One of the first Oi! bands, Cock Sparrer was playing loud, raw, Cockney wor… Read Full Bio ↴One of the first Oi! bands, Cock Sparrer was playing loud, raw, Cockney working-class anthems as early as the first wave of British punk, although record company difficulties prevented them from issuing much material until the early '80s, when the Oi!movement was well underway. The group formed in London's East End in 1975, originally as a hard-edged pub rock combo in the vein of Dr. Feelgood. Four of the members -- vocalist Colin McFaull, guitarist Mick Beaufoy, bassist Steve Burgess, and drummer Steve Bruce -- had been schoolmates since age 11, and had been playing together in cover bands three years prior. They were joined by rhythm guitarist Gary Lammin (Burgess' cousin), and soon began playing the Bridgehouse Pub in Canning Town on a regular basis. The emergence of the Sex Pistols presented an opportunity to further toughen up their sound, which sparked a brief interest from Pistols manager Malcolm McLaren that didn't end up amounting to much. In 1977, Cock Sparrer signed with Decca Records (which had already landed another proto-Oi! band in Slaughter & the Dogs) and recorded their debut single, "Runnin' Riot," which was followed by a cover of the Rolling Stones' "We Love You." However, disagreements with Decca led to the sense that the band's simple, basic, street-level sound wasn't really understood; as a result, their self-titled debut was, for some reason, issued only in Spain. Lammin left the group to pursue an acting career not long after, and a frustrated Cock Sparrer went on an unofficial hiatus.

By the early '80s, bands like Sham 69, the Angelic Upstarts, and the Cockney Rejects had transformed the working-class punk sensibility into a Cockney-dominated subgenre dubbed Oi! As early progenitors of the scene, Cock Sparrer was in demand once again, especially after their song "Sunday Stripper" appeared on an Oi! compilation. They began gigging again and quickly landed a record deal, resulting in the 1982 hit single "England Belongs to Me," which struck a chord during the middle of the Falklands War. Cock Sparrer's official U.K. debut album, Shock Troops, was also released in 1982 and became a long-standing Oi! favorite. Guitarist Beaufoy left the band in 1983 and was replaced by the tandem of Chris Skepis (rhythm) and Shug O'Neill (lead). This lineup recorded the follow-up album, 1984's Runnin' Riot in '84, but Skepis and O'Neill both departed shortly thereafter. Beaufoy rejoined briefly for the Live & Loud album, released in 1987, but disagreements within the band and (again) with their record company precipitated another breakup.

In late 1992, Cock Sparrer was invited to play a reunion gig at the Astoria, near Charing Cross. The appearance of over 2,000 fans stunned the band into a full-fledged reunion, featuring the original quartet of McFaull, Beaufoy, Burgess, and Bruce, plus new rhythm guitarist Daryl Smith. In early 1994, Cock Sparrer released Guilty as Charged, their first album of all-new material in a decade. The odds-and-ends EP Run Away followed in 1995, featuring live and studio recordings; the proper follow-up to Guilty as Charged, Two Monkeys, was released in 1997, with rumors that it would be the band's last album featuring all new material. A spate of compilations and live recordings followed during the next few years, with the band continuing to tour extensively, hitting the U.S. in 2000.

A.U.
Cock Sparrer Lyrics

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A U come outside
I'm fed up with you looking
Like the cat who got the cooking
I said A U
You and me outside
You've got the kind of face
The face of a git
And I really want to hit it

I said A U
You and me outside
'Cause I've been watching you
Chatting up all the girls
And I'm fed up with you
And I've drunk enough

Someone's gonna get a slap tonight
Someone's gonna get whacked tonight
Someone's gonna get a smack tonight
From me, and it's gonna be you

A U you look like a poof
How loud do I shout it?
Tell me what you're gonna do about it?
A U you and me outside
You're a bloke who's heading for one
A real fist magnet if ever I saw one
A U you and me outside
I saw you kiss that girl
Over in the corner
It's not jealousy
It's just you and me

Someone's gonna get a slap tonight
Someone's gonna get whacked tonight
Someone's gonna get a smack tonight
From me, and it's gonna be you

You've got too much dosh, you're everything I hate
You talk all posh, you make me so irate
You're so cock sure, you're a liability
I told you before, it's not jealousy
It's not jealously
It's just you and me

Someone's gonna get a slap tonight
Someone's gonna get whacked tonight

Someone's gonna get a smack tonight
From me, and it's gonna be you

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Cock Sparrer's song A.U. depict a confrontation between two men, one of whom is fed up with the other's behavior and appearance. The singer uses derogatory language to describe the other man's face, calling him a "git" and using a homophobic slur to insult him. He accuses the other man of chatting up girls and being too wealthy and posh, which only fuels his anger even further. The chorus repeats the threat of violence, with the singer declaring that he's going to give the other man a "slap," a "whack," or a "smack" and that there's nothing he can do about it.

At its core, the song is about toxic masculinity and the need for dominance and control in male relationships. The singer's aggression towards the other man comes from a place of insecurity and a desire to prove his own masculinity. By lashing out, he asserts his dominance and tries to maintain the traditional power dynamic of male relationships. The use of homophobic slurs reinforces this idea, as it suggests that being gay or feminine is somehow lesser or weaker than being traditionally masculine.

Line by Line Meaning

A U come outside
Come outside, I want to confront you

I'm fed up with you looking
I'm tired of your behavior

Like the cat who got the cooking
You seem too pleased with yourself

I said A U
I'm addressing you directly

You and me outside
We need to have a physical altercation

You've got the kind of face
Your face is unpleasant to me

The face of a git
Your face makes you look stupid and incompetent

And I really want to hit it
I want to physically harm you

'Cause I've been watching you
I've been observing your behavior

Chatting up all the girls
You've been flirting with multiple women

And I'm fed up with you
I'm tired of your behavior

And I've drunk enough
I've consumed enough alcohol to confront you

Someone's gonna get a slap tonight
I'm going to physically harm someone tonight

Someone's gonna get whacked tonight
I'm going to physically harm someone tonight

Someone's gonna get a smack tonight
I'm going to physically harm someone tonight

From me, and it's gonna be you
You are going to be the victim of my violence

A U you look like a poof
You look like a homosexual

How loud do I shout it?
How much louder do I need to say it?

Tell me what you're gonna do about it?
What actions are you going to take in response to my accusation?

You're a bloke who's heading for one
You are destined for physical harm

A real fist magnet if ever I saw one
Your behavior attracts physical violence

I saw you kiss that girl
I witnessed you kissing a woman

Over in the corner
In a specific location

It's not jealousy
My emotions are not based on jealousy

It's just you and me
Our confrontation is personal, not related to anyone else

You've got too much dosh, you're everything I hate
You are wealthy, which I despise

You talk all posh, you make me so irate
Your manner of speaking annoys me

You're so cock sure, you're a liability
Your arrogance is a problem

I told you before, it's not jealousy
I previously explained that my emotions are not motivated by jealousy

Someone's gonna get a slap tonight
I'm going to physically harm someone tonight

Someone's gonna get whacked tonight
I'm going to physically harm someone tonight

Someone's gonna get a smack tonight
I'm going to physically harm someone tonight

From me, and it's gonna be you
You are going to be the victim of my violence

Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: COLIN MCFAULL, MICHAEL BEAUFOY, STEPHEN JOHN BURGESS, STEVEN BRUCE

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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