They are commonly regarded as an important influence on the Manchester music scene, the independent record label movement and the punk rock, power pop, pop punk and indie rock genres in general. They are primarily remembered for their singles, a string of would-be hits that combined a strong grasp of pop song craftsmanship with rapid-fire punk energy. These singles were collected on Singles Going Steady, described by critic Ned Raggett as a "punk masterpiece" The widely covered "Ever Fallen in Love?" remains one of their best-known songs.
The name "Buzzcocks" partially comes from the Manchester slang term cock meaning youngster, and its use in the 1970s ITV drama serial Rock Follies which included the catch phrases "that's the buzz, cocks" and "give me a buzz, cock!"
Buzzcocks were one of the key first generation British punk rock bands to form in the wake of the Sex Pistols in 1976. They were founded by Mancunians Pete Shelley and Howard Devoto, however Devoto left soon after the group released their Spiral Scratch EP (on their own independent label), leaving Shelley to take over vocals.
They are best known for their catchy, poppy punk sound, which has been widely influential, which was adopted as Peter Shelley took over on the vocals, singing about what the whole punk rock scene opted not to sing about: love. Devoto in the meanwhile formed Magazine.
They rehearsed in a friend's kitchen and played at the all-day 100 club punk "festival", in London. At the end of 1977 the band signed to United Artists and released "Orgasm Addict", with Shelley's high-pitched vocal delivery and Ramones-esque fuzz-guitar sound ensuring the controversial single would be played over again. Later came "What Do I Get?" which hit the UK charts and showed Shelley's brilliance in songwriting.
An LP was then released, Another Music in a Different Kitchen which came with its own carrier bag, labelled "Product". In 1978-79 five chart-hitting singles were released including "Ever Fallen in Love?" and had captured a pop-loving audience by this time. Love Bites, their second LP was released later on, which had less excitement than the last album, though it did sell well, with Steve Diggle taking over lyric-writing.
October 1979 saw A Different Kind of Tension which was panned by some critics, quite unfairly, as it contains some excellent songs, the title track being the stand-out. It perhaps suffered from being the second album to be released that year, with the record company keen to capitalise on the band's chart success at the time.
3 more singles followed in 1980, but the spark had clearly gone out for a while. Musical differences and the long slog behind them led to the band splitting in early 1981. Pete Shelley embarked in a solo career..
He released three dance/electronic influenced solo albums: Homosapien, XL1 and Heaven and The Sea - all with the same fine songwriting skills. Meanwhile, Steve Diggle formed Flag of Convenience - a power pop combo - and toured with some success.
A 5 album/CD set was released in 1989 called Product, which contained all the albums to date, plus the greatest hits and B sides album, Singles Going Steady, and the last non-album singles, Why She's A Girl From the Chainstore, Airwaves Dream and Running Free, plus the B sides
In 1992 the Buzzcocks reformed, without original drummer John Maher and bassist Steve Garvey, and releasd Trade Test Transmissions in 1993, quite different from their earlier material, with nods to the power pop scene popular at the time. All Set in 1996 saw a return to form with familiar riffs and pin sharp lyrics pop-punk. Next year Chronology was released, the missing album, including outtakes from the three United Artists albums. In 1999 they released Modern, which saw Shelley in reflective mode and Steve Diggle taking over more of the vocal duties.
Then followed another brief break in 2000, with Shelley teaming up with old band-mate Howard Devoto to release a largely disappointing album, Buzzkunst. Compilations followed, including Inventory in 2003, which contained every single to date, and 30 in 2005 to celebrate 30 years performing
2005 saw the Buzzcocks back touring and in 2007 they released the superb Flat Pack Philosophy, widely agreed to rank up with the best of Buzzcocks output
2008/9 saw a short tour where the band played tracks from Another Music and Love Bites.
In August 2011 they headlined the first night of The Rhythm Festival in Bedfordshire.
