John Joseph Lydon (born January 31, 1956), also known as Johnny Rotten star… Read Full Bio ↴John Joseph Lydon (born January 31, 1956), also known as Johnny Rotten started his music career as the lead singer of punk band the Sex Pistols.

After the Sex Pistols broke up in 1978, he started Public Image Ltd. also called PiL. The group lasted for fourteen years with John Lydon as the only consistent member. In 2010, Lydon reassembled PIL and embarked on a successful tour of Europe, as well as re-visiting the United States for the first time in 18 years.

In 1997 he released a solo album on called Psycho's Path. He wrote all the songs and played (almost) all the instruments on the album.

Besides music, John has written a book called "Rotten - No Irish, No Blacks, No Dogs", been in British reality television show, "I'm a Celebrity, Get Me Out of Here!", hosted the short-lived VH1 show "Rotten TV", co-starred in the movie "Copkiller" along with Harvey Keitel and hosted "It's a Rotten Day", a minute-long, syndicated US radio feature, in which he would offer cynical commentary on the day's headlines.

Another Way
John Lydon Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

I, I've got to find another way
I, I've got to find another way
Put it down to no one else
Yes, I, I've got to find another way

One upmanship is a game you play
Competition is a game you say
Well, rules and rules and rules are for fools

This gravy train led by mules

Get that old stuff out of my head
A chip on the shoulder, feels like lead

And everyone has their say
But I, but I, I gotta find another way

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to John Lydon's song Another Way depict the singer's desire to break away from the norm and find a new path for himself. The repetition of the statement "I've got to find another way" shows his determination to make a change, to move away from the "game" of one-upmanship and competition that he regards as foolish. He refuses to be led by others who he sees as "mules" on the "gravy train".

Lydon's lyrics suggest that he feels weighed down by the expectations of others ("chip on the shoulder, feels like lead") and frustrated by the way that everyone has their say, but it seemingly means little to nothing. It is clear that he wants to distance himself from this world of rules and competitions, cutting his own unique path, finding his own way and, in turn, making his individual voice heard. This song speaks to the general human experience of grappling with society's conventions and expectations, and the feeling of needing to find another way to live life on your own terms.

Line by Line Meaning

I, I've got to find another way
I need to come up with a new approach

I, I've got to find another way
Reinventing myself is key

Put it down to no one else
I'm accountable for my own transformation

Yes, I, I've got to find another way
It's imperative that I do this

One upmanship is a game you play
You're always trying to outdo others

Competition is a game you say
You believe competition is a good thing

Well, rules and rules and rules are for fools
You think rules are unnecessary and may hinder progress

This gravy train led by mules
The established system is being run by incompetent people

Get that old stuff out of my head
Rid yourself of the old ways of doing things

A chip on the shoulder, feels like lead
Holding onto grudges is burdensome

And everyone has their say
Everybody has an opinion