In 1975, after a failed stint at managing & relaunching the image of the notoriously hard living and chaotic band the New York Dolls, Malcolm nurtured the formation of one of the most infamous punk bands in history, The Sex Pistols. He became their manager, and controlled their contracts, as well as most importantly to him, their image in the media. The venture ended in a disastrous US tour, and a film called "The Great Rock And Roll Swindle" that featured McLaren, and glorified his untraditional Situationist PR approach and manipulative Svengali-esque role in the band's career.
In the '80s, after the Sex Pistols had long broken up, Malcolm became the manager of another band, Adam and the Ants which veered away from punk's coarse format via new romantic pirate garb and poly rhythmic African style drumming. When Adam Ant rebelled and left the band, Malcolm repackaged the musicians with a 14 year old Anglo/Burmese girl named Annabella Lwin to form the band Bow Wow Wow. He soon used his headline making skills to propel the band and their underage lead singer to the top of the charts with a nude album cover scandal.
In the early 1980's, Malcolm began producing his own records, beginning with the hits "Buffalo Gals" and "Double Dutch" from the groundbreaking 1983 album "Duck Walk" which used NYC hip hoppers and scratch DJ's The World Famous Supreme Team, as its foundation. Future members of Art of Noise performed on, produced, and/or jointly composed various tracks. He next turned to opera, masterminding a pop adaptation of "Madam Butterfly" on the album "Fans" using an assortment of female vocalists, and skilled musician Robby Kilgore on the tracks.
McLaren has released numerous other albums and tracks since, including contributions to the movie soundtracks of Carry On Columbus, and Kill Bill 2, but his musical career peaked with his 1980's works. McLaren's original "Double Dutch" era material has since been reappropriated and sampled by sucessful artists including Mariah Carey, Eminem, Amerie and De La Soul.
In his later years, McLaren occasionally contributed to newspapers and magazines, directed and produced films and appeared on British reality television programmes. He died on the morning of 8 April 2010, following a battle with cancer.
Buffalo Gals
Malcolm McLaren Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Ba-ba-ba (baa-ba) Ba-ba-ba-ba, Ba-ba-ba-ba, (ba) Ba-ba (ba)
Ba-ba, ba-ba, ba-ba, (ba) ba-ba, ba-ba, ba-ba ba-ba-ba-ba-be (ba)
Boy that scratchin is makin' me itch (ba, ba)
Dub-dub-dub (ba), Dub-dub-dub (ba), Dub-dub-dub, Dub-dub-dub, ba-ba-ba-ba (ba)
Dub-dub-dub, ba-ba-ba-ba-be (ba) Dub-dub-dub, ba-ba-ba-ba, ba-ba-ba-ba
Dub-dub-dub, ba-ba-ba-ba, ba-ba-ba-ba
First buffalo gal go around the outisde, round the outside, round the outside (you know it)
Two buffalo gals go around the outside, 'round the outside, 'round the outside
Three buffalo gals (baaa) go around the outside (baaa, ba, ba)
Four buffalo gals (baaa) go around the outside, 'round the outside (baaa),
'round the outside (baaa)
Four buffalo gals go around the outside and dosie doe your partners (baaa)
Ba - baaa, She's lookin', she's lookin', she's lookin', she's lookin'
She's-she's-she's-she's-she's-she's, lookin' like a whore girl
Three buffalo gals, three buffalo gals (ba), three-three buff-three-three
Three buffalo gals (ba), gals-gals, buffalo, buffalo, (ba) three-three-three-three-three
Wooh, Girl, it's a pity that you're so dirty
You're only dancin' just to be friendly (baaa)
So pretty you drive me loco
And so silly you make be blush so-o-o (baaa)
Yeah, huh, you're my buffalo girl, yeah-heah-eah
It's a pity that you're so dirty
You're only dancin' just to be friendly
So pretty you drive me loco
You're so pretty you make me (baaa) blush so-o-o
(You're lookin' like a whore girl)
I'm an ape, I'm an ape, I'm an ape - I'm an ape
First buffalo boy go around
Malcolm McLaren's "Buffalo Gals" is a unique and refreshing song that blends African American, Native American, and Scottish/Celtic cultures together. The opening verse of the song is largely made up of beatboxing and background vocals. The use of African American beatboxing sets the tone for the song and showcases McLaren's tribute to hip-hop music. McLaren was introduced to this form of music by his friend, Afrika Bambaataa, who was one of the original creators of hip-hop.
