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.
I Don't Know
Buzzcocks Lyrics
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Should I give it up and make a new start
I don't know what to do with my life
'Cause the one I've got just tears me apart
I can't wake up in the morning
And I can't get to sleep at night
I'm not expecting things to be perfect
I don't know what to do with my life
I don't know what to do with my life
I don't know what to do with my life
I don't know what to do with my life
I don't know what's gone wrong with my life
But you know I never do seem to win
Whenever I think I've straightened it out
It becomes a vicious circle again
I can't love when anyone loves me
And I can't find the someone to love
But then I start to count my blessings
And I feel I'm getting more than enough
I don't know what to do with my life
I don't know what to do with my life
I don't know what to do with my life
I don't know what to do with my life
I don't know what to do with my life
I don't know what to do with my life
I don't know what to do with my life
I don't know what to do with my life
I don't know what's gone wrong with my life
But you know I never do seem to win
Whenever I think I've straightened it out
It becomes a vicious circle again
I can't love when anyone loves me
And I can't find the someone to love
But then I start to count my blessings
And I feel I'm getting more than enough of love
I don't know what to do with my life
I don't know what to do with my life
I don't know what to do with my life
It's my life
In Buzzcocks's song "I Don't Know What to Do With My Life," the lyrics express a sense of frustration and confusion about the direction of the singer's life. The refrain repeats the line "I don't know what to do with my life" four times, emphasizing the feeling of being lost and aimless. The first verse asks the question of whether to give up and start over, indicating a dissatisfaction with the current trajectory of the singer's existence. The second verse continues the theme of being unable to find love or meaning in life, but ends on a more positive note with the line "And I feel I'm getting more than enough of love."
Overall, the song seems to grapple with the universal struggle of finding purpose and happiness. The singer is stuck in a cycle of feeling defeated and directionless, unable to make progress or find fulfillment. However, the final lines suggest that perhaps the answer lies in appreciating what one does have, rather than constantly seeking something new.
Line by Line Meaning
I don't know what to do with my life
The singer is uncertain about the direction of their life.
Should I give it up and make a new start
The singer is considering starting over with a new life.
'Cause the one I've got just tears me apart
The singer's current life is causing them emotional pain and distress.
I can't wake up in the morning
The artist has trouble starting their day.
And I can't get to sleep at night
The artist has trouble falling asleep at night.
I'm not expecting things to be perfect
The singer doesn't expect life to be flawless.
But a high success rate would be nice
The singer hopes for a satisfying level of achievement in their life.
I don't know what's gone wrong with my life
The artist is unclear as to why their life is unsatisfactory.
But you know I never do seem to win
The artist feels that they are consistently unsuccessful in life.
Whenever I think I've straightened it out
The artist believes they have a solution but then run into trouble again.
It becomes a vicious circle again
The singer gets trapped in a repeating cycle of problems.
I can't love when anyone loves me
The artist struggles with reciprocating love from others.
And I can't find the someone to love
The singer hasn't yet found someone to love.
But then I start to count my blessings
The singer tries to find positives in their life.
And I feel I'm getting more than enough
The singer begins to appreciate the good things in life.
It's my life
The artist is ultimately responsible for the direction of their life.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Peter Shelley
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind