Killamangiro

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"Killamangiro"

Single by Babyshambles
from the album Down in Albion (Re-recorded)
Released	November 2004
Format	CD, 7"
Genre	Punk Rock, Post Punk
Length	3:26
Label	Rough Trade
Chart positions
#8 (UK Singles Chart)
Babyshambles singles chronology
"Babyshambles" (2004)	"Killamangiro" (2004)	"Fuck Forever" (2005)

Killamangiro is a song by British band, Babyshambles. Released in November 2004 through Rough Trade Records, it achieved respectable chart success, peaking at #8 on the UK singles chart. Featuring a distinctive opening drum beat from ex-Shambles drummer. With guitarist Patrick Walden's unmistakeable string bending and effectively messy style of playing, combined with Doherty's haunting vocals the result is one of Babyshambles' most intriguing songs yet, and has become a firm favourite when the band play live.

The title is intended to sound like Kilimanjaro, a mountain in Tanzania. Killamangiro also has a hidden meaning. "Kill a man for his giro" is actually being sung. A giro is a form of payment, like a cheque. This is corroborated in the song when he says "I was not money-mad anyway". Many Babyshambles fans were disappointed when Down in Albion was released as it features a what appears to be a more primitive version of the song, with different production. This may have been done so that Gemma Clarke wouldn't have a claim to royalties, as she drummed on the single, but quit before the album was recorded. The circumstances of the recording of the song for the album were remarked upon by Babyshambles bass player Drew McConnell in Nov.5th, 2005 NME track-by-track guide to Down in Albion:

"We weren't planning on having 'Killamangiro' on there. We got in the room and thought, "Let's run through 'Killamangiro'", but sneaky Mick pressed record. Pete was jumping over the desk and giving the engineer a heart attack. Pete's got a thing about not releasing tracks more than once. People have written that we can't play our instruments and that's really not true because this is completely live."