I Believe

Album: A Different Kind of Tension
Year: 1979

Singles Going Steady casts such a titanic shadow that people might forget that along with all of those amazing singles, the Buzzcocks recorded three full albums during their initial run. Of course, people are forgiven for that because only one of those albums is truly excellent: 1979?s A Different Kind of Tension.

Like their previous albums – Another Music in a Different Kitchen and Love Bites – A Different Kind of Tension went beyond just doing three-minute pop songs and dabbled with artier, more experimental stuff.  Sure, they still had the pop song confectionery, but they also stretched out in terms of song structure, production values and length.  Which is why their greatest song – perhaps the greatest song to come out of U.K. Punk (and yes, that includes “Complete Control” and “Anarchy in the U.K.”) – is the 7-minute long “I Believe.”

If you asked me to list the things that I believed in, this epic anthem would be near the top of the list. It’s

Without even a riff to establish it, Pete Shelley just leaps in:

In these times of contention, it’s not my intention to make things plain
I’m looking through mirrors to catch the reflection that can’t be mine
I’m losing control now, I’ll just have to slow down a thought or two
I can’t feel the future and I’m not even certain that there is a past

Over a roaring punk rock background punctuated by Steve Garvey’s bass, the verses of “I Believe” describe a kind of dark night of the soul. This is countered by the chorus, during which Shelley reminds himself of who he is and what he believes while Steve Diggle’s guitar rings with assent:

I believe in perpetual motion
And I believe in perfect devotion
I believe in, I believe in
I believe in the things I’ve never had
And I believe in my mum and my dad
And I believe in, I believe in

So you think well, as long he he can remember what he believes, everything is going to be alright. Whew! Which is where the kicker comes in. With Diggle’s guitar still ringing with assent, Shelley pulls out the rug:

There is no love in this world anymorrrrrrrrrrrrrrrre!!
There is no love in this world anymorrrrrrrrrrrrrrrre!!

Whoa! What the hell was that? Because before you have time to even think about the implications of “there is no love in this world anymore” he’s back to another verse and another chorus, and holy shit, there it is again!

There is no love in this world anymorrrrrrrrrrrrrrre!!
There is no love in this world anymorrrrrrrrrrrrrrre!!

OK, that’s fine. I can deal with that. He’s just letting off some steam, it doesn’t have any great existential meaning or anything.  I got it now. No worries.  So just when you figure out how you think the song is going to go for the rest of the way – maybe there will be a guitar solo to end it, Shelley sings the last chorus:

I believe in original sin
And I believe what I believe in
Yes I believe in, I believe in
I believe in the web of fate
And I believe, I’m goin’ to be late
So I’ll be leavin’, what I believe in

After that, with three minutes still left in the song, “I Believe” quadruples down and leaves just about every other song ever in the fucking dust, with 5, 10, 15, 1,000,000 repetitions of its coda. The song fades, so as far as I’m concerned it’s fucking infinite – somewhere Pete Shelley is still singing it – and so while it’s always always changing, each repetition is deepening and darkening that one central message: 

There is no love in this world anymorrrrrrrrrrrrrrre!!
There is no love in this world anymorrrrrrrrrrrrrrre!! 
There is no love in this world anymorrrrrrrrrrrrrrre!!
There is no love in this world anymorrrrrrrrrrrrrrre!! 
There is no love in this world anymorrrrrrrrrrrrrrre!!
There is no love in this world anymorrrrrrrrrrrrrrre!! 
There is no love in this world anymorrrrrrrrrrrrrrre!!
There is no love in this world anymorrrrrrrrrrrrrrre!! 
There is no love in this world anymorrrrrrrrrrrrrrre!!
There is no love in this world anymorrrrrrrrrrrrrrre!!     
There a-is a-no a-love a-in a-this a-world a-anymorrrrrrrrrrrrrrre!!  
There is no love in this world anymorrrrrrrrrrrrrrre!!
There is no love in this world anymorrrrrrrrrrrrrrre! 
There is no love in this world anymorrrrrrrrrrrrrrre!!
There is no love in this world anymorrrrrrrrrrrrrrre!!
There is no love in this world anymorrrrrrrrrrrrrrre!
There is no love in this world anymorrrrrrrrrrrrrrre!!
There is no love in this world anymorrrrrrrrrrrrrrre!
There is no love in this world anymorrrrrrrrrrrrrrre!

Trust me, screaming along with this song at the top of your lungs when you’re driving home from a failed attempted to woo somebody, or maybe you just got broken up with, or maybe you’re just sad because you’re not in any position to get your heart broken by any specific person, trust me, screaming along with this song at the top of your lungs for just about any reason is so fucking cathartic. 

There is no love in this world anymorrrrrrrrrrrrrrre!
There is no love in this world anymorrrrrrrrrrrrrrre!

Back in the 80s & early 90s, you might have caught me  – along with The Replacements’ “Unsatisfied” or Hüsker Dü’s “Keep Hanging On” – singing this at the top of my lungs at inopportune moments trying to drown out a blasting cassette while driving my car home with tears in my eyes.

Video for “I Believe”