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.
Oh Shit!
Buzzcocks Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Oh shit, I guess this is where our love ends
Oh shit, I thought things were goin' well
But it hasn't turned out so swell, has it?
Oh shit
Oh shit, pride comes before a fall
Oh shit, and once you lose one you've lost them all
And it seem you're no longer mine, don't it?
Oh shit
Oh shit
Oh
Oh shit, I wish I'd known before now
Oh shit, that you were such a cow
Oh shit, I wouldn't've wasted my time
Oh shit, chasin' somethin' which wasn't mine, face it
You're shit
You're shit
Oh shit, I wish I'd known before now
Oh shit, that you were such a fuckin' cow
Oh shit, I wouldn't've wasted my time
Oh shit, chasin' somethin' which could never be mine, admit
You're shit
You're shit
You're shit
Admit, admit
You're shit, you're shit
You're shit, you're shit
You're shit
Buzzcocks's song Oh Shit! is an angry and bitter account of a failed friendship or relationship. The lyrics express the singer's sense of disillusionment and betrayal when they thought their connection was going well, but it ended disastrously. The tone is one of regret and bitterness, as the singer looks back on their wasted time and realizes they were replaced by a "cow."
The song explores the themes of lost trust, pride, and the importance of understanding people before fully relying on them. The line "Pride comes before a fall" suggests that the singer's pride came before their inevitable downfall. The phrase "once you lose one, you lose them all" implies that the singer has lost trust not only in their friend but in all friendships. Their anger is expressed through the repeated "oh shit" and the declaration that the friend is "shit."
In conclusion, Buzzcocks's song Oh Shit! is a caustic and angry ballad about lost friendship or love. The lyrics detail the singer's shock and dismay when they realize the relationship is over, and they were replaced by someone with a bovine level of intelligence. The repetition of the phrase "Oh shit" is a sharp and bitter exclamation that punctuates the betrayal and pain the singer is feeling.
Line by Line Meaning
Oh shit, I thought you and I were friends
I believed we had a close and affectionate relationship, but now I am realizing the opposite.
Oh shit, I guess this is where our love ends
This marks the end of our romantic association, and we must move on!
Oh shit, I thought things were goin' well
But it hasn't turned out so swell, has it?
I had high hopes for our relationship, but unfortunately, things did not turn out as expected.
Oh shit, pride comes before a fall
Being arrogant or overconfident can result in a humbling experience or a failure.
Oh shit, and once you lose one you've lost them all
Losing one person or opportunity can cause you to lose others who were connected to them or related to that opportunity.
Oh shit, I guess this time's the time
And it seem you're no longer mine, don't it?
I am realizing that this moment is the end of our relationship, and it seems that you are no longer interested in being with me.
Oh shit, I wish I'd known before now
That you were such a cow
I wish I had known earlier that you were a difficult and unpleasant person.
Oh shit, chasin' somethin' which wasn't mine, face it
I wasted my time in pursuing something or someone that was not meant to be.
You're shit
You are a terrible person with no redeeming qualities.
Admit, admit
You're shit, you're shit
You're shit, you're shit
You're shit
You need to acknowledge that you are a terrible person and own up to your flaws and mistakes.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: PETER SHELLEY
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind