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.
E.M.I.
Sex Pistols Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And there is no reason why
I tell you it was all a frame
They only did it 'cause of fame, who?
E.M.I., E.M.I., E.M.I.
Too many people had the sus
An unlimited amount
Too many outlets in and out, who?
E.M.I., E.M.I., E.M.I.
And sir and friends are crucified
A day they wished that we had died
We are an addition
We are ruled by none
Never ever never
And you thought that we were faking
That we were all just money making
You do not believe we're for real
Or you would lose your cheap appeal?
Don't judge a book just by the cover
Unless you cover just another
And blind acceptance is a sign
A stupid fools who stand in line
Like
E.M.I. E.M.I. E.M.I.
Unlimited edition
With an unlimited supply
That was the only reason
We all had to say goodbye
Unlimited supply E.M.I
There is no reason why E.M.I.
I tell you it was all a frame E.M.I.
They only did it 'cause of fame E.M.I.
I do not need the pressure E.M.I.
I can't stand the useless fools E.M.I.
Unlimited supply E.M.I.
Hallo E.M.I., goodbye A & M
The Sex Pistols' song E.M.I. is a critique of the British music industry and the major record label EMI (Electric and Musical Industries). The first stanza suggests that EMI controls the supply of music, but there's no reason why they should. The second stanza implies that too many people were aware of the band's cultural importance and supported them, leading to an oversaturation that EMI couldn't control. The chorus implies that EMI is the culprit, and the third stanza expresses frustration with the system that nearly destroyed the band's career. Finally, the last verse reaffirms the band's rejection of this industry, preferring to leave behind their EMI contract and move to another company, A & M (a subsidiary of PolyGram), which treated them better.
The song was written during a particularly contentious time in the Sex Pistols' career. They had just left EMI after being dropped by A&M because of their incendiary concerts and behavior. The band quickly signed with Virgin and released Never Mind The Bollocks, Here's The Sex Pistols, which was a major success despite being banned by major retailers.
The song also takes its title from the band's time at EMI. Their contract was bought out by EMI after the band signed with A&M, which resulted in the band being dropped by A&M. The song shows how the band saw EMI's ownership of their contract as a form of control that prevented them from achieving what they wanted to.
Overall, the song is a scathing indictment of the music industry and the ways it interferes with artists' creativity and success. It shows the frustration of a band that has achieved success in their own right but is still subject to the whims of industry gatekeepers.
Line by Line Meaning
There's unlimited supply
There is an unlimited amount of something available to us.
And there is no reason why
There is no logical explanation for the situation at hand.
I tell you it was all a frame
I am telling you that the situation was created with a specific purpose in mind.
They only did it 'cause of fame
The reason for the situation was solely for the purpose of gaining attention and notoriety.
Who?
I am inquiring as to who is responsible for the situation.
E.M.I. E.M.I. E.M.I.
The repeated phrase serves as a reference to the record label, EMI.
Too many people had the suss
Too many people were aware of the situation.
Too many people support us
There was an overwhelming number of people who supported us.
An unlimited amount
There is an unlimited amount of something available to us.
Too many outlets in and out
There are too many ways in and out of the situation.
And sir and friends are crucified
The situation has put me and my associates in a difficult, stressful position.
A day they wished that we had died
There are people who want us to fail and suffer greatly.
We are an addition we are ruled by none
We are a unique and independent entity that does not answer to anyone else.
Never ever never
I will never allow myself to be controlled or manipulated by anyone else.
And you thought that we were faking
Many people believed that we were not being genuine.
That we were all just money making
Many people believed that our intention was solely to make money.
You do not believe we're for real
You do not believe that we are being entirely genuine.
Or you would lose your cheap appeal?
If you were to believe us to be genuine, your shallow image would be compromised.
Don't judge a book just by the cover
Do not judge something solely based on its external appearance or surface-level information.
Unless you cover just another
Unless the thing in question truly is just a superficially different version of something well-known.
And blind acceptance is a sign
Blindly accepting something does not indicate intelligence or discernment.
A stupid fools who stand in line
Those who blindly follow and conform are foolish.
Like
This serves as an invitation to consider the actions of the aforementioned type of people.
E.M.I. E.M.I. E.M.I.
The repeated phrase serves as a reference to the record label, EMI.
Unlimited edition
There are endless copies of something available.
With an unlimited supply
There is an unlimited amount of something available to us.
That was the only reason
The sole reason for this situation was...
We all had to say goodbye
We had to end our affiliation with the record label EMI.
Hallo E.M.I., goodbye A & M
This phrase is a farewell to one record label (A&M) and a greeting to another (EMI).
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Glen Matlock, John Lydon, Paul Thomas Cook, Stephen Philip Jones
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind