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.

Again & Again
Cock Sparrer Lyrics

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Hey, people down the street don't know what's goin' on.
They don't know where I'm going.
They don't know where I'm from.

I've got no time to explain to them.
They only ask me again and again and again.
Said I've got no time to explain to them
They only ask me again and again and again.

I'm gonna lock myself in
And get outta my head.
I've got another empty bottle,
Got another empty bed.

I've got no time to explain to them.
They only ask me again and again and again.
Said I've got no time to explain to them,
They only ask me again and again and again.
Oh, and again and again!

I'm gonna lock myself in
And get outta my head.
I've got another empty bottle,
Got another empty bed.

I've got no time to explain to them.
They only ask me again and again and again.
Said I've got no time to explain to them,
They only ask me again and again and again.

I said I've got no time to explain to them,
They only ask me again and again and again.

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Cock Sparrer's song "Again and Again" seem to be conveying a sense of frustration and weariness towards people who don't understand the singer's situation or life choices. The opening lines suggest a feeling of isolation and disconnection from those around him: "Hey, people down the street don't know what's goin' on. They don't know where I'm going. They don't know where I'm from."

The repetition of the phrase "again and again" throughout the song emphasizes the singer's exasperation with constantly having to explain himself to others. He feels like he's stuck in a cycle of being misunderstood and judged by those around him. The lyrics "I've got no time to explain to them" suggest a certain level of resignation or acceptance of this, as if the singer has given up on trying to make people understand his perspective.

The chorus of the song seems to offer a solution to this problem, with the singer imploring himself to "lock myself in and get outta my head." It's possible that this is a reference to using alcohol or drugs as a way of escaping from the pressures of the outside world. However, the repeated reference to "another empty bottle" and "another empty bed" suggests that this kind of self-medication isn't providing any real relief or satisfaction.

Line by Line Meaning

Hey, people down the street don't know what's goin' on.
The people that live near me are unaware of my life, problems, and desires.

They don't know where I'm going.
The people near me are unaware of my plans and hopes for the future.

They don't know where I'm from.
The people near me are unaware of my past experiences and struggles.

I've got no time to explain to them.
I am too busy or unwilling to clarify my situation to the people near me.

They only ask me again and again and again.
The people near me keep asking me the same unanswerable questions repeatedly.

Said I've got no time to explain to them
I have previously mentioned that I cannot explain to the people near me.

I'm gonna lock myself in
I will isolate myself from others.

And get outta my head.
I will attempt to escape my own thoughts and emotions.

I've got another empty bottle,
I am consuming alcohol to cope with my issues.

Got another empty bed.
I am alone and without companionship.

Oh, and again and again!
The repetition of the same questions and issues is unrelenting and exhausting for me.

I said I've got no time to explain to them,
I am reiterating my previous statement that I do not have the time or desire to clarify my situation to the people near me.

Lyrics © Peermusic Publishing, BMG RIGHTS MANAGEMENT US, LLC
Written by: RICHARDO ST ANTHONY MCKENZIE, RODNEY SMITH

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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