Posted on 09/10/2022 6:14:58 AM PDT by DoodleBob
Ex-Sex Pistol John Lydon went by Johnny Rotten during the 1970s golden age of punk and famously gave angry, snarled voice to the era’s anti-monarchist sentiment with the band’s scabrous musical indictment “God Save the Queen.”
Times — and Johnny — have changed.
Today Lydon released a short and very sweet statement to honor Queen Elizabeth II, who died Thursday.
“Rest in Peace Queen Elizabeth II,” Lydon wrote on his website and in a tweet. “Send her victorious.” He accompanied the message with a classic Cecil Beaton portrait of the Queen, sans the safety pin piercing that became an iconic punk image. (See the post below.)
“Send her victorious” is a quote from Britain’s national anthem “God Save The Queen”:
God save the Queen!
Send her victorious,
Happy and glorious,
Long to reign over us,
God save the Queen.
The sentiment is a long way from the Pistols’ headline-making hit “God Save the Queen,” which became a punk anthem (and national scandal) with lyrics like, “God save the Queen/She ain’t no human being” and “God save the queen/’Cause tourists are money/And our figurehead/ Is not what she seems.”
The song was released in 1977 during Queen Elizabeth II’s Silver Jubilee celebrations. The BBC banned it, adding to its infamy.
Lydon’s turnabout isn’t quite so shocking, though, to anyone who has been keeping up with the Public Limited Ltd. singer — he’s long expressed his personal fondness for the Queen. In a 2017 interview with UK music site The Quietus, Lydon said he dreaded the inevitable use of the Sex Pistols song when the Queen dies.
The song, he said, was “about a political situation and the demand for obedience to a monarchy I don’t believe in. But she’s a human being and I will sorely miss her as a human being on Planet Earth. It’s not her fault she was born into a gilded cage. Long may she live.”
Rest in Peace Queen Elizabeth II.
Send her victorious.
From all at https://t.co/0W1VewVGiT pic.twitter.com/1imdFnh1ay — Public Image Ltd (@pilofficial) September 9, 2022
Ran across this yesterday that brought back some fond memories of when I visited the UK a couple decades ago.
At any rate, hope it brings a smile to some of your faces.
‘Ex-royal cop recalls Queen joke’
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GfWNuv7MiJk
Great story and smile delivered. Thank you!
At any rate, hope it brings a smile to some of your faces.
The left not only classless but clueless as well.
As I recall, Johnny Ramone was an outspoken supporter of both Reagan and Limbaugh.
Its a little late for “God save the Queen”.
More like, “I pray that the Queen accepted Jesus before she died. Then God will save her because she’s already been saved”.
That is a cute story - thanks.
What a wonderful little bit of sunshine! And it made me smile & laugh. Thank you 😊
"O Lord our God arise
Scatter his enemies, and make them fall
Confound their politics
Frustrate their knavish tricks
On thee our hopes we fix
God save us all"
An end to the knavish tricks of politicians? Hasten the day!
Joey Ramone and yes, punk was a right wing movement whether they planned it or not.
The Ramones hated long rock songs and wanted to go back to a guitar, a bass, and a drum and make two minute songs.
Purists.
The Sex Pistols were a boy band created by Malcolm McLaren. Johnny Rotten was the only real musician in the band. He’s always been right wing anti establishment, because since the 60s the establishment has benn left wing.
I just hope he does a king Tampon song.
Punk didn’t hate Nixon. They hated Pink Floyd.
That was great. Thank you for posting.
“Cause tourists are money”
“They come to see the dungeons here
The tourists flock from far and near
They do the tower and try the beer
The picking pockets cost your life
And every jury has a price
They bring the kids and show the wife
It makes them proud to be around
And take their summer piccies
To drink at night in Soho bars
And end up feeling sickie
And we’re all making money
Lovely money”—The Damned
“May the road rise with you
They put a hot wire to my head
Cause of the things I did and said..
Anger is an energy”
—Rise, Public Image Ltf
Love those guys. Saw them in Hong Kong and drank beers with them after the concert.
Great show. 3 hours.
John grew up.
Lydon has always been a great guy.
He used to wear a shirt that said “Kill a Commie for Mommy”.
Agreed. Just as the grunge movement was to the big haired spandex wearing adrogenous BS late 1980s rock scene.
Hear me Dee Snyder you freaking maggot!
“I’m not the same as when I began.
I will not be treated as property…”
Public Image— Public Image Ltd. 1978
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