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.
Mad Mad Judy
Buzzcocks Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Mad mad girl
Mad mad Judy
Mad at all the world
She told her friend
She cried a lot
And ended up in tears
Well does she
Ain't nothing left in all
The world except insanity
Mad mad Judy
Mad mad girl
Mad mad Judy
Mad at all the world
She told her friend
She was paranoid
And ended up in fear
Well does she
Well does she, know?
Ain't nothing left in all
The world except obscurity
She wanted something she
Never got but don't know what it is?
Well does she; does she know?
Ain't nothing left in all the
World except diversity.
The Buzzcocks’ song Mad Mad Judy conveys the story of a girl named Mad Judy who is plagued by madness, paranoia, and fear. The repetition of the phrase "Mad mad Judy" gives an idea of how deeply entrenched her madness is, while the line "Mad at all the world" portrays how much she resents her surroundings.
The refrain, "Well does she, well does she know?" is asking the listener if Judy is aware of her own madness and how it is affecting her life. The verse "Ain't nothing left in all the world except insanity" is highlighting how it seems as though the world is closing in on Mad Judy's madness and struggles, and there is no escape for her.
The verse she “wanted something she never got, but don't know what it is” suggests an underlying sense of disillusionment and confusion on her part. This implies that she needs help, but can't articulate what kind of help she needs to overcome her issues. Mad Mad Judy is a poignant and thought-provoking depiction of the mental health struggles that can plague individuals who find themselves unable to cope with the challenges in life.
Line by Line Meaning
Mad mad Judy
The titular character is deeply troubled and unstable
Mad mad girl
Judy is a young woman who is consumed by madness and irrationality
Mad mad Judy
Reiteration of Judy's state of mind
Mad at all the world
Judy feels anger and resentment towards the entire world
She told her friend
Judy confided in someone close to her
She cried a lot
Judy experienced a great deal of emotional pain and expressed it through tears
And ended up in tears
Judy became overwhelmed by sadness and broke down
Well does she
The artist questions whether or not Judy realizes the true nature of her condition
Well does she, know?
Reiteration of the artist's questioning of Judy's awareness
Ain't nothing left in all
The world except insanity
The world seems to be devoid of anything but madness and chaos
Mad mad Judy
Reiteration of Judy's troubled state of being
Mad mad girl
Further emphasis of Judy's instability
Mad mad Judy
Reiteration of Judy's state of mind
Mad at all the world
Judy still feels anger and resentment towards the entire world
She told her friend
Judy again confides in someone close to her
She was paranoid
Judy experienced extreme paranoia
And ended up in fear
Judy was consumed by fear and anxiety
Well does she
The singer again raises the question of Judy's self-awareness
Well does she, know?
Reiteration of the singer's questioning of Judy's awareness
Ain't nothing left in all
The world except obscurity
Judy feels isolated and uncertain in a world that is difficult to navigate
She wanted something she
Never got but don't know what it is?
Judy has unfulfilled desires but is unsure what they are
Well does she; does she know?
The artist questions whether or not Judy truly understands her desires and motivations
Ain't nothing left in all the
World except diversity.
Despite the chaos and confusion, the world still contains a wide range of experiences and perspectives.
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: STEPHEN DIGGLE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind