The band is comprised of vocalist Johnny Rotten, guitarist Steve Jones, drummer Paul Cook, and bassist Glen Matlock. Matlock left the band in 1977 and was replaced by Sid Vicious, who remained until the band's initial 1978 breakup. Matlock rejoined the band for their 1996 reunion and has remained with them throughout most subsequent reunions, including the most recent, in 2008.
Sex Pistols were managed by the infamous Malcolm McLaren, after he saw Johnny Rotten sporting a Pink Floyd shirt with "I hate" scribbled on. Impressed by Johnny Rotten's attitude, McLaren brought Rotten to audition for frontman of The Strand, the band that would later become the Sex Pistols. The Sex Pistols have been described by the BBC as "the definitive English punk rock band" and are widely credited with initiating the punk movement in the United Kingdom and creating the first generation gap within rock and roll.
Sex Pistols emerged as a response to what was perceived to be the increasingly safe and bloated progressive rock and manufactured pop music of the mid-1970s. The band created various controversies during their brief career, which captivated England but often eclipsed their music. Their shows and tours repeatedly faced difficulties from authorities, and public appearances often ended in disaster and riot. Their 1977 single, God Save the Queen, released during the build up to the Queen’s Silver Jubilee, was widely regarded as an attack on the British monarchy and British Nationalism.
The group broke up in 1978 amid a turbulent tour of the United States, but reunited in 1996 for the "Filthy Lucre" tour, and have staged subsequent reunion tours in 2002 and 2003. On 24 February 2006, The Sex Pistols were officially inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame but refused to attend the induction, calling the museum a "piss stain".
To celebrate the 30th anniversary of their debut album, The Sex Pistols reunited for 7 live shows. They played 5 nights at the Brixton Academy in London between 8 November and 14 November, 1 night at the MEN Arena in Manchester, and 1 night at the SECC in Glasgow. The band last performed live in 2008 are are currently on hiatus as John Lydon tours with Public Image Ltd., which reunited in 2009.
Belsen Was A Gas
Sex Pistols Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
In the open graves where the jews all lay
Life is fun and I wish you were here
They wrote on postcards to those held dear
Oh dear
Sergeant majors on the march
Wash their bodies in the starch
Guess it's dead, guess it's glad
So bad
Belsen was a gas I heard the other day
In the open graves where the jews all lay
Life is fun and I wish you were here
They wrote on postcards to those held dear
Oh dear
Be a man
Be a man
Belsen was a gas
Be a man, kill someone, kill yourself
Be a man, be someone, kill someone
Be a man, kill yourself
The Sex Pistols' "Belsen Was A Gas" is a controversial song that reflects on the Holocaust and the atrocities that occurred at Bergen-Belsen, a concentration camp in Germany. The title of the song is a chilling reference to the use of the poisonous gas Zyklon B in the extermination of Jews and other prisoners. The song is as sarcastic and dark as it is confrontational with powerful, aggressive language and a rhythmically-driven melody that accentuates the anger and outrage of the lyrics.
The lyrics of the song highlight the callous disregard and detachment to human life that was evident in the Holocaust. The opening line of the song, "Belsen was a gas I heard the other day," is a jarring and irreverent commentary on the massive loss of life that occurred during the Holocaust. The verses of the song are a collection of provocative images that serve to underscore the absurdity and horror of the Holocaust. The chorus, featuring the lines "Life is fun and I wish you were here, they wrote on postcards to those held dear," is a pointed reference to the way in which victims of the Holocaust clung to hope in the face of horrific circumstances.
The middle part of the song features the repeating lines, "Be a man, kill someone, kill yourself," driving home the sense of nihilism and desperation that characterized the Holocaust. Overall, the song is a scathing critique of the horrors of the Holocaust, as well as an attack on the tendency of modern society to detach itself from tragedy and injustice through euphemism, denial, and avoidance.
Line by Line Meaning
Belsen was a gas I heard the other day
The Holocaust was amusing and entertaining, according to the singer
In the open graves where the jews all lay
The genocide of Jews was a great source of joy for the singer
Life is fun and I wish you were here
The singer is having a great time envisioning the suffering and death of Jews
They wrote on postcards to those held dear
The singer sarcastically references the postcards that Jews would send to loved ones, implying that they were meaningless
Sergeant majors on the march
The military leaders contribute to the horrors of war and genocide
Wash their bodies in the starch
Even the clothes of soldiers are sanitized and kept clean while they commit atrocities
See them all die one by one
The singer delights in the idea of the soldiers being killed
Guess it's dead, guess it's glad
The prospect of death is not solemn, but rather enjoyable
Belsen was a gas I heard the other day
Repetition of the first verse with the same sentiment
Be a man
The singer taunts the listener to be violent and aggressive in order to fit societal and gender expectations
Be a man
Repetition of the previous line
Belsen was a gas
The song title becomes a call to action for violence and cruelty
Be a man, kill someone, kill yourself
The singer encourages murder and suicide as masculine expressions
Be a man, be someone, kill someone
More encouragement for violence and murder
Be a man, kill yourself
The ultimate expression of masculinity is to die
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: John Lydon, Paul Thomas Cook, Sid Vicious, Stephen Philip Jones
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@scottpfen
Paul Cook is a truly lethal secret drumming weapon.
@tolvana
Totally underrated. Paul Cook should have way more credit for his awesome work over all.
@4578a
Great backbeat
@scotty193
Yeah ok.....You guys have never heard Dave Lombardo then have you?, thought not. Cook is an adequate drummer for what was the Pistols sound, along with fatboy on guitar. Never mind Sid but amazingly on that version of Belsen he actually played something.
@barfcoswill
Cooks drumming has great clarity and definition at 1:47 mark, filling in the gaps, great choices, and carrying Sid.
@lahaug
@@scotty193 I'm a true Slayer fan and love Lombardo but this comparison is just plain stupid.
@chadbot0129
This performance of this song is such an anomaly in that everyone's at the top of their game whereas the songs before and after, they're all out of it
@doom_81
Well said. This is the one bright, shining (yet dark) moment of the show. The rest is a mess. #Carry-on-Sex-Pistols
@itwontcomeout5678
I wonder, from a casual fan’s perspective, if their increased attitude was due to the subject manner... The Holocaust, which had killed people only 30 years before this time, not 90 years ago like now....
@h.i.m3646
Harsh, this is one of the Pistols best shows.