The British punk rock group the Sex Pistols was the epitome of rebellion. Consisting of singer Johnny Rotten, guitarist Steve Jones, drummer Paul Cook, and bass player Glen Matlock (and later Sid Vicious), the Sex Pistol hit England at a time of social instability and musical staleness with a new brand of stripped down, militant music destined to shake things up.
In November of 1976 EMI Records released the Sex Pistols’ first single, a song titled Anarchy in the U.K. The song came to be regarded as dangerous in England. The first line in the song, “I am an Anti-Christ,” is one of the most shattering opening lines in the history of rock music. At a time when the church still had major influence on government policies and before religion was regularly discussed, much less lampooned on television, the claim of being an anti-Christ was one of the most blatantly shocking and offensive things that could be said (though Johnny Rotten, in reality, was probably not the anti-christ).
The following line, “I am an anarchist” was almost as radical. Up until the 1940s and 50s, when surpassed by Communism and Fascism, Anarchy was seen as being the biggest threat to the stability of Western governments. The subject was still taboo, and to claim to be an anarchist in 1970s England was not something commonly done.
These two lines were the first song lyrics ever written by Johnny Rotten. They were designed to be as shocking as possible without being implicitly obscene or outrageous. Rotten purposely mispronounced “anarchist” to rhyme with “Anti-Christ,” a move clearly designed to defy traditional song rhyming techniques and go against mainstream music.
The song continues as Rotten announces that anarchy is coming to the U.K., and proclaiming that he himself wants to be anarchy. In one double-entendred line “I use the NME” or “I use the enemy,” one is unsure whether Rotten is name checking the New Musical Express (one of England’s music papers, somewhat like the American Rolling Stone) as a way to deliver his message, suggesting the exploitation of those with opposing views, or implying both. Rotten likely intended this ambiguity.
Anarchy in the U.K. brings up the issue of council tenancies (a type of government-subsidized housing predominately for the poor and working class). It then continues on to compare the British government to militant organizations like the IRA, and questions whether the government has any control over these organizations. Rotten calls the UK, a nation that continued to refer to itself as “Great” Britain “just another country.” It’s clear that Anarchy in the U.K. was planned as an all out assault on British society and government, with carefully thought out and worded lyrics that rise well above standard meaningless rock and roll verse.
Rather than proper singing, Rotten delivered the words to the song in a sneering growl complete with a British working class accent, which in the socially conscious UK was frowned upon. Rotten, himself (along with the rest of the band) from the working class, was attempting to reach the poorer sections of society as well as the youth with his anti-government message. In addition, he and the Sex Pistols were attempting to break as many conventions of music as they could, and Rotten’s snarled vocals are at the top of that list. Rotten’s non-singing over the rest of the band’s simple musical backing made it seem that anyone could be in a band that makes a difference.
Anarchy in the U.K, apart from being somewhat revolutionary in a musical sense, and an excellent debut single from a new band, was a culturally important and relevant to the times record. There is no profanity, there are no direct threats, and no individuals are named in the song, yet the song is imminently threatening, not just to the ineffective British government but to the whole British way of life. It was a shot across the bow of the old order, both in music and society.
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