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.
Something's Gone Wrong Again
Buzzcocks Lyrics
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No good, it's lost
Something's gone wrong again
Need a shave
Cut myself, need a new blade
Something's gone wrong again
And again
Something's gone wrong again
Tried to fry an egg
Broke the yolk, no joke
Something's gone wrong again
Look at my watch, just to tell the time but the hand's come off mine
Something's gone wrong again
Something's gone wrong again
And again
And again, and again, again and something's gone wrong again
Something's gone wrong again
Nothing ever happens to people like us
'Cept we miss the bus, something goes wrong again
Need a smoke, use my last fifty P.
But the machine is broke, something's gone wrong again
Something goes wrong again
And again
And again, and again, again and something goes wrong again
Something goes wrong again
Something goes wrong again
And again
And again, and again, again and something goes wrong again
Something goes wrong again
Nothing ever happens to people like us
'Cept we miss the bus, something goes wrong again
Need a smoke, use my last fifty P.
But the machine is broke, something goes wrong again
Something goes wrong again
And again
And again, and again, again and something goes wrong again
Something goes wrong again
I turned up early in time for our date
But then you turn up late, something goes wrong again
Need a drink, go to the pub
But the bugger's shut, something goes wrong again
Something goes wrong again
And again
And again, and again, again and something goes wrong again
Ah, something goes wrong again
Something goes wrong again
Something goes wrong again
Buzzcocks's song Something's Gone Wrong Again, composed by the band's guitarist Steve Diggle, expresses the frustrations and misfortunes of daily life through a series of vignettes. The song presents a litany of comical mishaps and minor disasters, such as losing a sock, cutting oneself while shaving, breaking a yolk while frying an egg, and missing the bus. These mundane mishaps are presented as indicators of a larger malaise, ultimately contributing to a feeling of alienation from society at large. The song's humorous tone serves to exaggerate these misfortunes, highlighting how even the smallest setback can feel like a major setback when it is one more instance of life going wrong.
Despite its tongue-in-cheek demeanor, Something's Gone Wrong Again speaks to a broader malaise in society. As the song suggests, "Nothing ever happens to people like us/'Cept we miss the bus." The feeling of being trapped in a cycle of disappointment is one shared by many, and the song's simple refrain evokes a kind of helpless fatalism that is all too relatable. In this way, Something's Gone Wrong Again serves as a hymn to the disaffected, a song that acknowledges the frustrations of modern life while still finding humor in the absurdity of it all.
Line by Line Meaning
Tried to find my sock
I attempted to locate my missing sock.
No good, it's lost
Unfortunately, my sock cannot be found.
Something's gone wrong again
This seems to be a recurring theme of things not working out as they should.
Need a shave
I require a shave to maintain a well-groomed appearance.
Cut myself, need a new blade
While attempting to shave, I have injured myself and require a better razor for future use.
Tried to fry an egg
I endeavored to cook an egg on the stove.
Broke the yolk, no joke
I accidentally damaged the yolk inside the egg while cooking it.
Look at my watch, just to tell the time but the hand's come off mine
I checked my watch to ascertain the time, but the hands have detached from the face, rendering it useless.
Nothing ever happens to people like us
It seems that individuals like myself experience few noteworthy events in life.
'Cept we miss the bus, something goes wrong again
Except for occasions like when we miss the bus, when something goes wrong again.
Need a smoke, use my last fifty P.
I require a cigarette and use my last fifty pence coin to purchase one.
But the machine is broke, something's gone wrong again
However, the vending machine is out of order, adding to the pattern of things not working out as expected.
I turned up early in time for our date
I arrived promptly in advance of our scheduled meeting.
But then you turn up late, something goes wrong again
However, you arrived later than planned, perpetuating the recurring inconvenience.
Need a drink, go to the pub
I have a desire for a beverage and decide to visit a nearby pub.
But the bugger's shut, something goes wrong again
Unfortunately, the pub is closed, aligning with the theme of things not going as intended.
Ah, something goes wrong again
The pattern of undesirable outcomes continues throughout my experiences.
Something goes wrong again
Yet again, something has gone awry.
And again
This has occurred repeatedly.
And again, and again, again and something goes wrong again
Numerous times, a similar sequence of failing or disappointing events has taken place.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: PETER SHELLEY
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind