Anarchy in the U.K.

"Anarchy in the U.K." is a song by English punk rock band the Sex Pistols. It was released as the band's debut single on 26 November 1976 and was later featured on their album Never Mind the Bollocks, Here's the Sex Pistols. "Anarchy in the U.K." is number 56 on Rolling Stone magazine's list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time[1] and is included in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's 500 Songs that Shaped Rock and Roll.[2]

This article is about the Sex Pistols song. For anarchism in the UK, see Anarchism in the United Kingdom.

"Anarchy in the U.K."
Single by Sex Pistols
from the album Never Mind the Bollocks, Here's the Sex Pistols
B-side"I Wanna Be Me"
Released26 November 1976
Recorded17 October 1976
GenrePunk rock
Length3:31
LabelEMI
Songwriter(s)Paul Cook, Steve Jones, John Lydon, Glen Matlock
Producer(s)Chris Thomas, Bill Price, Dave Goodman
Sex Pistols singles chronology
"Anarchy in the U.K."
(1976)		 "God Save the Queen"
(1977)

Information

Originally issued in a plain black sleeve, the single was the only Sex Pistols recording released by EMI, and reached number 38 on the UK Singles Chart before EMI dropped the group on 6 January 1977, a month after members of the band used profanity during a live television broadcast. (Although the EMI version was recorded on 17 October 1976, an earlier demo version was recorded between 10 and 12 October at Lansdowne/Wessex Studios, London. This version later surfaced on the Sex Pistols bootleg album Spunk).

In the documentary The Filth and the Fury, John Lydon described the composition of the song's opening lyrics, explaining that the best rhyme he could devise for the first line, "I am an Antichrist", was the second line, "I am an anarchiste". (Lydon confirmed that he is not an anarchist in a 2012 interview.[3])

A limited edition 7" inch picture disc of the single was released on 21 April 2012 for that year's Record Store Day.[4][5]

Lyrics

Abbreviations

The abbreviations used in the lyrics are a selection of civil war references from 1970s headlines, a suggestion of what could happen in the United Kingdom. The IRA and the UDA were the largest paramilitary armies in the conflict in Northern Ireland: the heavily armed IRA (Irish Republican Army) were on the Republican (anti-British, pro-unification) side, while the thousands-strong UDA (Ulster Defence Association) were on the Loyalist (pro-British, anti-unification) side. The MPLA (Movimento Popular de Libertação de Angola, or the People's Movement for the Liberation of Angola) were the political party that took control of Angola, formerly one of Portugal's African colonies, in a 1975–76 civil war, and still run the country today. When Rotten sings, "I use the enemy", it's a deliberate homonym for "I use the NME", or New Musical Express, the British weekly music newspaper.[9][10]

Critic

The lyrics endorse 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. Sex Pistols manager Malcolm McLaren considered the song "a call to arms to the kids who believe that rock and roll was taken away from them. It's a statement of self rule, of ultimate independence."[11] In 2007, the surviving members (not including original Pistols bassist Glen Matlock) re-recorded "Anarchy in the U.K." for the video game Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock because the multi-track master could not be found[12] (it was rediscovered along with the rest of the Never Mind The Bollocks masters during a move in January 2012[13]). The Guitar Hero version also appears in the film adaption of the A-Team. The song was also featured in the video game Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 4 as part of the soundtrack.[14] The song also appears in the Constantine TV series during the episode "The Devil's Vinyl".[15]

Track listing
  1. "Anarchy in the UK"  – 3:31
  2. "I Wanna Be Me"  – 3:12

Charts
Chart (1976) Peak
position
UK Singles (OCC)[16] 38
Chart (1992) Peak
position
Australia (ARIA Charts)[17] 92

Personnel

"L'Anarchie Pour Le UK"

An alternative recording of the song in 3
4 time, accompanied by violin and accordion, apparently both translated into French and sung by a mysterious figure called Louis Brennon (also named as Jerzimy in some sources), appeared on the Sex Pistols' 1979 album The Great Rock 'n' Roll Swindle.[18][19]

Megadeth cover
"Anarchy in the U.K."
German release cover
Single by Megadeth
from the album So Far, So Good... So What!
Released1988
Recorded1987
GenreThrash metal
Length3:00
LabelCapitol
Songwriter(s)Paul Cook, Steve Jones, John Lydon, Glen Matlock
Megadeth singles chronology
"Peace Sells"
(1986)		 "Anarchy in the U.K."
(1988)		 "Mary Jane"
(1988)

"Anarchy in the U.K." was covered by American heavy metal band Megadeth for their third album So Far, So Good... So What!, released in 1988.

Megadeth's version has altered lyrics. Dave Mustaine explained that he could not understand Johnny Rotten's singing, so he made up the parts he could not understand (in a notable example, the line "another council tenancy" is changed to "and other cunt-like tendencies"). In addition, the country is changed to "USA", though the title is kept unchanged. The song's music video is a montage of live footage of the band, cartoon political figures, various scenes of violence, and of a man being forced to watch (much like Alex's therapy in A Clockwork Orange). Steve Jones played the second solo.