The lyrics of "Buffalo Gals" include references to Native American culture and dance, specifically, the buffalo dance. The lyrics describe buffalo girls going round the outside and doing the dosie doe with their partners, which is a common dance move in the buffalo dance. Furthermore, the use of the word "gal" in the song is a reference to the traditional Scottish/Celtic song "Lassie Wi' the Yellow Coatie," which is often played in the same context as the buffalo dance. In this way, Malcolm McLaren brings together different cultures and musical traditions, showcasing the diversity and beauty of these cultures in a unique and innovative way.
Overall, "Buffalo Gals" is a fun, upbeat song that celebrates diversity, cultural exchange, and the universal language of music. By incorporating elements of hip-hop, Native American dance, and Scottish/Celtic music, McLaren creates a one-of-a-kind sonic experience that is both catchy and meaningful.
Line by Line Meaning
Haaaaaa, Ha-la-ha-la, Ba - Ba - Ba - Ba - Ba - Ba - Ba
The song begins with meaningless sounds.
Ba-ba-ba (baa-ba) Ba-ba-ba-ba, Ba-ba-ba-ba, (ba) Ba-ba (ba)
More sounds that convey no meaning.
Ba-ba, ba-ba, ba-ba, (ba) ba-ba, ba-ba, ba-ba ba-ba-ba-ba-be (ba)
More sounds with no apparent meaning.
Boy that scratchin is makin' me itch (ba, ba)
This line refers to the sound of scratching in a song, which can cause people to itch while listening to it.
Dub-dub-dub (ba), Dub-dub-dub (ba), Dub-dub-dub, Dub-dub-dub, ba-ba-ba-ba (ba)
More obscure sounds with no meaning.
Dub-dub-dub, ba-ba-ba-ba-be (ba) Dub-dub-dub, ba-ba-ba-ba, ba-ba-ba-ba
More meaningless sounds.
Dub-dub-dub, ba-ba-ba-ba, ba-ba-ba-ba
More meaningless sounds.
First buffalo gal go around the outisde, round the outside, round the outside (you know it)
This line refers to a square dance with a woman called the 'buffalo gal' who is going around the outside of the dance floor.
Two buffalo gals go around the outside, 'round the outside, 'round the outside
Two 'buffalo gals' now join in the square dance.
Three buffalo gals (baaa) go around the outside (baaa, ba, ba)
Three 'buffalo gals' now join in the dance.
Four buffalo gals (baaa) go around the outside, 'round the outside (baaa),
Four 'buffalo gals' join the dance.
'round the outside (baaa)
Four buffalo gals go around the outside and dosie doe your partners (baaa)
The 'buffalo gals' do-si-do their partners after circling around the dance floor.
Ba - baaa, She's lookin', she's lookin', she's lookin', she's lookin'
A man is admiring the 'buffalo gal' who is walking around the dance floor.
She's-she's-she's-she's-she's-she's, lookin' like a whore girl
The man then insults the 'buffalo gal' by calling her a whore girl.
Three buffalo gals, three buffalo gals (ba), three-three buff-three-three
The 'buffalo gals' are mentioned again, with no particular meaning.
Three buffalo gals (ba), gals-gals, buffalo, buffalo, (ba) three-three-three-three-three
More sounds and mention of the 'buffalo gals'.
Wooh, Girl, it's a pity that you're so dirty
You're only dancin' just to be friendly (baaa)
The man now tries to make up for insulting the 'buffalo gal' earlier by saying it's a shame she is dirty and that she is only dancing out of friendliness.
So pretty you drive me loco
And so silly you make be blush so-o-o (baaa)
The man then pays the woman a compliment and says she is both pretty and silly, and that he is infatuated with her.
Yeah, huh, you're my buffalo girl, yeah-heah-eah
The man is once again complimenting the 'buffalo gal' and claiming her as his own.
It's a pity that you're so dirty
You're only dancin' just to be friendly
The man repeats an earlier sentiment about the woman being dirty and that she is only dancing friendly.
You're so pretty you make me (baaa) blush so-o-o
(You're lookin' like a whore girl)
The man compliments the 'buffalo gal' again and repeats the insult from earlier, insinuating that she looks like a prostitute.
I'm an ape, I'm an ape, I'm an ape - I'm an ape
The song ends with more nonsense sounds that have no meaning.
