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 (DJ Cut
Malcolm McLaren Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Ba-ba-ba-ba-ba-ba-ba
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 outside
'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 go around the outside
(Baaa, baaa, ba, ba)
Four buffalo gals go around the outside
(Baaa)
'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
(Baaa)
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
(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, blush so
(Baaa)
(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 song Buffalo Gals is a mix of different sounds and styles, including African drums, hip-hop beats, and country-style rhyming. The song begins with a scratchy beat and repetitive sounds that set the stage for a mix of modern and traditional music. In the first verse, he talks about the scratching and how it is making him itch. The song then goes into a dub-style beat with repeating sounds and rhythms that build tension and excitement.
The chorus is where the song takes on a fun and catchy vibe, with the lyrics, "First buffalo girl go around the outside, 'round the outside, 'round the outside." This line references a traditional dance called the "Dosie Doe" that is often performed at country hoedowns. The song then repeats this line four times, building to a frenzied climax with the sounds of the gals and the buffalo.
The lyrics of the song also touch on the idea of sexuality and gender roles. The line, "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," is suggestive of a female engaging in promiscuous behavior. The song also talks about how women dance just to be friendly, indicating that women's sexual motives should be questioned.
Line by Line Meaning
Haa, ha-la-ha-la
Repetitive, rhythmic vocalization
Ba-ba-ba-ba-ba-ba-ba
Repetitive, rhythmic vocalization
Ba-ba-ba
Repetitive, rhythmic vocalization
(Baa-ba)
Repetitive, rhythmic vocalization
Ba-ba-ba-ba, ba-ba-ba-ba
Repetitive, rhythmic vocalization
(Ba)
Repetitive, rhythmic vocalization
Ba-ba
Repetitive, rhythmic vocalization
(Ba)
Repetitive, rhythmic vocalization
Ba-ba, ba-ba, ba-ba
Repetitive, rhythmic vocalization
(Ba)
Repetitive, rhythmic vocalization
Ba-ba, ba-ba, ba-ba ba-ba-ba-ba-be
Repetitive, rhythmic vocalization
(Ba)
Repetitive, rhythmic vocalization
Boy that scratchin' is makin' me itch
The scratching sound is making me feel an itch on my skin
(Ba, ba)
Repetitive, rhythmic vocalization
Dub
Vocalization of instrumental sound effect
Dub-dub
Vocalization of instrumental sound effect
(Ba)
Repetitive, rhythmic vocalization
Dub-dub-dub
Vocalization of instrumental sound effect
(Ba)
Repetitive, rhythmic vocalization
Dub-dub-dub, dub-dub-dub, ba-ba-ba-ba
Repetitive, rhythmic vocalization of instrumental sound effect
(Ba)
Repetitive, rhythmic vocalization
Dub-dub-dub, ba-ba-ba-ba-be
Repetitive, rhythmic vocalization of instrumental sound effect
(Ba)
Repetitive, rhythmic vocalization
Dub-dub-dub, ba-ba-ba-ba, ba-ba-ba-ba
Repetitive, rhythmic vocalization of instrumental sound effect
Dub-dub-dub, ba-ba-ba-ba, ba-ba-ba-ba
Repetitive, rhythmic vocalization of instrumental sound effect
First buffalo gal go around the outside
The first dancer circles around the perimeter
'Round the outside, 'round the outside
Repetitive vocalization indicating continued movement
(You know it)
Slang expression of agreement or affirmation
Two buffalo gals go around the outside
Two dancers now circle around the perimeter
'Round the outside, 'round the outside
Repetitive vocalization indicating continued movement
Three buffalo gals go around the outside
Three dancers now circle around the perimeter
(Baaa, baaa, ba, ba)
Repetitive vocalization
Four buffalo gals go around the outside
Four dancers now circle around the perimeter
(Baaa)
Repetitive vocalization
'Round the outside
Repetitive vocalization indicating continued movement around the perimeter
(Baaa)
Repetitive vocalization
'Round the outside
Repetitive vocalization indicating continued movement around the perimeter
(Baaa)
Repetitive vocalization
Four buffalo gals go around the outside
Four dancers continue to circle around the perimeter
And Dosie Doe your partners
The dancers switch partners and perform another dance move
(Baaa)
Repetitive vocalization
Ba-baaa, she's lookin', she's lookin'
Vocalization indicating observation of a woman
She's lookin', she's lookin'
Vocalization indicating continued observation of a woman
She's she's she's she's she's she's
Repetitive vocalization emphasizing the woman's actions
Lookin' like a whore girl
Slang insult directed at the woman's appearance
Three buffalo gals, three buffalo gals
Three dancers continue to circle around the perimeter
(Ba)
Repetitive vocalization
Three three, buff three three
Repetitive vocalization indicating the number of dancers
Three buffalo gals
Three dancers continue to circle around the perimeter
(Baaa)
Repetitive vocalization
Gals-gals, buffalo, buffalo
Repetitive vocalization indicating the nature of the dancers
(Ba)
Repetitive vocalization
Three, three, three, three, three
Repetitive vocalization indicating the number of dancers
Wooh, girl, it's a pity that you're so dirty
Expression of disappointment at the woman's appearance or behavior
You're only dancin' just to be friendly
Suggestion that the woman is dancing out of politeness
(Baaa)
Repetitive vocalization
So pretty you drive me loco
Expression of attraction towards the woman's beauty
And so silly you make be blush so
Suggestion that the woman's behavior is causing the artist to feel embarrassed or flustered
(Baaa)
Repetitive vocalization
Yeah, huh, you're my buffalo girl, yeah, heah-eah
Declaration of affection towards the woman
I'm an ape, I'm an ape, I'm an ape, I'm an ape
Repetitive vocalization indicating the singer's identity as an ape or monkey
First buffalo boy go around the outside
The first male dancer circles around the perimeter
And so on, and so on, and scooby dooby dooby
Repetitive vocalization indicating continued movement
(Baaa)
Repetitive vocalization
I met a girlfriend - a triscuit
Anecdote about meeting a woman
She said, a triscuit - a biscuit
Conversation between the singer and the woman
Ice cream, soda pop, vanilla on the top
Random enumeration of food and drink
Ooh, Shelly's out, walkin' down the street, ten times a week
Observation of a woman named Shelly
I read it. I said it. I stole my mama's credit
Confession of credit card fraud
I'm cool. I'm hot. Sock me in the stomach three more times.
Vocalization of self-praise and masochism
Contributed by Eli B. Suggest a correction in the comments below.