God Save the Queen (Sex Pistols song)

"God Save the Queen" (B-side "Did You No Wrong") was the second single by punk band the Sex Pistols. The record was released on May 27, 1977, and was an assault on Queen Elizabeth II and the monarchy. The title is directly taken from God Save the Queen, the British patriotic song and de-facto national anthem. At the time it was highly controversial; firstly for its equation of the Queen with a "fascist regime", and secondly for a perceived claim that England had "no future".

Related Topics:
Punk - Sex Pistols - May 27 - 1977 - God Save the Queen - National anthem

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On June 7, 1977 - the Jubilee holiday itself - the band attempted to play the song from a boat on the river Thames, outside The Palace of Westminster. After a scuffle involving attendee Jah Wobble and a cameraman, the band was promptly arrested.

Related Topics:
June 7 - 1977 - Thames - Palace of Westminster - Jah Wobble

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Many observers argue that GSTQ sold more copies in Jubilee Week than the official number 1, "The First Cut is the Deepest" by Rod Stewart, and that it was held at number 2 for political reasons. This has been refuted by some insiders, including Richard Branson, then head of Virgin Records. When it was released, it was banned by most radio stations.

Related Topics:
The First Cut is the Deepest - Rod Stewart - Richard Branson - Virgin Records

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The Sex Pistols originally wanted to call the song "No Future," but their manager Malcolm McLaren knew the Queen's Silver Jubilee was approaching. He convinced the band to change the song's name to "God Save the Queen" and delay the song's release to coincide with the Jubilee. Although many would believe it was created because of the Jubilee, the band denies it, Paul Cook saying "It wasn't written specifically for the Queen's Jubilee. We weren't aware of it at the time. It wasn't a contrived effort to go out and shock everyone." The phrase "no future", the song's closing refrain, became emblematic of the punk movement, although its use in the song was ambiguous, the lyrics claiming that "there is no future in England's dreaming".

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Before the group signed to Virgin, a small number of copies of God Save the Queen had been pressed on the A&M label. These are now among the most valuable records ever pressed in the UK, with the going rate as of 2004 being around £2,500 a copy.

Related Topics:
A&M - As of 2004

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The song also features on the album Never Mind The Bollocks, Here's The Sex Pistols, and several compilation albums.

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The song was covered by Anthrax on their Armed And Dangerous EP in 1985, and by Motörhead on their We Are Motörhead album in 2000.

Related Topics:
Anthrax - Armed And Dangerous - 1985 - Motörhead - We Are Motörhead - 2000

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