First buffalo boy go around
The song ends with one more mention of the 'buffalo boy' for no apparent reason.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Peermusic Publishing
Written by: ANNE JENNIFER DUDLEY, MALCOLM ROBERT ANDREW MCLAREN, TREVOR HORN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@adailtonsilvagomes2991
Esta música, "Buffalo Girls", tem um lugar especial em meu coração. Ela foi a voz que me ajudou a descobrir minha verdadeira paixão musical. Vindo da zona sul de São Paulo, Brasil, eu não tinha acesso fácil à televisão e à diversidade musical que ela oferecia. No entanto, essa música encontrou o seu caminho até mim, e tudo mudou.
"Buffalo Girls" é uma canção que transcende fronteiras e conecta pessoas de diferentes origens. Com sua batida contagiante e letras cativantes, ela me envolveu em um mundo de energia e liberdade. Quando eu a ouvi pela primeira vez, senti como se estivesse sendo transportado para além das barreiras físicas e limitações da minha realidade cotidiana.
Essa música me mostrou que a música não tem fronteiras e que a paixão pela arte transcende qualquer barreira geográfica. Mesmo sem acesso fácil à TV, eu consegui encontrar uma joia musical que ressoou profundamente em mim. Isso despertou em mim um desejo fervoroso de explorar mais, de buscar outros ritmos e melodias que poderiam me mover da mesma maneira.
Através da música, encontrei um senso de comunidade e pertencimento. Descobri que não estava sozinho em minha paixão pela música e que havia muitas outras pessoas ao redor do mundo que compartilhavam o mesmo amor. Essa música se tornou a trilha sonora dos meus dias, me inspirando e me motivando a seguir em frente, mesmo diante dos desafios.
Portanto, dedico esta mensagem à música "Buffalo Girls". Ela foi a faísca que acendeu minha paixão pela música e me levou a explorar um universo sonoro diversificado e enriquecedor. Sou grato por essa experiência transformadora e por todas as vozes que contribuíram para a criação dessa canção incrível.
Que "Buffalo Girls" continue a inspirar e conectar pessoas ao redor do mundo, assim como fez comigo. Que sua batida contagiante ecoe nos corações daqueles que a escutam, superando quaisquer limitações e fronteiras, levando alegria, liberdade e união a todos os amantes da música.
Que a música sempre encontre um caminho para iluminar nossas vidas e nos lembrar da beleza e da diversidade do mundo ao nosso redor. E, acima de tudo, que nunca percamos a capacidade de nos maravilhar com a magia que a música tem em oferecer.
Buffalo Girls, obrigado por me mostrar o poder da música e por me ajudar a encontrar meu caminho nesse vasto universo sonoro. Eu sempre vou carregar essa canção em meu coração e compartilhar sua mensagem com todos que cruzarem meu caminho.
Com gratidão e admiração,
Adailton São Paulo - BR
@mikemc3524
IF I HAD KNOWN LIFE WAS GONNA TURN OUT LIKE THIS I WOULD HAVE STAYED IN THE 80S.....
@johnd1466
Yo know it!
@luisayala2292
I feel you one hundred fam...
@Darick2k
Speaking of the 80's I once knew a guy named Marty McFly 👀😁
@duende901
How would you even do that? Like only limit yourself to using tech that was only available in the 80s? Only wearing clothes and listening to music that was "in" during the 80s? To me that would be the only way to "stay in the 80s" but it would be very stupid to do so and no one is able to keep something like that up so what the hell do you even mean by this comment???
@louishamilton9648
It HAS gotten rather ugly, hasn’t it?
@roddmatsui3554
This was a totally groundbreaking track. Still sounds fresh today!
@uv77mc85
Its a very weird track. The people who made this hadn't really heard Hip Hop and were just sort of making it from having it described to them. It doesn't really sound like anything else and the break dancing looked weird as hell back when this came out too because very few people outside NYC had ever seen it.
@mvj1153
@UV77MC It was not weird it was mind blowing to the creative people that were all in Hip Hop. Especially The DJ's like me back then. And the break dancing was The Rock Steady Crew from NY. One of the originators.
@uv77mc85
@mvj The only way you were a hip hop DJ when this came out was if you lived in The Bronx. Infact this wasn't even called hip hop in Europe then. It was called electro funk so stop lying.