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
The Fight
Slaughter and the Dogs Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I know that the only way is up
But I just cut my arms off
After I threw the shovel up to the top
All I got are my legs and my head
So, I'll sit here til I'm dead or
Til someone comes along or until I write another song
If I could, then I would
But first just let me clean my room
But first just let me gas my car
But first
But first
But nothing
Just get up and fucking start
Instead of all these alibis that seem to clearly justify
You're fucking nothing
How bout you say something that you actually mean
That way you can save all of our time
Then do what you do best and go to sleep
I should try to stand
against every single day that I spent being awake
Avoiding everything like responsibility
Was just second-rate to me
I need to see that I can do something
But all my fucking habits are building up like traffic
And I'll just play along like
I'M FUCKING FANTASTIC
I'll be half-asleep everyday this week
And it probably doesn't show
But I need you all to know
That I don't wanna be a let down
I don't wanna be a let down anymore
I don't wanna be a let down
I don't wanna be a let down
The lyrics of "The Fight" by Slaughter and the Dogs speaks about the struggles and hardships of the singer, who finds himself in a deep hole that he dug by himself. He acknowledges that the only way he can go from there is up, but he has already cut his arms off and thrown the shovel out of the hole. All that he has left are his legs and his head, as he awaits either someone to come along to help him or until he writes another song. He mentions that he needs to get up, but always finds an excuse to procrastinate, whether it's cleaning his room or gassing up his car. He then realizes that he needs to stop making excuses and start doing something with his life, even if it means standing up against all the responsibilities he's been avoiding.
The song highlights the feeling of being lost and trapped, and the struggle to overcome obstacles and face responsibilities. The singer's desire to not be a letdown reflects the common anxiety of not living up to others' expectations, including one's own. The lyrics also touch on the theme of self-improvement and the need to take action and make a change, regardless of how difficult or overwhelming it may seem.
Line by Line Meaning
In a hole that I dug pretty deep by myself
I have dug a metaphorical hole for myself, and it's quite deep
I know that the only way is up
I am aware that I can only improve the situation by making a change
But I just cut my arms off
I have self-sabotaged and made it difficult for myself to move on
After I threw the shovel up to the top
I've given up and it's hard to come back after this kind of defeat
All I got are my legs and my head
I still have some means to move forward, even though it's limited
So, I'll sit here til I'm dead or
I'm giving up on trying to change my situation
Til someone comes along or until I write another song
I'm relying on someone or some other form of inspiration to motivate me
If I could, then I would
I acknowledge that there is a desire to do things better
But first let me get up
I need some time to pull myself together
But first just let me clean my room
I'm making excuses and delaying my progress
But first just let me gas my car
I'm finding mundane tasks to prioritize over making real changes
But first
I keep coming up with excuses and reasons to delay my progress
But nothing
These excuses and delays are not valid reasons to keep myself down
Just get up and fucking start
I need to take action and stop making excuses
Instead of all these alibis that seem to clearly justify
I'm making up explanations for why I'm not making progress
You're fucking nothing
These excuses and delays are not valid reasons to keep myself down
How bout you say something that you actually mean
I need to be honest with myself about what I want to do
That way you can save all of our time
Being honest with myself will help me avoid wasting time and energy
Then do what you do best and go to sleep
It's better to rest than to keep procrastinating or making excuses
I should try to stand
I'm making an effort to change my situation
against every single day that I spent being awake
I'm fighting against old patterns of behavior and ways of thinking
Avoiding everything like responsibility
I've been avoiding taking responsibility for my life and my actions
Was just second-rate to me
I haven't been prioritizing my responsibilities
I need to see that I can do something
I need to build my confidence in taking responsibility for my life
But all my fucking habits are building up like traffic
My bad habits are accumulating and making it harder to change
And I'll just play along like
I'm pretending that everything is okay and I don't need to change
I'M FUCKING FANTASTIC
I'm using humor to mask my insecurities and lack of confidence
I'll be half-asleep everyday this week
I'm not putting in my full effort and attention toward making changes
And it probably doesn't show
Others may not realize how much I'm struggling or how little I'm doing
But I need you all to know
I want to be honest and open about my struggles
That I don't wanna be a let down
I aspire to be better than I am now
I don't wanna be a let down anymore
I'm making a conscious effort to change my situation and not disappoint myself or others
I don't wanna be a let down
I'm repeating the same message and reinforcing my desire to improve
Lyrics © O/B/O DistroKid
Written by: Jonah Alijah Cruz
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Ryan Radle
on Cranked Up Really High
Cant Wait!!!!!!!!!!