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Shot by Both Sides

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Wikipedia article


{{Infobox song

| name = Shot by Both Sides

| cover = Magazine_-_Shot_By_Both_Sides_single_picture_cover.jpg

| alt =

| type = single

| artist = Magazine

| album = Real Life

| B-side = My Mind Ain't So Open

| released = 20 January 1978

| format =

| recorded =

| studio =

| venue =

| genre =

| length = 4:04

| label = Virgin

| writer =

| producer =

| prev_title =

| prev_year =

| next_title = Touch and Go

| next_year = 1978

| misc =

}}

"'Shot by Both Sides'" is a song written by Howard Devoto and Pete Shelley, and performed by the English post-punk band Magazine. It was released in January 1978 as the band's first single, reaching No. 41 on the UK Singles Chart and appearing, a few months later, on their debut album 'Real Life'. The song has been cited as a seminal work of the post-punk genre, as well as a pop punk and new wave song.

By the time of the single's recording, Magazine consisted of only four members, as original keyboardist Bob Dickinson had left the band the previous year.

The cover artwork was designed by Malcolm Garrett, based on the 1886 work 'La Chimere regarda avec effroi toutes choses' by Symbolist artist Odilon Redon (18401916).

Song



The name of the song came from a political argument between Devoto and his girlfriend, in which his girlfriend said to him, "Oh, you'll end up shot by both sides".Reynolds, S: 'Rip It Up and Start Again: Post Punk 19781984', p. 21. Faber & Faber Ltd, 2005

The song originated in a riff that Pete Shelley came up with when Devoto was helping him with "some tentative Buzzcocks songs. He played the chord sequence and I was really impressed, said so, and he just gave them to me there and then."

An identical guitar riff was used in the song "Lipstick" by Devoto's former band Buzzcocks, released as a B-side in November 1978, for which Devoto received a co-writing credit.'The Rough Guide to Rock', edited by Peter Buckley

Reception



The song was ranked at No. 9 among the top "Tracks of the Year" for 1978 by 'NME'.

Cover versions



Swedish punk band No Fun at All covered the song on their album 'EP's Going Steady'.

"Shot by Both Sides" was also covered by Dublin band Into Paradise, UK82 punk band English Dogs, French punk rockers Les Cadavres and Finnish punk band Kollaa Kest (in Finnish as "Syksy").

"Shot by Both Sides" has been played live by several artists, including Radiohead (whose song "Just" contains a similar guitar riff), Mansun, and Jarvis Cocker.

Personnel



* Howard Devoto vocals

* John McGeoch guitar

* Barry Adamson bass

* Martin Jackson drums

References



Category:1978 debut singles

Category:Magazine (band) songs

Category:Songs written by Pete Shelley

Category:Songs written by Howard Devoto

Category:1978 songs

Category:Virgin Records singles

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