Shelley was born to Margaret and John McNeish at 48 Milton Street, in Leigh. Margaret was an ex-mill worker in the town, while John was a fitter at the nearby Astley Green Colliery. He had a younger brother, Gary.
Shelley formed Buzzcocks with Howard Devoto after the two met at the Bolton Institute of Technology (now the University of Bolton) in 1975 and subsequently travelled to High Wycombe, near London, to see the Sex Pistols. The Buzzcocks debuted in 1976 in Manchester, opening for the Sex Pistols.
In 1977 the Buzzcocks released their first EP, Spiral Scratch, on their own independent label, New Hormones. When Devoto left the group shortly afterwards—in February 1977—Shelley took over as the lead vocalist and chief songwriter. Working with the producer Martin Rushent, the band went on to create the punk/new wave singles "Orgasm Addict", "What Do I Get?", and "Ever Fallen in Love (With Someone You Shouldn't've)", along with three LPs: Another Music in a Different Kitchen (1978), Love Bites (1978), and A Different Kind of Tension (1979). Difficulties with their record company and a dispute with Virgin Publishing over the UK release of their greatest hits record, Singles Going Steady, brought the band to a halt in 1981.
Shelley's debut album Sky Yen was recorded in 1974 but remained unheard until March 1980 when it was released on 12" vinyl on Shelley's own label, Groovy Records. It was recorded as one continuous piece of music with a purpose-built oscillator and was notable for its use of layered electronics and playback speed manipulation to achieve its experimental feel. Rooted in electronic music, it has been compared with krautrock. Also released on Groovy Records was the soundtrack LP Hangahar by Sally Timms and Lindsay Lee, which included Shelley as a musician, and an album by artists Eric Random, Barry Adamson and Francis Cookson under the name Free Agents. After these releases, Groovy Records never released another album.
In 1981 Shelley released his first solo single, the song "Homosapien", again produced by Martin Rushent. On this recording he returned to his original interests in electronic music and shifted emphasis from guitar to synthesiser; Rushent's elaborate drum machine and synthesiser programming laid the groundwork for his next production, the chart-topping album Dare! by The Human League. "Homosapien" was banned by the BBC for "explicit reference to gay sex", but this didn't stop it from becoming enormously popular in dance clubs in Europe and North America: on the US dance charts, "Homosapien" peaked at number fourteen. It was also at this time that Pete Shelley talked about his bisexuality, which had been implicit in many of the Buzzcocks songs he had written but now came to attention due to "Homosapien" and the BBC ban. The next year saw the controversial single followed by an LP of the same name.
Shelley released his second LP XL1 in 1983 on Genetic Records. In addition to the minor hit "Telephone Operator," the album included a computer program for the ZX Spectrum which featured lyrics and graphics which displayed in time with the music, an innovative precursor to the visuals of today's media players. XL1 was produced by Martin Rushent and Shelley.
June 1986 saw Shelley release the darker, edgier Heaven and the Sea, an album that drew comparisons to Love and Rockets, Gary Numan and late period Ultravox. In 1987 he followed the album with a new song, "Do Anything", for the film Some Kind of Wonderful.
In 1989 Shelley recorded a new version of "Homosapien" entitled "Homosapien II". The single featured four mixes of the new recording.
Shelley has also played with various other musicians during his career, including The Invisible Girls, who backed punk poet John Cooper Clarke. Shelley also formed bands called The Tiller Boys, and Zip. He briefly reunited with Howard Devoto to make the LP Buzzkunst, released in 2002.
He also appeared on the 2005 debut EP by the Los Angeles band The Adored (who toured extensively with Buzzcocks the following year.)
A substantially sped-up club remix of "Telephone Operator" is a standard offering on the Dance Dance Revolution arcade game. He produced a single by the band Redtrack.
In 1989, Buzzcocks reunited, and released a new full-length recording, Trade Test Transmissions, in 1993. They continued to tour and record, their most recent release being the CD The Way in 2014. They toured with bands such as Nirvana, the Adored, the Strays, Lola Ray, and Images. In 2005, Shelley re-recorded "Ever Fallen in Love" with an all-star group, including Roger Daltrey, David Gilmour, Peter Hook, Elton John, Robert Plant and several contemporary bands, as a tribute to John Peel. Proceeds went to Amnesty International. Shelley also performed the song live at the 2005 UK Music Hall of Fame.
Shelley composed the theme music for the intro of the Tour de France on Channel 4, which was used from the late 1980s to mid 1990s.
Shelley died on the morning of 6 December, 2018, of a suspected heart attack, in Estonia where he was living. His brother, Gary McNeish, announced his death on Facebook.
My Dreams
Pete Shelley Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I feel you behind me
I turn but you're not there
I call your name
And people stop and stare
It's been some time since we last met
How can I forget you
It came as news to me
Aw I guess my dreams weren't meant to be
Oh I guess my dreams weren't meant to be
Parting's not such sweet a sorrow
But who knows how today will be
December will never seem the same
I'll always remember
Being close to you
The colour of your eyes
My favourite shade of blue
Been thinking of the fun we shared
Of course there were bad times
But perhaps what's good for me
Was all the same to you
Aw I guess my dreams weren't meant to be
Oh I guess my dreams weren't meant to be
Parting's not such sweet a sorrow
But who knows how today will be
Calm down
Take it easy
It's not the end of the world
But the chance to start something new
They say time waits for no man
But as long as I live
I'll wait for ever and ever for you
It's been some time since we last met
It was on my birthday
I'll never forget you
Though I suppose eventually I will
Aw I guess my dreams weren't meant to be
Oh I guess my dreams weren't meant to be
Parting's not such sweet a sorrow
But who knows how today will be
There are no goodbyes
Calm down
Take it easy
It's not the end of the world
But the chance to start something new
They say time waits for no man
But as long as I live
I'll wait for ever and ever for you
Aw take it easy
It's not the end of the world
But the chance to start something brand new
They say time waits for no man
But as long as I live
I'll wait for ever and forever for you
Aw I guess my dreams weren't meant to be
Oh I guess my dreams weren't meant to be
Oh I guess my dreams weren't meant to be
Oh I guess my dreams weren't meant to be
Pete Shelley's song "My Dreams" is a heartfelt ballad about lost love and longing for a past partner. The opening lines set the tone: "I see your face everywhere I go / I feel you behind me / I turn but you're not there / I call your name / And people stop and stare." The singer is haunted by the memory of their former partner, feeling as though they are constantly present even if they have physically moved on. The lyrics go on to reflect on the past relationship, recalling the fun times shared together as well as acknowledging that there were bad times too. Ultimately, the singer accepts that the relationship has come to an end, stating "Aw I guess my dreams weren't meant to be / Oh I guess my dreams weren't meant to be / Parting's not such sweet a sorrow / But who knows how today will be." However, the song ends on a hopeful note, suggesting that time apart may not be forever, and that there are new opportunities for love in the future.
The central theme of "My Dreams" is the pain of loss, and the way that memories and emotions can cling to us long after a relationship is over. The lyrics are often bittersweet, combining sadness with a sense of optimism and the possibility of new beginnings. The line "Calm down / Take it easy / It's not the end of the world / But the chance to start something new" encapsulates this message, encouraging listeners to keep an open mind and heart despite the difficulties of letting go.
Overall, "My Dreams" is a moving tribute to the power of memory and the capacity for hope even in the face of heartbreak. While the song is intensely personal to Pete Shelley himself, its lyrics and emotions are universal, speaking to anyone who has experienced the pain of loss and the struggle to move forward.
Line by Line Meaning
I see your face everywhere I go
The singer constantly thinks of this person whom he is longing to be with.
I feel you behind me
The singer senses the presence of the person he is missing, as if they are following him.
I turn but you're not there
The singer hopes to see the person he is missing but they are not actually present.
I call your name
The singer tries to reach out to the person he is missing by calling their name, hoping they'll respond.
And people stop and stare
The singer's actions draw the attention of strangers who may wonder what's going on.
It's been some time since we last met
The singer hasn't seen the person he is missing in quite some time.
How can I forget you
The singer can't forget about the person he is missing even though time has passed.
It came as news to me
The idea that love might not work out for him is a revelation to the singer.
Love has no guarantee
There are no guarantees in love; it's impossible to predict how things will turn out.
Aw I guess my dreams weren't meant to be
The singer has come to the sad conclusion that his dreams of being with the person he is missing may not come true.
Parting's not such sweet a sorrow
Saying goodbye isn't always bittersweet; sometimes it's just painful.
But who knows how today will be
The future is unpredictable, and today might turn out better than expected.
December will never seem the same
The singer feels like he's lost something precious and important, and his memories of December are now colored by that feeling.
I'll always remember
The singer will never forget the person he is missing.
Being close to you
The singer remembers intimacy and connection with the person he is missing.
The colour of your eyes
The singer has a specific image in his head of the person he is missing, down to the color of their eyes.
My favourite shade of blue
The color of the person's eyes is meaningful and important to the singer.
Been thinking of the fun we shared
The singer reminisces about the good times he had with the person he is missing.
Of course there were bad times
The relationship wasn't perfect, and there were times when things went wrong.
But perhaps what's good for me
The singer can see the possibility that the relationship may have been better for him than it was for the other person.
Was all the same to you
The other person might not feel the same way or might not value the relationship as much as the singer does.
There are no goodbyes
The singer seems to be suggesting that even though the relationship may have ended, the feelings are still there.
Calm down
The singer is addressing himself, trying to control his emotions and not get too worked up.
Take it easy
The singer is urging himself to relax and not let his emotions get the best of him.
It's not the end of the world
The singer is trying to put things into perspective and not blow the situation out of proportion.
But the chance to start something new
The end of the relationship doesn't mean the end of the world; it just presents an opportunity to start fresh.
They say time waits for no man
Time keeps moving forward and waits for no one; people have to keep up with it.
But as long as I live
The singer is committed to waiting for the person he is missing for as long as he lives.
I'll wait for ever and ever for you
The singer's love and longing for the other person is unwavering and eternal.
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: EFREM SAGRADA, GIACOMO CELENTANO, SIMONE BRESCIANI, VITTORIO GARINO
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind