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.
Last to Know
Buzzcocks Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I've got this little question for ya
Will I be the last to know
Or is this just my paranoia?
Will I be the last to know?
I came into your room while you were sleeping
And tip-toed to the bottom of your bed
Love's such a sweet thing
Will I be the last to know?
I've got this little question for ya
Will I be the last to know
Or is this just my paranoia?
Will I be the last to know?
I want to give myself to you completely
I love you more than truth could ever tell
Please promise not to mistreat me or beat me
Just treat me sweetly
Will I be the last to know?
I've got this little question for ya
Will I be the last to know
Or is this just my paranoia?
What will I discover?
Will you turn on me and say
You didn't mean to be unkind
You haven't changed your mind
You've never loved me anyway?
I want to give myself to you completely
I love you more than truth could ever tell
Please promise not to mistreat me or beat me
Just treat me sweetly
Will I be the last to know?
I've got this little question for ya
Will I be the last to know
Or is this just my paranoia?
What will I discover?
Will you turn on me and say
You haven't changed your mind
You've never loved me anyway?
Will I be the last to know?
Will I be the last to know?
Will I be the last to know?
The Buzzcocks' song "Last to Know" is a classic punk rock love ballad that is focused on the anxiety and paranoia that can arise from being in love. The singer of the song is questioning whether they are the last to know something important, possibly whether their lover truly loves them or not. The opening lines of the song set the stage for this anxiety: "Will I be the last to know? / I've got this little question for ya / Will I be the last to know / Or is this just my paranoia?"
The second verse reveals that the singer is in their lover's bedroom while they are sleeping, listening to them breathe as they hold their breath. This may suggest that the singer is anxious about being discovered by their lover or that they are desperate to know their lover's true feelings. The chorus repeats the initial question, and the third verse finds the singer pledging their love and asking for gentle treatment in return: "Just treat me sweetly."
The bridge provides a moment of tension, with the singer asking "What will I discover?" and fearing that their lover may tell them that they "never loved me anyway." Despite this, the final repetition of the chorus doesn't offer any resolution, and the question of whether the singer will be the last to know remains unanswered.
Overall, "Last to Know" is a heartfelt expression of love and fear in the classic punk rock style. The simple chord progression and driving beat carry the emotional weight of the lyrics, creating a song that is both raw and relatable.
Line by Line Meaning
Will I be the last to know?
The singer wonders whether they'll be the last to find out about something important.
I've got this little question for ya
The singer has a small question that they want to ask.
Will I be the last to know
The singer asks again whether they'll be the last to know about something important.
Or is this just my paranoia?
The singer wonders if their fear of being left out of the loop is just their own paranoid thoughts.
I came into your room while you were sleeping
The singer sneaked into the other person's room while they were asleep.
And tip-toed to the bottom of your bed
The singer walked very quietly to the foot of the other person's bed.
I held my breath so I could hear you breathing
The singer held their breath to listen to the other person's breathing.
Love's such a sweet thing
The singer reflects on the sweetness of love.
I want to give myself to you completely
The singer wants to fully devote themselves to the other person in a romantic sense.
I love you more than truth could ever tell
The singer's love for the other person is so strong that it can't be accurately described with words.
Please promise not to mistreat me or beat me
The singer is concerned about being treated badly by the other person, and asks them to promise not to do so.
Just treat me sweetly
The singer asks that the other person treat them kindly and affectionately.
What will I discover?
The singer wonders about what they might find out, and what it might mean for their relationship.
Will you turn on me and say
The singer is worried that the other person may suddenly change their opinion of them.
You didn't mean to be unkind
The singer is imagining a scenario in which the other person tries to justify their unkind behavior.
You haven't changed your mind
The singer wonders if the other person still feels the same way about them.
You've never loved me anyway?
The singer questions whether the other person actually loved them at all.
Will I be the last to know?
The singer repeats their earlier worries about not being in the loop.
Will I be the last to know?
The singer repeats their earlier question.
Will I be the last to know?
The singer repeats their earlier question once more.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: PETER SHELLEY
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind