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.
Choices
Buzzcocks Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Is there a solution anyway
I thought you were the only one who could take me there
Choices choices choices
All at once I realize the reasons why
Therefore the only one is you
You said I was the only one who could take you there
Releasing the energy that makes me
What to shout out loud when you're not there
You said I was the only one who could take you there
Choices choices choices
In between what I have said and what I dream
I hope that I will find you there
You say I'm not the only one who could take you there
Choices choices choices
Indecision just can't make up your mind
Is there a solution anyway
You say I'm not the only one who could take you there
Choices choices choices
In between what I have said and what I dream
I hope that I will find you there
You say I'm not the only one who could take you there
Choices choices choices
Choices choices choices
The Buzzcocks' "Choices" is a song that speaks to the struggle of decision-making and the search for a meaningful connection. The opening lines, "Indecision just can't make up my mind / Is there a solution anyway," suggest the difficulty of making a choice and the possibility that there may not be a right or wrong decision. This theme is reinforced by the repeated line "Choices choices choices," which highlights the overwhelming nature of having to make a decision.
The song's lyrics then shift to focus on the idea of finding someone who can "take [the singer] there." The ambiguity of the phrase "take me / you there" leaves the exact destination open to interpretation, but the sense of longing and hope is palpable. The chorus, with its repeated lines of "You said I was the only one who could take you there / Choices choices choices," reinforces the importance of finding the right companion for the journey.
The final stanza of lyrics complicates the theme of connection and decision-making by introducing the idea that the singer's hopes and dreams may not align with reality. The line "You say I'm not the only one who could take you there" expresses disappointment and a sense of betrayal, hinting at the pain that can come from relying too heavily on someone else. Overall, "Choices" is a poignant and relatable meditation on the challenges of navigating relationships and making difficult decisions.
Line by Line Meaning
Indecision just can't make up my mind
I am struggling to make a decision
Is there a solution anyway
I am not sure if there is a solution to this problem
I thought you were the only one who could take me there
I used to think that only you could help me
Choices choices choices
I have many options to choose from
All at once I realize the reasons why
Suddenly, I understand why I feel this way
Therefore the only one is you
I realize that you are the only one who can help me
You said I was the only one who could take you there
You used to think that only I could help you
Releasing the energy that makes me
Letting out the energy that drives me
What to shout out loud when you're not there
I want to shout out loud, even though you're not here with me
You said I was the only one who could take you there
You used to think that only I could help you
In between what I have said and what I dream
Somewhere between my words and my dreams
I hope that I will find you there
I hope to find you one day
You say I'm not the only one who could take you there
You don't think I'm the only one who can help you
Choices choices choices
We all have many options to choose from
Indecision just can't make up your mind
You are also struggling to make a decision
Is there a solution anyway
You're not sure if there is a solution to this problem
You say I'm not the only one who could take you there
You don't believe that only I can help you
Choices choices choices
We all have many options to choose from
In between what I have said and what I dream
Somewhere between my words and dreams
I hope that I will find you there
I hope to find you one day
You say I'm not the only one who could take you there
You don't think I'm the only one who can help you
Choices choices choices
We all have many options to choose from
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: PETER SHELLEY
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Brewster Kerr
It took me a while to get into Modern, but once I finally gave it a chance I really fell in love with this album. It’s definitely their “different” album. Much more like a Pete Shelley solo affair than standard Buzzcocks. I couldn’t stand it when it first came out, but it’s pretty much my go to Buzzcocks album today.
floydy opz
Brilliant song.
hawkeyepierce12
Brilliant album (Modern).