Buzzcocks are an English punk rock band formed in Bolton, Greater Mancheste… Read Full Bio ↴Buzzcocks are an English punk rock band formed in Bolton, Greater Manchester, UK in 1976, led by singer-songwriter and guitarist Pete Shelley (1955 – 2018) for nearly their entire existence.

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 Compromise?
Buzzcocks Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

I'm not pretending so don't ask why
Your time is coming and that's no lie
You're the exception that proves the rule
From where I'm standing you're nobody's fool

I've been a bad boy so do what you please
Talking of pleasure speak in Japanese
There's no good or evil only different degrees

Hope springs eternal when you're down on your knees

You read the papers I watch TV
I'm tired of living in history
You've had your pleasure now here comes the pain
As sure as sunshine follows the rain

Under my direction let me see you blaspheme
Looking for a traitor if you know what I mean
Overnight sensations just fade away
Nothing lasts forever I don't care what you say

Immaculate conception here's a word to the wise
If there's no opposition why compromise
There's no good or evil only different degrees
Hope springs eternal when you're down on your knees

Let's put our hands together and deal a pack of lies
We won't live forever why compromise

Overall Meaning

The song "Why Compromise?" by the Buzzcocks explores themes of rebellion, resignation, and the struggle between good and evil. The lyrics present a sense of disillusionment with the status quo and the idea of settling for less than what one wants or deserves. The opening lines suggest that the singer is not pretending to be someone they are not, and that they are upfront about their beliefs and desires. They encourage the listener to be true to themselves and not compromise their values.

The song also touches on the concept of pleasure and the idea that there is no good or evil, only different degrees of morality. The line "Talking of pleasure speak in Japanese" suggests that the singer is open to exploring new experiences and expanding their worldview. However, the following line "Hope springs eternal when you're down on your knees" implies that there are consequences to seeking pleasure without considering the potential harm it may cause.

The second half of the song takes a darker turn, with references to blasphemy, traitors, and dealing "a pack of lies." The lines "Immaculate conception here's a word to the wise / If there's no opposition why compromise" suggest that the singer believes in standing up for what is right, even if it means going against tradition or authority figures. Ultimately, the song seems to be urging the listener to challenge the status quo and not settle for less than they deserve.

Line by Line Meaning

I'm not pretending so don't ask why
I'm being honest, don't question me

Your time is coming and that's no lie
Your time to face consequences will come

You're the exception that proves the rule
You defy the common expectation

From where I'm standing you're nobody's fool
I don't think you're easily fooled

I've been a bad boy so do what you please
I've done wrong, so punish me however you want

Talking of pleasure speak in Japanese
Use a foreign language to talk about pleasure discreetly

There's no good or evil only different degrees
Morality is subjective and not black and white

Hope springs eternal when you're down on your knees
Even in difficult times, hope persists

You read the papers I watch TV
We consume different media

I'm tired of living in history
I'm tired of dwelling on the past

You've had your pleasure now here comes the pain
You enjoyed the good times, now face the consequences