Anarchy in the UK - Sex Pistols : 44 Years Later

On 27th November in 1976. The Sex Pistols released their incendiary ' Anarchy In The UK' single, with iconic cover art by Jamie Reid. shocking society and inspiring rebellious young people. Under the influence of their manager, Malcolm McLaren, who was himself influenced by Situationst  thinking and reasoning, https://theanarchistlibrary.org/library/jan-d-matthews-an-introduction-to-the-situationists at the  that time, the band consisted of John Lydon (aka Johnny Rotten) on vocals, guitarist Steve Jones, drummer Paul Cook and bassist Glen Matlock, who was replaced by Sid Vicious in early 1977.

Although the Damned's `New Rose' is hailed as the first punk single to be released, it could be argued that  the Pistols song was the one  that best epitomised this emerging subculture.The lyrics portray a particularly sensational, violent concept of anarchy that reflected the pervasive sense of embittered anger, confusion, restlessness, economic frustration and social alienation which was being felt by a generation of disenfranchised youth amidst the declining economic situation and bland music scene of the mid-1970s.

From the sneering `I am an antichrist, I am an anarchist', to the final lingering `destroy', the track was, as  Jon Savage noted, `a call to arms, delivered in language that was as explosive as the implications of the group's name'. " The track is immediately confrontational, and begins with a contemptuous, laughing John Lydon - lead vocalist - delivering a drawn-out declamation of the words `right, now'. The tone is almost one of mocking the audience, celebrating the emergence of punk against the stale musical environment of the time, as well as the increasing economic and social breakdown that was gripping Britain. 

As the track continues, themes such as the Antichrist, the destroying of passersby, the IRA and Council Estates are juxtaposed, almost laboured so as to produce clashing half rhymes. Whilst UK, UDA and IRA are fused together, the line `I use the NME, I use anarchy' highlights the ambiguity of syllabic pronunciation: the question as to Lydon actually meaning `enemy' - rather than a reference to the established popular music press and the New Music Express - could be asked. Moreover, the track pulls upon a notion that will become more evident in the latter single `God Save the Queen': the idea that those listening lack a sense of future. It could be argued that the Pistols do indeed sum up the unemployment figures of July 1975, of the seemingly apocalyptic atmosphere of the time. `Anarchy in the UK' seems to sum up this sense of helplessness, this supposed lack of future in 1970s Britain. Yet this track also moves towards establishing the idea of a punk rock aesthetic. 

Less than two months later the Pistols record label EMI would  drop them after appearing as late replacements for EMI labelmates  Queen on Today, a live London regional TV show. When presenter Bill Grundy, contemptuously encouraged them to swear, they duly obliged, damaging his career while catapulting themselves to notoriety, and sparking a moral panic. A&M  would then sign the band, only to drop them after only six days. Turning up drunk , then trashing A&M' offices probably helped to further  fuel their anti-establishment image. 

It was compounded, in the summer of 1977, by ' God Save The Queen;  the group's  dissection of Britain's fading imperial process, release to coincide with the ' mad parade'  of the Queen's Silver Jubilee, with the Sex Pistols being seen to embody a thriving awakening politically charged youth culture.

The subsequent national newspaper headlines and ensuing moral panic led venues, under pressure from councils, to cancel gigs by the Sex Pistols, fearing violence, vandalism and who knows what else, It would see a rise in extreme hairdos, an increased rejection of social and consensus acceptability, that was condemned by the press at the times. But to be vilified for your stance at the time was a badge of honour, not a condemnation. 

And, although, the Pistol's were by no means the world's first punk band, they were the band which took punk mainstream. After them, the floodgates opened and the pop charts would be dominated by bands full of angry young men ( and the occasional angry young woman)  'Anarchy In The UK'  wasn't even a big hit at the time of it's release.but In the years since, the importance of it  to popular music has been fully recognised. Rolling Stone magazine had it as number 56 in their Greatest Songs of All Time listing. It is also one of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame’s 500 Songs That Shaped Rock And Roll list.

Although the Pistols  played together for fewer than three years, their cultural and musical influence remains. 

Alongside bands like The Clash, ( who I much prefer incidentally) the Ramones, the Stranglers, the Buzzcocks, X Ray Spex and the anarcho punk movement that would emerge, epitomised by bands like the seminal Crass, who formed in November 1977  the Mob, Zounds and the Subhumans, the Pistols helped create and shape punk rock, an aesthetic and political revolution that has since swept the world. 

During 1977,the burgeoning punk scene began  featuring punk and reggae bands playing together throughout the country. This close association appeared to be cemented in April 1978 when RAR jointly organised a national concert in London, with the newly-formed Anti-Nazi League The  Pistols, who had broken up by 1978, did not play at the RAR concerts (and bassist Sid Vicious drew criticism early in the group’s run for wearing a swastika as a fashion statement), but Rotten said that he supported the movement. “I despise them,”  he said of the hate spreaders of the time, the likes of Enoch Powell nnd the National Front " No one should have the right to tell anyone they can't live here because of the color of their skin or their religion … How could anyone vote for something so ridiculously inhumane?  This  is quite a contrast to Lydon’s comments recently about his fondness for the likes of Donald Trump and Nigel Farage , leading one to wonder if he was ever sincere in his commitment to anti-racism. Perhaps he was always more interested in positioning himself as a contrarian.

The Carnival Against the Nazis featured punk groups such as the Clash and X-Ray Spex. For many, the highlight of the day was the sight of the Clash singing “White Riot” along with Jimmy Pursey of the punk band Sham 69. A symbol of a close, harmonious relationship between music and politics in the late 1970s—a homogeneous punk movement  that was prepared to make a stand against racism out of political conviction and to collaborate actively with anti-racist activists. This I guess should be further reflected upon in a future blog post.…

Punk's far from dead, neither is the true spirit of anarchy, more than a fashion statement to be commodified and sold, and hijacked by the mainstream,  it's early instigators being accused of selling out, it's influence on arts and culture is undeniable. Remember anger is an energy, that will never die. 

Whilst many take the meaning of ' Anarchy In The UK'  to be a real call to arms, and the epitome of what anarchism is, other believe the song “is a sarcastic parody of anarchism as a code of ethics and philosophy from the most sarcastic and front man in history”

Nonetheless, the song is still interpreted today as the epitome of rebellion and not giving a damn. The lyrics speak for themselves. Lets continue to question everything, turn conformity on it's head. In our politically and culturally conflicted times , 'Anarchy in the UK' still resonates, strikes a chord, and  despite Rotten's recent descent  into vacuousness we can at least still enjoy his song. We can still play our part in acts of cultural subversion, changing the world through art and ideas, that are no less  needed than in the present times we live.

Right now ha, ha, ha, ha, ha
I am an anti-Christ
I am an anarchist
Don't know what I want
But I know how to get it
I want to destroy the passerby

'Cause I want to be anarchy
No dogs body

Anarchy for the U.K.
It's coming sometime and maybe
I give a wrong time, stop a traffic line
Your future dream has sure been seen through

'Cause I want to be anarchy
In the city

How many ways to get what you want
I use the best, I use the rest
I use the N.M.E.
I use anarchy

'Cause I want to be anarchy
Its the only way to be

Is this the MPLA
Or is this the UDA
Or is this the IRA
I thought it was the U.K.
Or just another country
Another council tenancy

I want to be anarchy
And I want to be anarchy
(Oh what a name)
And I want to be an anarchist
(I get pissed, destroy!)

Sex Pistols - Anarchy in  the UK