In November 2011 it was announced they would be playing two shows in 2012 that would feature the original line-up as well as the classic line-up of the band reunited for the first time in many years; these shows took place on 25 May 2012 in Manchester at the O2 Apollo and on 26 May in Brixton at the O2 Academy. It was announced on 26 May 2012 that, for the first time, they would headline Thursday night in the Empress Ballroom at the Rebellion Festival in Blackpool sharing the stage with the likes of Rancid, Public Image Limited and Social Distortion.
On 1 May 2014 Buzzcocks released the album The Way via PledgeMusic. On 13 September 2014 Buzzcocks played "a brief but triumphant set" at Riot Fest 2014 in Chicago, Illinois, USA. In October 2014 Buzzcocks toured the U.K. for three weeks with The Dollyrots as main support.
In 2016, the band embarked on their 40th-anniversary tour (dubbed "Buzzcocks 40"). In 2017, "Why Can't I Touch It" was featured in the opening segment of the Telltale game 'Guardians of the Galaxy.
Buzzcocks continue to be a huge influence on many bands and are still enjoyed by a large, and very loyal, fanbase.
Pete Shelley died on 6 December 2018.
Breakdown
Buzzcocks Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I'm falling into fancy fragments
Can't contain myself
I gotta breakdown, breakdown, yeah
I gotta breakdown, breakdown, yeah
I can stand austerity but it gets a little much
That you never get to touch
Feels my brain's like porridge coming outta my ears
And I was expecting reverie
Taken leave of my senses and I'm in arrears
My legs buckle over, I'm living on my knees
I gotta breakdown, yeah
You gimme breakdown, yeah
I'm gonna breakdown, yeah, uh-huh
Whatever makes me tick
It takes away my concentration
Sets my hands trembling, gives me frustration
Breakdown, yeah
I hear that two is company,
For me it's plenty trouble
Though my double thoughts are clearer
Now that I am seeing double
Breakdown, yeah
Oh, mum can I grow outta
What's a little too big for me
I'm gonna give up that ghost
Before it gives up me
I wander loaded as a crowd
A nowhere wolf of pain
Living next to nothing but my never mind remains
I gotta breakdown, yeah
I'm gonna breakdown, yeah
You gimme breakdown, yeah
The lyrics to Buzzcocks' song "Breakdown" describe the singer's mental state as he struggles to deal with his own anxiety and frustration. The first verse paints a picture of someone who can't control their own emotions, and is "falling into fancy fragments" as a result. The chorus emphasizes the need for a full breakdown, suggesting that this is the only way to release the tension that's been building up inside. The second verse suggests that the source of the singer's frustration is some kind of outside pressure or stress, and that he's feeling overwhelmed by the demands being placed on him. He describes his brain as "like porridge" and says that he can't focus or think clearly anymore. The final verse suggests that the singer wants to escape from this situation altogether, perhaps by giving up on his responsibilities or obligations. He compares himself to a "nowhere wolf of pain" and says that he's "living next to nothing but my never mind remains", suggesting that his own thoughts and worries are the only things he can rely on.
Overall, "Breakdown" is a song about mental health struggles and the need for release from anxiety and frustration. The lyrics paint a vivid picture of someone who is struggling to cope with the stresses and pressures of everyday life, and who feels like they're on the brink of a breakdown.