Mustaine now refuses to play the song live due to lyrics referring to the Anti-Christ, and he believes he's "better for it".[20]

Track listing versions
United States 7"
  1. "Anarchy in the U.K."
  2. "Liar"
United Kingdom 12"
  1. "Anarchy in the U.K."
  2. "Liar"
  3. "502"
Germany 12"
  1. "Anarchy in the U.K."
  2. "Good Mourning/Black Friday" (live)
  3. "Devil's Island" (live)

Megadeth's chart positions
Chart (1988) Peak
position
New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[21] 13
UK Singles (OCC)[22] 45

Green Jellÿ cover
"Anarchy in Bedrock"
Single by Green Jellÿ
from the album Cereal Killer Soundtrack
Released1993
GenreComedy rock, parody
Length3:29
LabelZoo Entertainment
Songwriter(s)Paul Cook, Steve Jones, John Lydon, Glen Matlock
Green Jellÿ singles chronology
"Three Little Pigs"
(1992)		 "Anarchy in Bedrock"
(1993)		 "Electric Harley House (Of Love)"
(1993)

Green Jellÿ's version of "Anarchy in the U.K." is a parody cover of the original. This version takes the original song and combines it with Flintstones references. Although the version's proper title is "Anarchy in the U.K.", it was originally titled "Anarchy in Bedrock" on Green Jellÿ's (then Green Jellö's) Triple Live Möther Gööse at Budokan album.

William Hanna and Joseph Barbera took offence to this version and to Green Jellÿ mocking The Flintstones, but later relented, as this version was featured on the soundtrack to the Flintstones film that was released in 1994.

Track listing
  1. "Anarchy in the U.K." – 3:29
  2. "Green Jellÿ Theme Song" – 2:15
  3. "Three Little Pigs (Blowin Down the House Mix)" – 6:34

Personnel
  • Danny Carey – Drums
  • Bill Tutton, Rootin' Bloomquist – Bass
  • Marc Levinthal, Steven Shenar, Bernie Peaks – Guitar
  • Bill Manspeaker, Joe Cannizzaro, Gary Helsinger, Greg Raynard, and Maynard James Keenan – Vocalists
  • Kim O'Donnell and Caroline Jester – Back-up vocalists, floor tom drummers

Mötley Crüe cover
"Anarchy in the UK"
Single by Mötley Crüe
from the album Decade of Decadence
ReleasedDecember 1991
Recorded1991
GenreHeavy metal
Length3:22
Songwriter(s)Paul Cook, Steve Jones, John Lydon, Glen Matlock
Producer(s)Bob Rock
Mötley Crüe singles chronology
"Home Sweet Home '91"
(1991)		 "Anarchy in the UK"
(1991)		 "Hooligan's Holiday"
(1994)

American heavy metal band Mötley Crüe also covered the song on their 1991 compilation album Decade of Decadence, substituting US analogies and organizations in the lyrics for UK ones.

References
  1. "The RS 500 Greatest Songs of All Time: 'Anarchy in the U.K.'". Rolling Stone. 9 December 2004. Archived from the original on 3 May 2009. Retrieved 10 May 2009.
  2. "500 Songs That Shaped Rock". Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Retrieved 21 October 2016.
  3. Edwards, Rhiannon (2 August 2012). "John Lydon: 'An anarchist? I never was. Whoever told you that?'". Ham & High. Retrieved 12 April 2016.
  4. "Sex Pistols announce plans to re-release 'God Save the Queen'". New Musical Express. 16 April 2012. Retrieved 16 April 2012.
  5. "Sex Pistols – Anarchy In The UK, cat. no. SEXPISS1976(1)". discogs.com. Retrieved 21 September 2016.
  6. Unterberger (2002), p. 1337.
  7. Gimarc (2005), p. 41.
  8. Marcus (1989), p. 8.
  9. Excerpted from the 2006 book Is Tiny Dancer Really Elton’s Little John?: Music’s Most Enduring Mysteries, Myths, and Rumors Revealed, published by Three Rivers Press, written by Gavin Edwards.
  10. Edwards, Garvin. "What are all those initials in the Sex Pistols' "Anarchy in the UK"? MPLA? UDA? WTF?".
  11. "The Wisdom of Malcolm McLaren". NME.
  12. "Sex Pistols Re-Record 'Anarchy' for Guitar Hero; Grohl at Zeppelin's 'Beck and Call'". Spin Magazine. 26 September 2007. Archived from the original on 6 May 2009. Retrieved 10 May 2009.
  13. "God Save The Sex Pistols – Never Mind The Bollocks: United Kingdom 35th Anniversary Boxset". www.philjens.plus.com. Retrieved 19 June 2019.
  14. "T0ny Hawk's Pro Skater 4 Soundtrack".
  15. "Screen Rant Review of "The Devil's Vinyl"".
  16. "Sex Pistols: Artist Chart History". Official Charts Company.
  17. Ryan, Gavin (2011). Australia's Music Charts 1988–2010 (pdf ed.). Mt. Martha, VIC, Australia: Moonlight Publishing.
  18. Caroline de Kergariou. No Future: Une Histoire du Punk (Paris: Perrin, 2017) pp. 253–54.
  19. Jon Savage, England's Dreaming: The Sex Pistols and Punk Rock (Faber and Faber, 2005).
  20. http://www.blabbermouth.net/news/dave-mustaine-says-he-won-t-play-pistols-anarchy-because-of-anti-christ-reference/
  21. "Charts.nz – Megadeth – Anarchy in the U.K.". Top 40 Singles.
  22. "Megadeth: Artist Chart History". Official Charts Company.
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