Why the world of music has had a long, tumultuous relationship with Queen Elizabeth II | Eye News,The Indian Express
From punk rockers Sex Pistols, The Smiths to The Beatles, everyone had a song on the Queen
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HomeEyeWhy the world of music has had a long, tumultuous relationship with Queen Elizabeth II
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Why the world of music has had a long, tumultuous relationship with Queen Elizabeth II
From punk rockers Sex Pistols, The Smiths to The Beatles, everyone had a song on the Queen
Written by Suanshu Khurana
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Updated: September 17, 2022 1:05:53 pm
The cheeky Sex Pistols poster from the ’70sLast week, when Queen Elizabeth II, England’s longest reigning monarch, passed away, the British national anthem — God save the queen — was replaced with God save the king, after Charles III took the throne. Her death has raised questions around constitutional monarchy and obeisance to the royals. But this is hardly new. For years, artistes have expressed their dissent through music.
In 1977, English punk rock biggies, Sex Pistols, attempted their own version of UK’s national anthem. They sang: God save the queen/ She’s not a human being/ And there’s no future/ And England is dreaming, an example of a country’s internal turmoil — economic crisis and stagflation — that gave rise to punk subculture, largely characterised by anti-establishment views.
While the song was banned immediately by the BBC, 11 people including the band’s manager, were arrested post performance of the song on a boat, named Queen Elizabeth, on the Thames. The song in the band’s only studio album, Never Mind the Bollocks, Here’s the Sex Pistols (Virgin Records, 1977) also coincided with the silver jubilee of the Queen’s accession. But besides the shock value, what was significant was that it showcased a clear division among people in the UK — ones with deference to the monarchy and those who thought it was outdated.
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The band members — vocalist Johnny Rotten, lead guitarist Steve Jones, drummer Paul Cook, and bassist Glen Matlock — without any cheer and chow from the internet, managed to make a mark. They brought out a poster of Queen Elizabeth II using a photograph (taken by royal photographer Peter Grugeon) with the Union Jack in the background. The poster designer Jamie Reid had ripped the queen’s eyes and mouth and placed the title of the single and the band’s name, with letters from what seemed like press headlines. The song and poster remain among rock music’s most significant engagements with the monarchy.
Rating: 5