THE 1000 BEST SONGS IN THE WORLD EVER.

576-Sex Pistols-God Save the Queen.

1977-Number 2 single. In 2002 it was re-issued, and this time it reached Number 15.

Best Bit-At 2.31. When is a Number 1 single not a Number 1 single? ‘God Save the Queen’ peaked at Number 2 on the official UK top 40 singles chart on the week of Queen Elizabeth’s Silver Jubilee, being kept off the top spot by Rod Stewart’s double ‘A’ sided ‘The First Cut is the Deepest,/ ‘I Don’t Want to Talk About It,’ but it is a widely held belief that those in charge rigged the chart that week, in order to not cause further embarrassment to the Silver Jubilee celebrations.

The Sex Pistols (see also best songs 92 and 27) were formed in London, England, in 1975, they were active until 1978, but did reform in 1996, and again in 2002-2003, and finally again in 2007-2008. The discography of the Sex Pistols includes one studio Album ‘Never Mind the Bollocks, Here’s the Sex Pistols,’ (1977) and 13 singles, released between 1976-1984, there are also 15 other official Albums available. In the UK, ‘Never Mind the Bollocks, Here’s the Sex Pistols,’ reached the Number 1 position, while 10 of their singles have reached the top 40, with ‘God Save the Queen,’ peaking the highest at Number 2.

‘God Save the Queen’ was the second of five singles released by the Sex Pistols from their only studio Album ‘Never Mind the Bollocks, Here’s the Sex Pistols,’ from October 1977, the song was co-written by the group members Glen Matlock, John Lydon, (see also best songs 967 and 323) Paul Cook, and Steve Jones, with the songs production being by Chris Thomas, (see also best songs 721-316-285-92 and 27) and Bill Price (1944-2016.) Although the four group members all receive equal billing, the music was mainly written by Glen Matlock, and the lyrics by John Lydon. By the time ‘God Save the Queen’ had been issued as single, Glen Matlock had already left the group, and had been replaced by Sid Vicious (1957-1979.)

It wasn’t just the lyrics to ‘God Save the Queen’ which were deemed disrespectful, and worthy of a radio ban, with the ‘BBC,’ and almost every single independent radio station refusing to play the song. The records sleeve which had been designed by the English visual artist Jamie Reid, (1947-2023) who knew the Sex Pistols manager Malcolm McLaren (1946-2010) (see also best songs 751) from their time at ‘Croyden College of Art,’ depicted the Queen with the words ‘God Save the Queen,’ and ‘Sex Pistols,’ written across her face, in the form of how a ransom note is often written.

Glen Matlock was born on August 27th, 1956, in London, England, he was the bass player in the original line up of the Sex Pistols. Matlock is credited with writing, or co-writing 10 of the 12 tracks on ‘Never Mind the Bollocks, Here’s the Sex Pistols,’ although he had left the band early in the recording process. There are many different stories as to how Matlock and the Sex Pistols parted ways in 1977, with Matlock stating that he was ‘Sick of all the bullsh#t.’ In the 2000 documentary ‘The Filth and the Fury,’ the band members generally agree that there was tension between Matlock and Rotten, which Matlock suggests was further aggravated by Malcolm McLaren in an attempt to generate chaos within the band as a creative mechanism.

As for the true meaning behind ‘God Save the Queen,’ John Lydon (Johnny Rotten) has said that the songs real meaning is not a personal attack on the Queen, but an attack on the treatment of working class people in England in the 1970’s by the UK Government.’I wrote a record. It wasn’t about a specific moment in time or history. I wrote a record about a subject matter that mattered to me, in a personal way, and then all this situation enveloped and unfolded. I never did it as an act of spite against the Jubilee. I don’t think that’s been quite completely understood. God Save the Queen was running around in my mind for months, long before joining the Sex Pistols. The idea of being angry, of the indifference of the Queen to the population and the aloofness and indifference to us as people. I had to work on building sites to get the money to go to college because I wanted to further my education and yet I was taxed to fu#k. Why am I paying for that silly cow who couldn’t give a sh#t about me? Along come the Pistols, and just one morning over baked beans, I wrote it down in one go on Mum and Dad’s kitchen table.’

When the Sex Pistols originally recorded ‘God Save the Queen’ they were signed to ‘A&M’ records. The record label dropped the group just as the song was released, pulling all of the singles. The ones which slipped through have become very valuable collectors items. In 2010 ‘Record Collector’ magazine compiled it’s list, with a valuation of a copy released on ‘A&M’ being worth at least £10,000.

Don’t be told what you want, and don’t be told what you need. There’s no future, no future, no future for you. God save the queen, we mean it man, we love our queen. God saves.’