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
One By One
Slaughter and the Dogs Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Ooh we had it made
Together we had the world
Just you and I
It begins to fade
Now I spend my time
Wishin' you were here with me
want to tell you now
Just look into my eyes
You are the one
The one I need
To make my dreams come true
Oh you should know
I love you so
And I can't go on without you
I walk the streets alone
Starin' into space
Ah you never told me
Why can't we talk it out, oh
All of these lonely nights
I lie awake waiting for you
Just waiting for you
Won't you come back for me
And let my fantasy come true
Just me and you
You know you make
My dreams come true, yeah
You are the one
Anytime day or night
You know it's alright
with me, yeah
The lyrics of Slaughter and the Dogs' song "One by One" tell the story of a past relationship that has ended and the singer's intense longing for his former partner. The first stanza talks about the good times they had together, how they felt invincible, but now everything seems to disappear. In the second stanza, the singer struggles to cope with the breakup, spends his days wishing his ex was with him, and wanting to tell her how he feels. He pleads for her to come back so they can be together again and fulfill their dreams.
In the third stanza, the singer walks alone and lost in his thoughts, wondering why they couldn't work it out, and missing the love and companionship they once shared. The fourth stanza speaks of the loneliness and sleepless nights he endures, waiting for a chance to reconcile. He continues to hope and fantasize that she will return to him and they can pick up where they left off.
The chorus reiterates the singer's love and need for his ex-partner. He believes she can make his dreams come true, and he cannot imagine life without her. The song conveys a deep sense of heartache and desperation for a lost love, making it a classic anthem of the new wave/punk era in the late '70s.
Line by Line Meaning
Lookin' back on time
Reflecting on the past
Ooh we had it made
Feeling that life was perfect and everything was going well
Together we had the world
Feeling like you could conquer anything when you were with the other person
Just you and I
Only needing one another, no one else
It begins to fade
Realizing that the perfect situation is slipping away
Now I spend my time
Currently passing the time in a certain way
Wishin' you were here with me
Longing for the person to be with them
Oh I want to tell you now
Desiring to express feelings in the current moment
want to tell you now
Emphasizing the immediate desire to express something
Just look into my eyes
Wanting the other person to see the truth in their eyes
You are the one
Believing that the other person is the one for them
The one I need
Feeling that the other person is a necessity
To make my dreams come true
Needing the other person to achieve their goals
Oh you should know
Wanting the other person to understand something important
I love you so
Having strong feelings of love for the other person
And I can't go on without you
Feeling that life is unbearable without the other person
I walk the streets alone
Going through life without the other person
Starin' into space
Feeling lost and unsure of what to do
Ah you never told me
Feeling a lack of communication from the other person
Why can't we talk it out, oh
Wondering why the other person won't discuss the issue with them
All of these lonely nights
Experiencing a lot of solitude
I lie awake waiting for you
Unable or unwilling to sleep without the other person
Won't you come back for me
Asking for the person to come back to them
And let my fantasy come true
Dreaming of a perfect world with that person
Just me and you
Needing only each other
You know you make
Understanding the power of the other person
My dreams come true, yeah
Realizing the effect the other person has on their life goals
Anytime day or night
Being available no matter what time it is
You know it's alright
Believing that everything is okay when with the other person
with me, yeah
Understanding the importance of being together
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: DANA STRUM, MARK SLAUGHTER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Ryan Radle
on Cranked Up Really High
Cant Wait!!!!!!!!!!