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.
Soul On A Rock
Buzzcocks Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I find hard to disguise
The contradiction what I want and what I see
Had led to darkening skies
And I don't know if you're just deceiving me
And I just hope that you're not deceiving me
With some other guy
Some consolation it hasn't happened yet
Or was that just a lie
And I just hope that you're not deceiving me
And I don't know if you're just deceiving me
My soul on a rock
I know what I feel
My soul on a rock
It hurts 'cause it's real
My soul on a rock
I wanna believe
I often wonder are there secrets that you've kept
With that other guy
Some consolation it hasn't happened yet
Or is that just a lie
And I hope that you're not deceiving me
My soul on a rock
I know what I feel
My soul on a rock
It hurts 'cause it's real
My soul on a rock
I wanna believe
My soul on a rock
I know what I feel
My soul on a rock
It hurts 'cause it's real
My soul on a rock
I wanna believe
And I hope that you're not deceiving me
My soul on a rock
I know what I feel
My soul on a rock
It hurts 'cause it's real
My soul on a rock
I wanna believe
And I hope that you're not deceiving me
My soul on a rock
I know what I feel
My soul on a rock
It hurts 'cause it's real
My soul on a rock
I wanna believe
The lyrics to Buzzcocks' song "Soul On A Rock" express the confusion and pain caused by a lover's potential deception. The singer's emotions are heightened by a sense of hopelessness - an almost inescapable feeling of dread that perhaps their partner is hiding something crucial from them. The lyrics express a desire to believe that their lover is truthful but an overwhelming fear that they are not. The phrase "My soul on a rock" implies a sense of immobility - the singer feels trapped in their thoughts and emotions, uncertain of what to do with them.
Throughout the song, the singer wrestles with their inner turmoil, oscillating between hope and despair. They plead with their partner, hoping that they are not deceiving them but questioning whether they are. The song's message is ultimately one of vulnerability and fear, as the singer confronts the possibility that they cannot trust the person they love.
Overall, "Soul On A Rock" is a powerful exploration of the human heart and mind in the throes of uncertainty and insecurity. The song's lyrics speak to anyone who has wrestled with doubt and confusion in a relationship, and its haunting melody and melancholy tone capture the essence of the pain and sadness that can come with such uncertainty.
Line by Line Meaning
This desolation sweeping over me
I find hard to disguise
I am feeling very low and helpless and it is showing on my face
The contradiction what I want and what I see
Had led to darkening skies
The difference between what I want and what is happening is making me unhappy
And I don't know if you're just deceiving me
And I just hope that you're not deceiving me
I am doubtful about your intentions and just hoping that you are not lying to me
I often wonder are there secrets that you've kept
With some other guy
Some consolation it hasn't happened yet
Or was that just a lie
I keep wondering if you have secrets with another person and if I have not found out yet, or if it is just a lie
My soul on a rock
I know what I feel
My soul on a rock
It hurts 'cause it's real
My soul on a rock
I wanna believe
I am feeling very emotional and in pain, but I want to believe that things will get better
And I hope that you're not deceiving me
My soul on a rock
I know what I feel
My soul on a rock
It hurts 'cause it's real
I hope you are not lying to me and I am sure of the pain I am feeling
My soul on a rock
I wanna believe
I want to believe that things will work out and that you are not deceiving me
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: PETER SHELLEY
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind