Public Image Ltd. (aka PiL), are an experimental band which formed in 1978 … Read Full Bio ↴Public Image Ltd. (aka PiL), are an experimental band which formed in 1978 in London, England. Its original lineup was John Lydon (vocals) (formerly of the Sex Pistols), Keith Levene (guitar) and Jah Wobble (bass), although by 1983, the band's lineup would become a fluctuating one, revolving around Lydon. PiL are often cited as one of the most challenging and innovative bands of the post-punk period; John Lydon is quoted as saying he wanted to form an anti-rock band. They were influenced by a wide range of artists, especially esoteric artists like Can, Captain Beefheart, Tim Buckley & various dub artists.
As the years progressed, the PiL line-up would change, adding renowned drummer Martin Atkins in 1979 as the direction of the band evolved. Compared to their first three albums, the later 1980's/early 1990's period saw a more conventional sound to the musical aspect, but still retaining Lydon's biting lyrics. The album compact disc (aka Album or Cassette, depending on what format you have it on), recorded by Lydon with a slate of studio musicians organized by producer Bill Laswell, is considered the artistic highpoint of this period of PiL's evolution. PiL reached their commercial zenith with their aptly titled ninth album, 9, during 1989/1990.
PiL kept going as a Lydon project until 1993, when Lydon disbanded the group. Their final lineup consisted of Lydon, Ted Chau (guitar, keyboards), Mike Joyce of The Smiths (drums), John McGeoch of Magazine and Siouxsie and the Banshees (guitar), and Russel Webb (bass).
In September 2009, Lydon announced that the band would reform, including earlier members Bruce Smith and Lu Edmonds, for a number of Christmas shows in the UK. The One Drop Songfacts reports that Lydon financed the reunion using money he earned doing a UK television commercial for Country Life butter. This Is PiL, the band’s first album for 20 years was recorded at Steve Winwood’s studio, which is located in a barn, in the middle of the Cotswolds in southern England. It was released on May 28, 2012.
As the years progressed, the PiL line-up would change, adding renowned drummer Martin Atkins in 1979 as the direction of the band evolved. Compared to their first three albums, the later 1980's/early 1990's period saw a more conventional sound to the musical aspect, but still retaining Lydon's biting lyrics. The album compact disc (aka Album or Cassette, depending on what format you have it on), recorded by Lydon with a slate of studio musicians organized by producer Bill Laswell, is considered the artistic highpoint of this period of PiL's evolution. PiL reached their commercial zenith with their aptly titled ninth album, 9, during 1989/1990.
PiL kept going as a Lydon project until 1993, when Lydon disbanded the group. Their final lineup consisted of Lydon, Ted Chau (guitar, keyboards), Mike Joyce of The Smiths (drums), John McGeoch of Magazine and Siouxsie and the Banshees (guitar), and Russel Webb (bass).
In September 2009, Lydon announced that the band would reform, including earlier members Bruce Smith and Lu Edmonds, for a number of Christmas shows in the UK. The One Drop Songfacts reports that Lydon financed the reunion using money he earned doing a UK television commercial for Country Life butter. This Is PiL, the band’s first album for 20 years was recorded at Steve Winwood’s studio, which is located in a barn, in the middle of the Cotswolds in southern England. It was released on May 28, 2012.
Radio 4
Public Image Ltd. Lyrics
We have lyrics for 'Radio 4' by these artists:
Jay Foreman In a world of noise and ignorance There's a place called…
We have lyrics for these tracks by Public Image Ltd.:
02 Public Image Hello. Hello. Hello. Hello. Hello. Hello. Ha, Ha, Ha, Ha, Ha…
02 religion i Stained glass windows keep the cold outside While the hypocr…
03-swan lake Seeing in your eyes Words can never say the way Told me…
1981 I could be desperate I think I'm brave Could stay and watc…
Acid Drops What does it mean? What does anything mean? Sending out sign…
Albatross Slow motion, slow motion Getting rid of the albatross Sowing…
Annalisa Think I'm proud to be your enemy Take your hands off…
Another Someone made the story up I tell the truth It wasn’t me L…
Armada And I, I won't be stupid State the obvious, pleasant platitu…
Attack I can see I can see when our hands are tied I…
Bad Baby Nearly ten thirty, I'm rising early I've got an eye to…
Bad Life Call me up after midnight. Tell me I'm wrong, tell me…
Bad Night I think it’s just been another bad night I think it’s…
Bags (Lydon/Bruni/Shultz) Black rubber bag Black rubber bag Blac…
Banging The Door Hello What do you want You're irritating Go away It's not my…
Being Stupid Again Oh no You're being stupid again Well done It's the students …
Blue Water Oxygen Aqua Into the water Splish, splosh Bubbles S…
Body We want Body We want We want Body We want We want Body We…
Brave New World Diplomatic washing machine Climb down from cloud cuckoo land…
Careering Scream A face is raining Across the border The pride of hist…
Chant Voice moaning in a speaker Never really get too close Only a…
Covered Some unions are based on trust, some unions are a…
Criminal Like a criminal. Did you think it could be like on…
Cruel Body and soul, an animal As a sword, swing double edged Dig…
Death Disco Seeing in your eyes. Seeing in your eyes Words can never say…
Deeper Water The ocean seas that's swelling wept in the harper inside my…
Disappointed What friends are for What friends are for What friends are …
Don't Ask Me What you gonna do - When the river runs dry Put…
Ease Now Now pay no heed Don't care for you These things in …
Emperor Is there a King that can do no wrong? The crown…
F F f Looking for a cure within the human race Eliminate the…
Fat Chance Hotel With the fly in my eye It didn't take long To realise The…
FFF Farewell my fair-weather friend Senseless reasoning You bel…
Fishing (Lydon/Bruni/Schulz) Closed mouth catches no flies Burning …
Flowers of Romance Now in the summer I could be happy or in distress Depending…
Fodderstompf Be bland Beano Be boring Be really, really, y'know nothing a…
Fool Oh, oh, oh you made a fool out of me Treated…
Four Enclosed Walls (Lydon/Levene/Atkins) Allah Allah Doom sits in gloom in his…
Francis Massacre Don't wanna go near there Plead not guilty Plead not gui…
Go Back You don't hold me so well And it's not hard to…
God I can only feel and think in the language of Clinches…
Good Things Little white lies, they hold little surprise Good things co…
Happy All those oh! so trendy in their flapper and flair Delinque…
Hard Times Dead dreams, dead dreams fly flags Flapping in the breeze, …
Hawaii Falling in our hearts Here again, Hawaii We're here, you and…
Home Better days will never be Better days will never be Better d…
Home Is Where the Heart Is (Lydon/Levene/Wobble/Atkins) I got the oven repaired This w…
Human None of us are the enemy And they are the same…
I Must Be Dreaming Well, I've been dreaming, only dreaming I've just been drea…
Like That Talk talk talk Talk talk talk Talk talk talk Like that, she…
Lollipop Opera You wanna see me my. Let′s go clean ...can I rock 'cause…
Lou Reed Part 2 Hello Hello Hello Hello Where are you Where are…
Love Hope I can see potential, I can see intention With a pocket…
Love Song This is not a love song This is not a love…
Low Life Ego-maniac traitor You never did understand You fell in love…
Lowlife Ego-maniac traitor You never did understand You fell in lo…
Luck's Up When the blood in your drugs turns to shale They had…
Mad Max This is what you want This is what you get Bad life C…
Memories You make me feel ashamed At acting attitudes Remember ridicu…
No Birds This could be heaven Shallow spreads of ordered lawns I like…
One Drop I am John and I was born in the London I…
Open and Revolving Now this age of learning Vocal vocabulary But it still com…
Out Of The Woods Jackson stood 'cause he could 'Cause he should looking goo…
Phenagen Down in the dark Tell us a story From the room below You…
Poptones Drive to the forest in a Japanese car The smell of…
Public Image Hello. Hello. Hello. Hello. Hello. Hello. Ha, Ha, Ha, Ha, Ha…
Question Mark Remember that Remember that Remember that Remember that Reme…
Reggie Song You see Reginald, he is a reasonable man And being uncomfor…
Religion Stained glass windows keep the cold outside While the hypocr…
Religion I Stained glass windows keep the cold outside While the hypoc…
Religion II Stained glass windows keep the cold outside While the hypocr…
Rise I could be wrong I could be right could be wrong I…
Round (Lydon/Schulz) Round and around Around, around, round, roun…
rules & regulations You'll wonder should you risk it A pocket full of mischief A…
Same Old Story Some people got more kicks than halfpence Crying for attenti…
Sand Castles in the Snow Madmen fry This is bad for their health In the midday sky …
Save Me Where is all began born on desert sands Desperate citizens L…
Seattle Don't like the look of this old town What goes up…
Solitaire Think you know the answer? Think you got all the problems? W…
Swan Lake Seeing in your eyes Words can never say the way Told me…
Swanlake Seeing in your eyes Words can never say the way Told me…
Terra-Gate Matters you are, you probably fake interrogate into hate op…
The Body We want Body We want We want Body We want We want Body We…
The Cowboy Song We can't hear the backing track The cowboy song That R…
The Flowers Of Romance Now in the summer I could be happy or in distress Depending…
The One Stained glass windows keep the cold outside While the hypocr…
The Order of Death (Lydon/Levene/Atkins) This is what you want This is what yo…
The Suit It is your character Deep in your nature Take one example …
Theme (scream) Theme Now I understand (ha, ha, ha) Now I understa…
Think Tank Could have been a major problem But I did not, I…
This Is Not A Love Son This is not a love song This is not a love…
This Is Not A Lovesong This is not a love song This is not a love…
This Is PiL Lucky you This is pil Pil This is pil Public image limit…
Tie Me to the Length of That Trials and tribulations When I was born the doctor didn't…
Track 8 (Lydon/Levene) A bed in the corner The suffering suffragett…
U.S.L.S. 1 U.S.L.S. 1 S.L.S. 1 U.S.L.S. 1 U.S.L.S. 1 S.L.S. 1 …
Under the House Under the house Under the house It came out of the wall A…
Unfair Ground Where can I stand in my uniform? Cannon fodder, six foot…
USLS 1 U.S.L.S. 1 S.L.S. 1 U.S.L.S. 1 U.S.L.S. 1 S.L.S. 1 …
Warrior Fields they have eyes Woods they have ears Fish always sink …
Where Are You Hello Hello Where are you Where are you Where are …
Where Are You? Hello Hello Where are you Where are you Where are you Where …
Worry Don't you worry Worry no more Your own holocaust to wallow…
Young Brits Think you know the answers Think you got all the problems …
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Benedetto Bruno
Always and forever, thank you to Great Britain and the British people whose creativity, since the 1960s, has given the rest of the World hundreds of unique bands such as the Public Image Limited and music of unparalleled beauty, quirkiness and atmosphere. What would our lives have been without British bands? Thank you from Sicily.
Phil Butcher
@Szarzyniec Szczurzyński Not if you understand what Modernity is. If you'll forgive me, you make a category error. 'Modernity' is not to be confused with the passing of time, which we can do nothing about. 'Modernity' is a philosophy that underpins our era. Now think about what you are saying: 'The philosophy of my time is the only one that is thinkable' - that, I'm afraid is what many of us are discovering the Liberal Enlightenment to have become (despite any of its merits along the way). It is precisely that Liberalism (Modernity) has declared a Utopia that is the problem (the perfection of man and the conquering of nature), as it cannot apprehend anything other than itself and requires all nations and all people to adopt its codes and ideologies exclusively.
I mention no 'counter-revolution'. I am not concerned with 'progress' and changes to 'things' - I am concerned with what underlies the changes - what is in our hearts as the motivation to act and think in certain directions. You may hear some people say we are in a 'spiritual war' - this is a similar expression of the same thing.
How can you keep sanity in something is devoted to annihilating sanity (which is defined as a balance of understandings), which materialism inevitably promotes.
Szarzyniec Szczurzyński
@Phil Butcher Well, how do you imagine "escape from modernity"? Looks like some kind of utopia. You cannot turn back time or any kind of progress/changes. It's rather all about keeping the sense of sanity and moderation in the world that's changing and not about some counter-revolution against modernity as a whole.
Phil Butcher
There is a beauty, but I do not think it is at all understood.
The music of this time was a confused lamenting as Modernity took hold - I pray the next flourish will accompany our escape from it.
Szarzyniec Szczurzyński
@123pilpil UK is/was "a small country" by no means, music is connected to population, not to size of territory.
Vas Blackwood
YES-I x
turntableterrorist
such a sublime closing track. Metal Box is Lydon's jewel. its dissonant and angry, with many wonderful ideas. this closes the album very nicely.
Flinchey
All instruments played by the amazing Keith Levene very under appreciated musician, great choice on those synthesizers
silo
After listening to the whole album, I only have one word for this song: Redemption
Phil Butcher
It is melancholic, so absence of it, I'd say.