God save the queen from punk rock!
Sex Pistols, who believed anarchy was the only way to save the world from falling apart and England ruled by the Queen, didn’t only spread the punk rock genre all over the world but also started the the-protest-and-political-rock-music ideology that will last forever. But the innovations they brought to the music industry were not limited to just one ideology. The scratching vocal performance from Johnny Rotten, the crazy persona of Sid Vicious and the sound created by Paul Cook and Steve Jones set the rules of the punk rock genre.
Sex Pistols and Punk Rock
Before talking about Sex Pistols, I want to talk about the punk rock genre which I already briefly mentioned in my previous article about David Bowie.
Punk music is a music genre against the system, formed in the mid 70s in the UK and USA. Interested in many political subjects, punk music also aims to destroy the habitual rock music aesthetic. We may also call it the “anti-art” perspective reflection on the music industry. Punk music also gave birth to the punk subculture. Declaring the system and stereotypes as their enemies, this subculture aims to find a provocative aesthetic to destroy this system.
Sex Pistols was defined as “may not be the greatest in the world, but certainly the most controversial” rock band by BBC. The band only stayed together for 3 years (1975-78). It was founded by Johnny Rotten (vocals), Glen Matlock (bass guitar), Paul Cook (drums), and Steve Jones (guitar). In 1977, Sid Vicious replaced Glen Matlock. After a year the band parted its ways, Sid Vicious died of a heroin overdose, in 1979. Even though they’ve only recorded Never Mind The Bollocks during these three years, they rose to number one on the British music charts.
As you may have guessed, the album talks about subjects like fascism, capitalism/communism, anarchy, and war. In their first single from the album, Anarchy in the UK, they mention that destruction and punk rock is the only way to change the system. On their second single, God Save The Queen, they criticize the exaggerated loyalty of British people to their Queen and they suggest that the governance of her is a fascist regime and England has no future. However, the Pistols don’t just criticize the government of the royal family. For example, in the song Bodies, they tell the story of a woman who aborted her baby, from the dead baby’s perspective.
With its bold and provocative lyrics, the album, which was really controversial in its time, was prohibited from being played on the radio when it was released. Still, they managed to top the music charts and got popular all over the world. 10 years after its release, Rolling Stone picked the album as the 2nd best album of all time.
In my opinion, what makes this album so important is that it furiously embedded concepts such as resistance and revolution into rock music. Yes, the hippies and rock bands already did that in the 60s, but they didn’t put it in a language as furious and idealistic as the Pistols and the ones who came after them.
The album’s legacy continues to this day. They influenced every punk band after them and the punk subgenres such as post-punk. Bands like Green Day, Nirvana, The Clash, Megadeth, Guns N Roses, and Beastie Boys were influenced by the album. Insomuch that, according to a myth, the founders of post-punk groups such as Joy Division, The Smiths, and The Fall attended the 1976 gig of Sex Pistols and later decided to form these groups. True or not, it’s a fact that Sex Pistols changed punk forever.
“God save the queen
The fascist regime
They made you a moron
A potential H bomb
God save the queen
She’s not a human being
and there’s no future
And England’s dreaming“
Anarchy In The UK, Sex Pistols, 1977
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This article was written by our guest writer Lal Tuna. Born in 2003, Lal Tuna is studying at Sainte Pulchérie French high school. Lal is mostly interested in filmmaking and music. They enjoy writing, researching, photography, and acting. You can follow their Instagram account and photography page.
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