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Anarchy in the U.K.

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"Anarchy in the U.K."
Song
B-side"I Wanna Be Me"

"Anarchy in the U.K." is a song by the British punk rock band the Sex Pistols, released as the group's debut recording on 26 November 1976.

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 January 6 1977, a month after the televised Bill Grundy incident. The song later appeared on the album Never Mind the Bollocks, Here's the Sex Pistols. The song's lyrics espouse a nihilistic and violent concept of anarchy. The lyrics mention several political/paramilitary organisations prominent at the time, comparing them to the UK: the MPLA, the UDA, and the IRA.

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 a mispronunciation of the second line, "I am an anarchist".

"Anarchy in the U.K." is number 53 on Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Songs of All Time list.[1] In 2007 the surviving members (not including Glen Matlock) re-recorded "Anarchy in the U.K." for the video game Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock because the masters could not be found.[2]

Track listing

A-side: "Anarchy in the U.K."
B-side: "I Wanna Be Me"

Megadeth cover

"Anarchy in the U.K."
Song

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

As the song was written with incorrect lyrics, Dave Mustaine stated that he could not understand Johnny Rotten's singing, so he made up the parts he could not understand (in addition, the titular country is changed to "USA"). The song's music video is a simply-styled cartoon featuring political figures. Steve Jones played second solo of this song.

Track listing versions

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

Personnel

with:

Green Jellÿ cover

"Anarchy in the U.K."
Song

"Anarchy in the UK" was covered by American comedy metal band Green Jellÿ.

Green Jellÿ's is a parody cover of the original. This version takes the original song and combines it with The Flintstones references. Although the song's proper title is "Anarchy in the UK," 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 Jelly 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 versions

  1. "Anarchy In The UK" - 3:29
  2. "Three Little Pigs (Blowin Down The House Mix)" - 6:34
  3. "Green Jellÿ Theme Song" - 2:15

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

Notable recorded versions

  • A French version called "L'Anarchie pour l'UK" was part of the soundtrack to the film, The Great Rock 'n' Roll Swindle.
  • Mötley Crüe covered the song on their 1991 album Decade of Decadence, with USA-centric lyric changes and some vulgar language.
  • British group The Ukrainians sang a Ukrainian language version of the song on their 2002 Respublika album.
  • The Ukulele Orchestra of Great Britain released a 2005 concert DVD entitled Anarchy in the Ukulele, featuring their own folk-rock version of the song.
  • Anna Tsuchiya covered the song on the 2007 compilation album Nana Best.
  • Fans of FC Halifax Town use the song as the basis for their terrace chant "Anarchy at The Shay", starting with the line "I am a Shaymen fan" in reference to the club's nickname
  • Fans of Fleetwood Town FC also use the song as a basis for their chant "I Wanna Be Cod Army", and Californian Punk Rock band The Sex Presleys recorded a version with adapted Fleetwood Town lyrics as part of their "Never Mind The Pollocks - We're The Cod Army" EP.

Footnotes

  1. ^ "The RS 500 Greatest Songs of All Time: 'Anarchy in the U.K.'". Rolling Stone. 2004-12-09. Retrieved 2009-05-10.
  2. ^ "Sex Pistols Re-Record 'Anarchy' for Guitar Hero; Grohl at Zeppelin's 'Beck and Call'". Spin Magazine. 2007-09-26. Retrieved 2009-05-10.
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