my own experience with you
Make you wish you never, wish you...
My story will be so painful or terrifying that you will regret asking to hear it
Wish you never never, wish you never been born
You will wish you had never been born to face the consequences of my story
I may never learn, never know
I may never fully understand or grasp something
I may live and learn but never know
I may gain experiences and knowledge, but still not fully comprehend something
I may crash and burn, oh no
I may experience a spectacular failure or disaster
I may take my turn
I may have my chance or opportunity
If you love her, then tell her you love her and
If you have feelings for someone, express them directly
You could be kissing her soon
If the feelings are mutual, your relationship can progress quickly
If you need her, oh, tell her you need her and
If you require someone's support or affection, communicate that to them
You won't be missing her soon
If they reciprocate those feelings, they will be with you and you won't feel lonely
Oh, but for a love to be true
However, for a relationship to be real and lasting
It must come from her too
Both parties must have genuine love and commitment for it to work
It's a lesson hard learned
This is a difficult and painful lesson to understand
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Peter Doherty
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind