Formed during the initial onslaught of U.K. punk in 1976, Manchester's Slau… Read Full Bio ↴Formed during the initial onslaught of U.K. punk in 1976, Manchester's Slaughter & the Dogs were the first group to release a single (the overlooked classic "Cranked Up Really High") on trailblazing hometown independent label Rabid Records. Clearly influenced by the more raucous end of glam rock -- the band's name was drawn from the albums Slaughter on 10th Avenue by Mick Ronson and Diamond Dogs by David Bowie -- the group's lineup consisted of vocalist Wayne Barrett, guitarist Mick Rossi, bassist Howard Bates, and drummer Mad Muffet.

Gigs at the noted London punk mecca the Roxy Club led to the band's inclusion in filmmaker Don Letts' documentary of that scene, The Punk Rock Movie, and they eventually received a contract from Decca Records. Further top-notch singles followed in "Where Have All the Bootboys Gone" and "You're Ready Now," and they recorded their debut album, Do It Dog Style, in 1978. However, disagreements with Decca and the departure of vocalist Barrett, a key to the group's sound, combined to sabotage a promising career. Guitarist Billy Duffy was added, and future Smiths leader Morrissey was briefly considered as a vocalist before the group decided to continue with Rossi singing. This arrangement lasted only briefly, though, and Rossi, Bates, and Duffy re-christened themselves, first as Slaughter and then as the Studio Sweethearts. After this unit's breakup in the summer of 1979, there was a Slaughter reunion late in the year with Barrett making a token appearance before being replaced by former Nosebleeds singer Ed Banger (born Eddie Garrity). This aggregation released the album Bite Back (under the name Slaughter) in 1980 to no avail and broke up permanently in 1981.

Duffy went on to co-found Theatre of Hate and later found success in the Cult. In 1991, Wayne Barrett and Mick Rossi began writing songs together again, and the two cut an album called Shocking, credited to Slaughter & the Dogs. In 1996, Barrett and Rossi assembled a new edition of Slaughter & the Dogs to perform at Blackpool's vintage punk festival Holidays in the Sun, with Nigel Mead on bass and Noel Kay on drums. (Their set was later released on the album Cranked Up Really High in Blackpool 1996.) Jean Pierre Thollet would later replace Mead on bass, and the group would record a studio album in 2001, Beware Of… In 2016, the original lineup of Slaughter & the Dogs reunited for a brief tour, while Barrett and Rossi announced they were at work on a new studio album

Blow
Slaughter and the Dogs Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

When the sun rose this morning,
I didn't have my baby by my side.
I don't know where she was,
I know she's out with some another guy.

Don't the sun look lonesome
Shading down behind the trees?
But don't your house look lonesome

When your baby's packed to leave

Blow wind, blow wind,
Blow my baby back to me.
Well you know if I don't soon find them,
I will be in misery

Goodbye baby,
That is all I have left to say.

But you have lost your good thing,
Go ahead and have your own way

Overall Meaning

The lyrics in Slaughter and the Dogs' song "Blow" express a sense of heartbreak and betrayal. The singer wakes up to find that their partner is not with them, and assumes that they're "out with some another guy." The imagery of the sun rising and setting, along with the wind blowing, evoke a sense of melancholy and longing. The chorus begs for the wind to blow their partner back to them, revealing a desire to reconcile and make things right.

The second verse is where the heartbreak becomes more apparent, as the singer remarks on how lonely their house looks when their partner is preparing to leave. The line "But you have lost your good thing" is particularly poignant, suggesting that their partner is making a mistake by leaving them. However, the final line "Go ahead and have your own way" shows that the singer has come to accept that the relationship is over, and is resigned to letting their partner go.

Overall, "Blow" is a classic example of a sad love song, using powerful imagery and emotional lyrics to convey a sense of heartbreak and loss. The repeated chorus, with its simple plea for the wind to blow their partner back to them, adds to the melancholic tone of the song.

Line by Line Meaning

When the sun rose this morning,
At the start of this day,

I didn't have my baby by my side.
My partner wasn't with me.

I don't know where she was,
I'm not sure of her location,

I know she's out with some another guy.
But I'm certain she's with someone else.

Don't the sun look lonesome
The sun appears sad,

Shading down behind the trees?
Disappearing beyond the trees?

But don't your house look lonesome
Doesn't your home appear empty

When your baby's packed to leave
When your loved one is preparing to depart

Blow wind, blow wind,
Wind, gust harder,

Blow my baby back to me.
Bring my partner back to my side.

Well you know if I don't soon find them,
If I don't locate them soon,