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.
Why Can't I Touch It?
Buzzcocks Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I can see it
And it seems so real
I can feel it
And it seems so real
I can taste it
And it seems so real
I can hear it
So why can't I touch it?
Then it looks so real
I can see it
And it feels so real
I can feel it
And it tastes so real
I can taste it
And it sounds so real
I can hear it
So why can't I touch it?
So why can't I touch it?
Then it looks so real
I can feel it
And it feels so real
I can taste it
And it tastes so real
I can hear it
And it sounds so real
I can see it
So why can't I touch it?
So why can't I touch it?
Now it is so real
I can see it
And it is so real
I can feel it
And it is so real
I can hear it
And it is so real
I can be it
So why can't I touch it?
So why can't I touch it?
The Buzzcocks' "Why Can't I Touch It" is a song that expresses frustration at the inability to physically connect with something despite being able to experience it with all other senses. The repetition of "it seems so real" and the various ways the subject experiences the object through sight, taste, sound, and touch creates a sense of desperation to bridge the gap between the physical and sensory worlds. The use of different sensory language indicates a holistic approach to experiencing the world, but there remains a disconnect between the subject and the object that is unfulfilled.
This song could be interpreted in many ways, but it seems to speak to the feeling of alienation and the desire to connect with something or someone that feels unattainable. The inability to touch what is real creates a sense of longing and frustration that resonates with many people who feel disconnected from the world around them. The repetition of the chorus drives this point home, as if trying to force reality into alignment with the senses.
Overall, "Why Can't I Touch It" is a poignant commentary on the limitations of human perception and the yearning for connection that lies at the heart of human experience.
Line by Line Meaning
Well, it seems so real
I can see it
And it seems so real
I can feel it
And it seems so real
I can taste it
And it seems so real
I can hear it
So why can't I touch it?
So why can't I touch it?
The singer describes their sensory experiences of something that seems real to them, but they are unable to physically touch it. They are questioning why this is the case.
Then it looks so real
I can see it
And it feels so real
I can feel it
And it tastes so real
I can taste it
And it sounds so real
I can hear it
So why can't I touch it?
So why can't I touch it?
The singer repeats their sensory experiences of the object, emphasizing that it seems undeniably real in every way they can perceive it, further questioning why they cannot touch it.
Then it looks so real
I can feel it
And it feels so real
I can taste it
And it tastes so real
I can hear it
And it sounds so real
I can see it
So why can't I touch it?
So why can't I touch it?
The singer reiterates once more that the object seems completely real to them, even though they continue to be unable to physically touch it. They remain perplexed by this paradox.
Now it is so real
I can see it
And it is so real
I can feel it
And it is so real
I can hear it
And it is so real
I can be it
So why can't I touch it?
So why can't I touch it?
The artist has come to the conclusion that the object is truly real, and even asserts that it is part of their existence, yet they remain troubled by their inability to touch it.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: JOHN MAHER, PETER SHELLEY, STEPHEN DIGGLE, STEVE GARVEY
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@lukelarsson
Lasso sent me here. I was already a fan of the song so it’s just an excuse to listen to it again because of my favorite show. Ted Lasso S3E11 is such a great episode.
@TalorcMcAllan
welcome aboard
@charleshall3372
Bought this as a NEW RELEASE! 1979 I was 17!! Wahoo.
@haapla7614
You're 49?
@TalorcMcAllan
ha ha 49
@TalorcMcAllan
@@haapla7614 snap out of it
@TalorcMcAllan
@@haapla7614 retreat
@molisamnia1812
I didn’t know who performed this. I heard it on Ted Lasso tonight & had to look it up! So happy!
@haydenmarshall1881
rest in peace Pete Shelley , thanks for the awesome tunes!
@kirkcavenaugh758
Rip