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.

Run for Cover
Cock Sparrer Lyrics

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Cock Sparrer
Run For Cover [Pretty Close To Correct]

Can't eat, don't sleep no more.
Whatever you said, It's all been said before.
Spent too much time drinking whiskey and beer,
Times coming for a change around here.

Chorus
I'm the kid with the Iq,
And I'm coming to get you,
Ain't nothing for you to do,
Except to run for cover,

I've got you sussed now,
what you gunna do?
[Some Verse Goes Here]
Just walk up from me to you,
No more hiding now, I'm on the loose,
I'm telling you baby, there is really no use.

Chorus.
I'm the kid with the Iq,
And I'm coming to get you,
Ain't nothing for you to do,
Except to run for cover,

[Solo]

You can't eat, don't sleep no more.
Whatever you said, It's all been said before.
Spent too much time drinking whiskey and beer,
times coming for a change around here.
All around here,

Chorus:
I'm the kid with the Iq,
And I'm coming to get you,
Ain't nothing for you to do,
Except to run for cover,

Your gunna run for cover,
Your gunna run... for cover, Oooh, Oooh, Please.

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Cock Sparrer's "Run for Cover" tell the story of the singer who has had enough of his current situation. He can't eat or sleep anymore, and he feels like whatever he is being told has already been said before. He has wasted too much of his time drinking and now feels like it is time for a change. He declares that he is the kid with the IQ, and he is coming after them with force. The chorus, "Except to run for cover," signifies that the singer is coming after the person bringing trouble his way, and they have no choice but to contemplate their actions and run away to avoid being caught.

The lyrics suggest that the singer has finally come to his senses and realized that he has spent enough time of his life drinking and wasting his life away. He has decided to take control of his life and be the person he wants to be. The chorus emphasizes this by indicating that there is nowhere to run or hide if you are up against the singer. The song suggests that the singer is not just physically strong, but mentally adept as well, which means he can outplay anyone who messes with him.

The song's message is empowering, suggesting that it is time to stop hiding and walk the path that you want to walk, and be strong enough to face your fears head-on. The song is a call-to-action for people to take control of their lives and not be afraid of what's ahead. It is a strong move towards setting and achieving personal goals.

Line by Line Meaning

Can't eat, don't sleep no more.
I am so consumed by my thoughts about you that I can no longer focus on my basic needs like eating or sleeping.

Whatever you said, It's all been said before.
I have heard all your lies and excuses before and I refuse to believe them again.

Spent too much time drinking whiskey and beer,
I have been trying to numb my pain and forget the memories of you by excessively drinking alcohol.

Times coming for a change around here.
I am at a point where I need to make a change in my life and move on without you.

I'm the kid with the IQ,
I may be young but I am smart and capable of figuring out your true intentions.

And I'm coming to get you,
I am determined to expose your lies and hold you accountable for your actions.

Ain't nothing for you to do,
You can't escape the consequences of your actions, no matter what you try to do.

Except to run for cover,
Your only option now is to try and hide from me, but I will eventually catch up to you.

I've got you sussed now,
I have finally figured out your true intentions and motives.

What you gonna do?
Now that I know the truth, what are you going to do to try and stop me?

Just walk up from me to you,
I am no longer afraid of confronting you and demanding answers.

No more hiding now, I'm on the loose,
I am taking control of the situation and refusing to be held back by fear or doubt.

I'm telling you baby, there is really no use.
Your lies and excuses are useless now that I have seen through them.

You can't eat, don't sleep no more.
I have caused so much emotional pain that you too are unable to focus on basic necessities.

All around here,
The environment and energy of the situation is changing and things are shifting towards my favor.

Your gonna run for cover,
You will eventually realize the price of your lies and try to run away from the consequences.

Your gonna run for cover, oh, oh, please.
You will desperately try to avoid being caught, but it is inevitable and you will have to face the truth eventually.

Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd., Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: ALICE SMITH, RICHARD SMITH

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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