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.
Don't Blame Us
Cock Sparrer Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Moved out to another slum in another part of town
Playing football in the street and pissing in the lift
Who really ever thought it would come to this
East ham high street market on a Saturday
Stuffing things in coats, making out getaway
Back round Charlie's house to see just what we'd got
Blame the teachers, blame the school
Blame the parents, come on blame one and all
Blame the coppers, blame the drugs
Blame the system, but don't blame us
Games of chicken in the kitchen with a carving knife
Eight stitches in my hand, I think I got off light
You're girlfriend's there in tears your mate's made another pass
when's he gonna learn he only has to ask
Blame the teachers, blame the school
Blame the parents, come on blame one and all
Blame the coppers, blame the drugs
Blame the system, but don't blame us
Schoolteachers sing you won't come to anything
There's no future in playing these dives
But looking back today we won't have another way
Because we had the times off our lives
Out of school, out off work and out of cigarettes
We'll all have some breakfast if he wins the bet
All the posing & posturing never made much sense
Little boys, little man, little innocence
Blame the teachers, blame the school
Blame the parents, come on blame one and all
Blame the coppers, blame the drugs
Blame the system, but don't blame us [2x]
The song "Don't Blame Us" by Cock Sparrer speaks of the struggles and challenges of growing up in a rough neighborhood. The lyrics describe the demolishing of the tower blocks where they once lived and being forced to move to another slum in another part of the town. It talks about playing football in the street and getting up to mischief like pissing in the lift. Despite these circumstances, they never thought that their lives would turn out this way.
The song reflects on the blame culture where individuals are quick to blame others for their misfortune. Cock Sparrer warns not to blame the teachers, parents, cops, drugs, or the system for the situation they found themselves in. Instead, they advise taking responsibility for their lives and forging their path. The song notes that life is not easy, and struggles will always be present, but it's necessary to stay strong.
The song employs a straightforward and straightforward style that doesn't hide behind metaphors or hidden meanings. The song lyrics are relatable to many people who grew up in similar circumstances. The band delivers the song with grit, passion, and energy, which adds to the context and amplifies the message.
Line by Line Meaning
Tower blocks we lived in all come tumbling down
The neighborhood we grew up in has been destroyed and we were forced to move to a new area.
Moved out to another slum in another part of town
We were relocated to another low-income area, which was just as bad as our previous one.
Playing football in the street and pissing in the lift
Our behavior was reckless and disrespectful towards public spaces.
Who really ever thought it would come to this
None of us could have predicted that we would end up in such difficult circumstances.
East ham high street market on a Saturday
We would go to the market as a fun activity to entertain ourselves on weekends.
Stuffing things in coats, making out getaway
We would steal things from the market and run away quickly before getting caught.
Back round Charlie's house to see just what we'd got
We would meet at our friend Charlie's house to share and examine what we had stolen from the market.
In school Monday morning we'd just flog the lot
We would sell what we stole at school on Monday morning for some extra cash.
Blame the teachers, blame the school
Some individuals blame their teachers and schools for not providing them with sufficient opportunities and support.
Blame the parents, come on blame one and all
Others blame their parents or a lack of parental guidance for their difficult circumstances.
Blame the coppers, blame the drugs
Some individuals resort to blaming law enforcement or drug use for their hardships.
Blame the system, but don't blame us
Ultimately, individuals believe that society's systems and structures limit their opportunities and contribute to their struggles but they refuse to take personal responsibility for their actions.
Games of chicken in the kitchen with a carving knife
Our reckless behavior extended to dangerous situations like playing games of chicken with sharp objects.
Eight stitches in my hand, I think I got off light
We would often get hurt due to our risky behavior, but we never realized the full extent of the danger.
You're girlfriend's there in tears your mate's made another pass
We had a lack of respect for our friends and girlfriends, which led to conflict and emotional distress.
when's he gonna learn he only has to ask
We would disrespect our friends' relationships and try to make advances without their permission.
Schoolteachers sing you won't come to anything
Many of our teachers had low expectations for us and we felt like they didn't believe in our potential.
There's no future in playing these dives
We were told that our current lifestyle and behavior wouldn't lead to a successful future.
But looking back today we won't have another way
Despite our difficult circumstances, we wouldn't have wanted to live our youth any other way.
Because we had the times off our lives
Despite the struggles we faced, we had some memorable experiences that we treasure.
Out of school, out off work and out of cigarettes
We were often unemployed and didn't have access to many resources, including cigarettes.
We'll all have some breakfast if he wins the bet
We would sometimes make bets and use the winnings to buy breakfast for the group.
All the posing & posturing never made much sense
Our attempts to act cool and impressive were ultimately meaningless and didn't change our circumstances.
Little boys, little man, little innocence
Despite trying to act older and more mature, we were still young boys and had a lot to learn about life.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind