Anarchy in the UK: punk art
Actually, we're not into music;
we're into chaos1
- Steve Jones, Sex Pistols guitarist, 1976
1. En fait, ce qui nous branche, c’est pas la musique, c’est le chaos
Promotional poster,
“Anarchy in the UK”,
(single released 26/11/1976)
“Anarchy in the UK” (lyrics)
Right ! now ! Ha ha ha ha ha!
I am an antichrist
I am an anarchist
Don't know what I want but
I know how to get it
I wanna destroy the passer-by
Cause I wanna be anarchy!
No dogs body!
[…]
Is this the M.P.L.A.
Or is this the U.D.A
Or is this the I.R.A
I thought it was the U.K .
Or just another country
Another council tenancy
Extract from Sideburns fanzine,
December 1976
Promotional poster,
“Holidays in The Sun”
(single released 15/10/1977)
“Holidays in The Sun”, lyrics
[SPOKEN INTRO]:
A cheap holiday in other people’s misery!
[FIRST VERSE]:
I don't wanna holiday in the sun
I wanna go to the new Belsen
I wanna see some history
cos now I got a reasonable economy!
[CHORUS]:
Now I got a reason (x3)
and I'm still waiting
Now I got a reason (x2)
to be waiting
The Berlin wall
Pete Townshend, The Who
Jasper Johns, Flag, 1954-55
“God Save The Queen”, (lyrics)
God save the Queen
The fascist regime
They made you a moron
Potential H-bomb
God save the Queen
She ain't no human being
There is no future
In England's dreaming
Don't be told what you want
Don't be told what you need
There's no future, no future
No future for you
Promotional poster,
“God Save the Queen”,
(single released 27/05/1977)
Queen Elizabeth Silver Jubilee poster, 1977
“God Save The Queen”,
single sleeve lining, 1977
“God Save The Queen”,
sticker, 1977
“Pretty Vacant”, (lyrics)
There's no point in asking you'll get no reply
Oh just remember I don't decide
I got no reason it's all too much
You'll always find us
Out to lunch !
Oh we're so pretty
oh so pretty
we’re vacant
[…]
And we don't care
Promotional poster,
“Pretty Vacant”,
(single released 2/07/1977)
Poster for one of the “Rock Against
Racism” concerts, 1978
Anti Nazi League concert poster, 1978
The Sex Pistols seemed the perfect vehicle to
communicatte ideas directly to people who
weren’t getting the message from left-wing
politics (…) the ringing phrases of ‘Anarchy in
the UK’ were powerful enough to insert the
idea of anarchy, like a homeopathic remedy,
into a society that was already becoming
polarised.
- Jon Savage, England’s Dreaming, 1992