Line by Line Meaning
If I seem a little jittery I can't restrain myself
I am feeling anxious and unable to control my movements
I'm falling into fancy fragments
My thoughts are becoming disorganized and fragmented
Can't contain myself
I am unable to keep my emotions under control
I gotta breakdown, breakdown, yeah
I feel like I am about to have a breakdown
I can stand austerity but it gets a little much
I can handle a difficult situation, but it becomes overwhelming
When there's all these livid things
When there are so many frustrating things happening
That you never get to touch
That you can never seem to solve or change
Feels my brain's like porridge coming outta my ears
My brain feels mushy and unclear
And I was expecting reverie
I was hoping for a peaceful state of mind
Taken leave of my senses and I'm in arrears
I feel like I am losing my mind and I am behind on things
My legs buckle over, I'm living on my knees
I am physically and emotionally exhausted
You gimme breakdown, yeah
You are causing me to feel even more like I'm having a breakdown
Whatever makes me tick
Whatever motivates or drives me
It takes away my concentration
It distracts me and makes it hard to focus
Sets my hands trembling, gives me frustration
It makes me feel nervous and frustrated
I hear that two is company,
I know that being with someone else can be helpful
For me it's plenty trouble
But for me, it just causes more problems
Though my double thoughts are clearer
Even though I can think more clearly when I'm with someone else
Now that I am seeing double
Now that I am feeling overwhelmed and confused
Oh, mum can I grow outta
I wish I could grow out of this situation
What's a little too big for me
What feels like too much for me to handle
Before it gives up me
Before it causes me to completely fall apart
I wander loaded as a crowd
I feel weighed down by everything around me
A nowhere wolf of pain
I feel like a lonely and hopeless creature in pain
Living next to nothing but my never mind remains
All I have left is my own thoughts, which are overwhelming me
I'm gonna breakdown, yeah
I feel like I am about to have a breakdown
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: HOWARD DEVOTO
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Real-Time Car Travel
If I seem a little jittery, I can't restrain myself
I'm falling into fancy fragments, can't contain myself
I'm gonna breakdown, uh, I'm gonna break a-down, yes
I'm gonna breakdown, uh, I'm gonna break a-down, yes
Now I can stand austerity, but it gets a little much
When there's all these livin things that you never get to touch
I'm gonna breakdown, uh, I'm gonna break a-down, yes
I'm gonna breakdown, uh, I'm gonna break a-down, yes
I feel me brain like porridge, coming out of me ears
And I was anticipating reverie
I've taken leave of me senses, and I'm in arrears
My legs buckle over, now I'm living on my knees
Break a-down, yes, I'm gonna break a-down, yes
I'm gonna break a-down, yes, uh-huh
Whatever makes me tick, it takes away my concentration
Sets my hands a-trembling, gives me frustration
A breakdown, uh, I'm gonna break a-down, yes
I'm gonna breakdown, uh, I'm gonna break a-down, yes
So I hear that two is company, for me, it's plenty trouble
Though my double thoughts are clearer now that I am seeing double
A breakdown, uh, I'm gonna break a-down, yes
We're gonna breakdown, uh, I'm gonna break a-down, yes
Oh mum, can I grow out of what's too big for me?
I'll give up that ghost before it gives up me
I wander loaded as a crowd, a nowhere wolf of pain, uh
Living next to nothing, my nevermind remains, uh
A break a-down, yes, I'm gonna break a-down, yes
I'm gonna break a-down, yes
Uh-huh, uh-huh, uh-huh, uh-huh
Huh, huh, huh, huh, huh, huh, huh, huh, huh, hoo
Jerry Mungo
I was at this gig. The best ever Buzzcocks line up!
ILoveRods
Ooh you jammy ... What a brilliant memory :)
nifnif stef
whaou !! quel bonheur et quel souvenir pour toi !!! spiral scratch est selon moi l'histoire la plus sincère du punk rock anglais et la plus belle ! Poêtic guys we miss so much !
Miłosz B.
Gig that spawned Joy Division and Fabric?
terrypussypower
One of the greatest punk recordings ever! Probably the best Buzzcocks recording, although there’s a lot of competition for that title!
Mark Riley
I’m agree 100%
Garry Norris
They had so many good songs not just ever fallen in Love
John Q
Their singles album is pretty much a list of some of their best songs. I just wished they added this and boredom in that compilation album.
Joel Edward Guns Cristino Ponce
Exactly prro
Mark Riley
That’s one of the worst tunes