Queen and punk rock

[Monica_ICE]

This might be a taboo subject on a music board (in theory), but since the Wildhearts are UK based, is anyone in favor of and/or against the Queen and her unsavory affairs? I saw the Sex Pistols "God Save The Queen" video from their barge ride, and I realized that old, original solid punk style was rooted in social studies. It was very socially involved like political comments against the Queen and her antics (yeah the same one as now). So, that original punk came out of the social turmoil, the problems and conflicts, and the tight structure in society that spawned rebellion. There were also the rich kids-turned-punk who had everything except meaning in life. So, I was thinking, if society and the Queen are so bad, is there another core punk movement or should there be? I like punk. Here in the States, I lived through over a decade of commercially marketed fake punk for little kids and selling out "rock n roll" with no music to back it up. Some of the t-shirts were cool, but there was no real punk behind the little kiddies and the commercial market. Core punk made a real, reactive statement.

[markE]

what do you mean "the Queen and her unsavory affairs?" and "the Queen and her antics "?

[Monica_ICE]

Haven't you ever heard the Sex Pistol's "God Save The Queen"? Look it up online.

[benwalton]

I think that the monarchy is essentially a daft, outdated and pompous institution, and I didn't really enjoy any of the jubilee celebrations (read: an excuse to put a union jack on EVERYTHING).

Having said that however, I do understand the ridiculous amount of money that the iconography of the monarchy brings into England in tourism, and as such I suppose it is a necessary evil.

I don't know what you mean by the Queen's antics, and I'm not especially sure that the Pistols wanted you to take their lyrics quite so literally; they were very much baiting the authorities, which they succeeded at, when on the top 40 count down, there just wasn't a number 1 that week. The Pistols (and that whole late 70's burst of punk) was a reaction to much more than just the monarchy. England at the time wasn't great.

TL;DR: Punk came out of a certain set of circumstances which may never be repeated in such a way to spawn a new 'punk revolution'. I think you might be placing too much emphasis in the role of the Queen here; she was but a mere part of a wider tapestry of shit fucking up.

Interesting question mind you!

[Ean]

they were very much baiting the authorities, which they succeeded at, when on the top 40 count down, there just wasn't a number 1 that week.

It's a cool story. But unfortunately that's quite likely all it is.

Rod Stewart was number one that week - the few charts that omitted God Save The Queen had a gap at number two - and such are the vagaries of the way the chart was complied back then (essentially, waiting for a random selection of record shops to mail them what was selling well, which was a) wildly inaccurate, and b) hugely open to fraud if people figured out you were a chart-return store.) that unless someone somehow manages the impossible and finds out actual sales figures for that week, an unverifiable legend it shall remain.

I'd imagine it persists partly because people don't want to admit to themselves that Rod Stewart was still a bigger draw than a punk band in 1977.

Also, the notoriously publicity shy Richard Branson admitted it only made number 2 when Paul Gambaccini asked him, and I can't imagine for a second he'd waste the chance to keep a rumour like that bubbling away.

[benwalton]

Wow, nice little nugget of info there. Cheers Ean!

[markE]

oi, don't call Ean a Little Nugget, he won't like it

Haven't you ever heard the Sex Pistol's "God Save The Queen"? Look it up online.

of course I have.

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

God save the queen
We mean it man
We love our queen
God saves

God save the queen
'Cause tourists are money
And our figurehead
Is not what she seems

Oh God save history
God save your mad parade
Oh Lord God have mercy
All crimes are paid

When there's no future
How can there be sin
We're the flowers in the dustbin
We're the poison in your human machine
We're the future, your future

God save the queen
We mean it man
We love our queen
God saves

God save the queen
We mean it man
And there is no future
In England's dreaming

No future, no future,
No future for you
No future, no future,
No future for me

No future, no future,
No future for you
No future, no future
For you


what antics are you referring to? I am sorry I don't understand what you mean.
the question of what is true punk is a massive can of worms that I don't want to open here.

So, I was thinking, if society and the Queen are so bad, is there another core punk movement or should there be?

i don't think ther is a core punk movement but of course there are a lot of politically minded punk bands.

anyway, society ain't that bad. Sure lots of people have problems but on the other hand there are a vast majority of people who have more leisure time, more money etc than ever before.

[Sarc]

I don't think the royal family are particularly valid in this day and age and the only time anyone takes any real notice of them is when everyone gets an extra bank holiday or two and when people realise there's actually a royal, admittedly only through marriage, that it's quite acceptable to admit to finding fanciable.
The only royal I have time for is the batshit mental one known as Phillip because he says the first thing that comes to mind whether it's politically correct or not.
The amount of press officers he must have lost due to stress over what he's going to say next must be overwhelming.
Speaking of Philip for anyone who saw Chris Addison on his most recent tour all I can say is "Prince Philip, Bob Dylan and Scooby Doo".

[Sarc]

Almost forgot, my late aunt* got an OBE from the queen for all the work she did trying to repair the bridge between the races in south Africa during the eighties.

*she should have been here ten minutes ago to pick me up**

**not really, she's been dead for fifteen years.

[Dark Lord of Barnet]

there are a vast majority of people who have more leisure time, more money etc than ever before.

I wish I was one of them! I remember being told years ago that the future was going to be like that - but I and most my friends are still waiting for it to happen...

[Ross]

Hip hop is the new punk rock. Grunge was the new punk rock. Punk is the new punk rock. There's rock, then there's political rock.

And Stone Cold Crazy was nearly a punk song...

[Radish]

Hip hop is the new punk rock. Grunge was the new punk rock. Punk is the new punk rock. There's rock, then there's political rock.

And Stone Cold Crazy was nearly a punk song...

Sheer Heart Attack (from News of the World) was the Queen take on punk I think. Although they started writing it in 1974 so maybe not. I think it got ditched from the Sheer Heart Attack album in favour of Stone Cold Crazy.
I have nothing else to say I'm afraid. I can't be arsed to decide about the royal family, although I do wonder if they're any worse than having certain families who might as well be royalty having so much more and being so privileged in comparison to the general populace, which is what it seems to me the USA is like. At least the royals are blatant and open about thinking they deserve more than the rest of us, while the likes of the Bushes just seem to steal it all and pretend nobody notices. The capitalists do it all for themselves, the royals at least pretend they're doing it in the interests of the nation.
Sorry, looks like I did have something to say, even if it was bollocks. Never mind. (See what I did there?)

[Ross]

The Pistols were 20% posturing and 80% marketing. In terms of genuine punk, they were the Spice Girls. The Clash, Buzzcocks and SLF had something to say, and were worth listening to musically. The Pistols were manufactured controversy.

/controversial

[markE]

The Pistols were 20% posturing and 80% marketing. In terms of genuine punk, they were the Spice Girls. The Clash, Buzzcocks and SLF had something to say, and were worth listening to musically. The Pistols were manufactured controversy.

/controversial

THIS!

[Monica_ICE]

This would be a really good time for a punk revival; that's all I was thinking.