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.
Gotta Get Out
Cock Sparrer Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Heads held high, heart full of pride
One of a kind, staunch and true
You turned your back and to this day
I'm not sure why you run away
Loyalty means nothing to you
I bet you think it'll be forgotten
Gotta get out, get out of this place
Gotta get out, get out of my face
Gotta get out, get out of here
[Repeat]
Do you miss the lads do you miss the fun?
Life's too short when all is said and done
Sorry ain't enough you're gonna need more than that
I bet you made it alright in your head
Twisted every word forgotten what was said
Don't hold out, for you, there's no way back
I bet you think it'll be forgotten
Not a chance, too much, too little, too late
Gotta get out, get out of this place
Gotta get out, get out of my face
Gotta get out, get out of here
[Repeat]
With your hand on your heart can
You look me in the eye
And tell me it was all worthwhile
With your head in the clouds but
Your feet on the ground
Come on, tell me it was all worthwhile
Gotta get out [x6]
With your hand on your heart can
You look me in the eye
And tell me it was all worthwhile
With your head in the clouds but
Your feet on the ground
Come on, tell me it was all worthwhile
Gotta get out, get out of this place
Gotta get out, get out of my face
Gotta get out, get out of here
[Repeat]
Gotta get out of here
Gotta get out of here
Gotta get out of here
Get right out of...
The lyrics of Cock Sparrer's "Gotta Get Out" describe the betrayal of a longtime friend and the feelings of hurt and disbelief that come with it. The singer and his friend had stood "side by side" for years, filled with "pride" and a "staunch and true" loyalty. However, the friend suddenly "turned [his] back" and ran away without any explanation. The singer is left confused and hurt by this sudden betrayal, wondering why loyalty "means nothing" to his former friend.
The singer also expresses a sense of disappointment with the betrayer, suggesting that he thinks his actions will be forgotten or forgiven. But the singer asserts that it is "too much, too little, too late" for that to happen. The repeated assertion that he has to "get out" reflects a desire to move on from the hurtful experience and escape from the person who caused it. The song concludes with the singer asking the betrayer to honestly assess whether their friendship was "worthwhile" and suggesting that there may be no way back from the damage that has been done.
Overall, the lyrics of "Gotta Get Out" reveal the pain that comes with the loss of a friend and the betrayal of trust. They also reflect a desire to move on from that pain and find a way forward.
Line by Line Meaning
For years we stood, side by side
We have been friends for a long time
Heads held high, heart full of pride
We were proud to be friends
One of a kind, staunch and true
We were unique and loyal to each other
You turned your back and to this day, I'm not sure why you run away
You abandoned our friendship without explanation
Loyalty means nothing to you
You are not loyal to our friendship
I bet you think it'll be forgotten
You assume I will forget what you did
Not a chance, too much, too little, too late
I won't forget, and it's too little, too late to apologize
Do you miss the lads do you miss the fun?
Do you miss our group of friends and the good times we had?
Life's too short when all is said and done
Life is fleeting and we should cherish our friendships while we can
Sorry ain't enough you're gonna need more than that
Apologizing is not sufficient; you must make amends
I bet you made it alright in your head
You convinced yourself that what you did was okay
Twisted every word forgotten what was said
You distorted the truth and selectively forgot details to justify your actions
Don't hold out, for you, there's no way back
Don't expect me to forgive you or welcome you back into my life
With your hand on your heart can you look me in the eye
Are you truly remorseful for what you did?
And tell me it was all worthwhile
And convince me that what you did was worth sacrificing our friendship
With your head in the clouds but your feet on the ground
You have unrealistic expectations but need to face reality
Come on, tell me it was all worthwhile
Convince me that whatever you gained was worth losing me as a friend
Gotta get out, get out of this place
I need to get away from the situation
Gotta get out, get out of my face
I need you to leave me alone
Gotta get out, get out of here
I need to leave this place and move on
Gotta get out of here
I need to escape from this situation
Get right out of...
I need to get as far away as possible
Contributed by Juliana C. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Kyle Franklin
The only band that ever matters the almighty cocksparrer .....
GRUNGER
Best of the best !!!!
S420 Was Here
was 16 when shared this! 26 now OiOi!
Tzioarrospated
Gasa !
Guillermo
Yeeeeaaaah !!
Marooned 74
Working class
GRUNGER
Fookin great !! Cheers from Russa !!1
DocMarten93
Oi!
Steven Rawlinson
Dogs bollox