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.
Dis-Ho
John Lydon Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Heave ho, heave
I must've been a horse's ass
To let her keep me under the lash
Some kind of king in a big palace
She took my love, she took my cash
Heave ho, heave
Sued me for the girlie, one on the side
Try a triangle, catch, collide
Thought that I was clever
(Heave, heave ho)
Thought that I was sly
She took me to the cleaners
(Heave, heave ho)
Said goodbye
Goodbye, goodbye, goodbye, goodbye
Heave ho, heave
Now don't be told your life is order
You bite this hook, your life is over
You sink a ship, we all go down
Rats will swim, men will drown
She came
(Heave, heave ho)
She stayed
(Heave, heave ho)
We played
(Heave)
We played long
(Heave ho)
Every night
It was she
(Heave ho, heave)
Hey ho too, I know you
Heave ho
Ho!
Heave ho!
Yeah, I must've been a horse's ass
It was she
It was expensive
She was worth it
She came
(Heave, heave ho)
She came
(Heave, heave ho)
She played
She went away
The song Dis-Ho by John Lydon is a sarcastic and bitter reflection on a toxic relationship. The lyrics describe the singer's regret at being manipulated and controlled by a woman who took his love and money, and takes pleasure in reminding him of his worthlessness. The chorus, "Hey ho too, I know you, Heave ho, heave" can be interpreted as the singer acknowledging the cyclical and repetitive nature of their relationship, and resigning himself to his fate.
The second verse describes the woman's infidelity and the singer's attempt to catch her in the act, but ultimately failing. He thought he was clever and sly, but was outsmarted by the woman who ended up leaving him. The song ends with a repetition of the phrase "It was she", emphasizing the woman's control over the singer and the fact that she was the one who ultimately won.
Line by Line Meaning
Hey ho too, I know you
Addressing someone who is familiar to the singer, acknowledging that they know each other
Heave ho, heave
A repetitive chant, possibly indicating the need for physical effort or teamwork
I must've been a horse's ass
To let her keep me under the lash
Some kind of king in a big palace
She took my love, she took my cash
The singer acknowledges that he was foolish and weak to allow someone to control and manipulate him. The woman in question had power over him despite his perceived status, and she ultimately took advantage of him in multiple ways.
Sued me for the girlie, one on the side
Try a triangle, catch, collide
Thought that I was clever
(Heave, heave ho)
Thought that I was sly
She took me to the cleaners
(Heave, heave ho)
Said goodbye
The woman sued the artist over his infidelity, as he had tried to have relationships with multiple women at once. He believed he was being clever and sneaky, but was ultimately caught and the resulting fallout left him alone and penniless.
Goodbye, goodbye, goodbye, goodbye
A lamentation for the end of a relationship, a sadness at the loss of something significant
Now don't be told your life is order
You bite this hook, your life is over
You sink a ship, we all go down
Rats will swim, men will drown
A warning against conforming too much to society's expectations or following authority blindly. Doing so can lead to a lack of free will and potentially dangerous consequences for everyone involved.
She came
(Heave, heave ho)
She stayed
(Heave, heave ho)
We played
(Heave)
We played long
(Heave ho)
Every night
It was she
A description of the relationship between the singer and the woman in question. She was present and active in the singer's life for an extended period of time, and was a consistent part of his day-to-day experiences.
Yeah, I must've been a horse's ass
It was she
It was expensive
She was worth it
The artist reflects on his earlier statement about being foolish, and acknowledges that the relationship was in fact valuable to him despite the negative consequences. He sees the woman as having been worth the cost of their relationship, both monetary and emotional.
She came
(Heave, heave ho)
She came
(Heave, heave ho)
She played
She went away
The woman returned again after having left, and was a part of the artist's life once more. However, she ultimately chose to leave again and end the relationship permanently.
Lyrics © Peermusic Publishing
Written by: JOHN LYDON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
EphemeralGxd
Hey ho too, I know you
Heave ho, heave
I must've been a horse's ass
To let her keep me under the lash
Some kind of king in a big palace
She took my love, she took my cash
Heave ho, heave
Sued me for the girlie, one on the side
Try a triangle, catch, collide
Thought that I was clever
(Heave, heave ho)
Thought that I was sly
She took me to the cleaners
(Heave, heave ho)
Said goodbye
Goodbye, goodbye, goodbye, goodbye
Heave ho, heave
Now don't be told your life is order
You bite this hook, your life is over
You sink a ship, we all go down
Rats will swim, men will drown
She came
(Heave, heave ho)
She stayed
(Heave, heave ho)
We played
(Heave)
We played long
(Heave ho)
Every night
It was she
Hey ho too, I know you
Heave ho
Ho!
Heave ho!
Yeah, I must've been a horse's ass
It was she
It was expensive
She was worth it
She came
(Heave, heave ho)
She came
(Heave, heave ho)
She played
She went away
Anthony B
If the end of the world happens at any point in the future and falls apart. This is the last song i want to dance to before everything is completely obliterated and destroyed. Such an amazing song
Dewy
this track is nuts
Sammicsno
wow :)
Beth Shadowen
wow is right!