"Holidays in the Sun" was inspired by the group's trip to Berlin, near the wall, where it was depressing and felt confining. They felt they needed to escape London at the time as they were under a "constant threat of violence" (Rotten, 2012). Reflecting on the song in 2012, Steve Jones said that the song "pretty well sums up the trip".
The song was recorded at Wessex Studios in London during a June 1977 session.
Holidays in the Sun
Sex Pistols Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I wanna go to the new Belsen
I wanna see some history
'Cause now I got a reasonable economy
Oh now I got a reason
Now I got a reason
Now I got a reason
Now I got a reason
Now I got a reason
To be waiting
The Berlin wall
In Sensurround sound in a two inch wall
Well I was waiting for the communist call
I didn't ask for sunshine
And I got world war three
I'm looking over the wall
And they're looking at me
Now I got a reason
Now I got a reason
Now I got a reason
And I'm still waiting
Now I got a reason
Now I got a reason
To be waiting
The Berlin wall
They're staring all night
And they're staring all day
I had no reason to be here at all
Oh now I got a reason, it's no real reason
And I'm waiting at Berlin wall
I gotta go over the Berlin wall
I don't understand it
I'm gonna go over and over the Berlin wall
I gotta go over the Berlin wall
I'm gonna go over the Berlin wall
Claustrophobia yeah, there's too much paranoia
There's too many closets
I went in before
And now I got a reason
It's no real reason to be waiting
The Berlin wall
I gotta go over the wall
I don't understand this bit at all
This third rate B movie show
Cheap dialogue, cheap essential scenery
I gotta go over the wall
I wanna go on the Berlin wall, before them
Come over the Berlin Wall
I don't understand this bit at all
I gotta go on the wall
I wanna go on the Berlin wall
I gotta go over the Berlin wall, before them
Come over to the Berlin Wall
I don't understand this bit at all
Please don't be waiting for me
The Sex Pistols’ “Holidays in the Sun” is a song about rebellion and the desire to see history firsthand. The controversy that the song stirred up was due to the lyrics that mentioned concentration camps during the Holocaust, as well as the Berlin Wall, which was still up at the time of the song’s release. The opening line, “I don’t want to holiday in the sun,” is not an expression of boredom with sunshine but suggests a rejection of the traditional vacation spots that people usually flock to. The lyricist, John Lydon, was not interested in the typical tourist experience. Instead, he wanted to visit places that carried historical significance, such as the concentration camps.
Lydon’s mention of a “reasonable economy” in the lyrics is a shot at the Thatcher government, which was then in charge of Britain's economy. The Sex Pistols were always known for their subversive lyrics and performances, and this song is no exception. The lyrics were written during a time of great political turbulence, with the Cold War still raging and the world having just emerged from the Vietnam War. Lydon’s desire to go to the Berlin Wall suggests that he was aware of political events and was hoping to witness history in the making from up close.
Line by Line Meaning
I don't want to holiday in the sun
I'm not interested in going to a sunny vacation destination
I wanna go to the new Belsen
I want to visit a historical site, specifically the Bergen-Belsen concentration camp
I wanna see some history
I'm interested in learning about past events
'Cause now I got a reasonable economy
Now that I have some money, I can afford to travel
Oh now I got a reason
I now have a motivation or goal
And I'm still waiting
But I haven't achieved my goal yet
The Berlin wall
Specifically, I want to visit the wall that divides Berlin
In Sensurround sound in a two inch wall
I want to experience the wall in a high-quality way
Well I was waiting for the communist call
I was once interested in communism
I didn't ask for sunshine
I'm not looking for a typical vacation experience
And I got world war three
I'm afraid of a global conflict breaking out
I'm looking over the wall
I want to cross the wall and see what's on the other side
And they're looking at me
I'm being watched by the authorities
They're staring all night
The authorities are constantly monitoring me
And they're staring all day
I'm under constant surveillance
I had no reason to be here at all
I had no prior connection to this location
Oh now I got a reason, it's no real reason
I have a motivation, but it may not be a rational one
And I'm waiting at Berlin wall
I'm currently waiting at the wall
I gotta go over the Berlin wall
I need to cross the wall
I don't understand it
I don't fully comprehend the situation or my motivations
This third rate B movie show
This whole situation feels like a poorly-made movie
Cheap dialogue, cheap essential scenery
Everything seems fake and superficial
I wanna go on the Berlin wall, before them
I want to cross the wall before the authorities catch me
Please don't be waiting for me
I hope no one is expecting me to return or follow certain expectations
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Paul Thomas Cook, Stephen Philip Jones, Sid Vicious, John Lydon
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@Talldude88
Cheap holiday in other peoples misery
I don't wanna holiday in the sun
I wanna go to the new Belsen
I wanna see some history
Cause now I got a reasonable economy
Now I got a reason
Now I got a reason
Now I got a reason and I'm still waiting
Now I got a reason
Now I got reason to be waiting
The Berlin wall
In sensurround sound in a two inch wall
I was waiting for the communist call
I didn't ask for sunshine and I got World War three
I'm looking over the wall and they're looking at me
Now I got a reason
Now I got a reason
Now I got a reason and I'm still waiting
Now I got a reason
Now I got a reason to be waiting
The Berlin wall
They're staring all night
And they're staring all day
I had no reason to be here at all
And now I got a reason
It's no real reason
And I'm waiting
The Berlin wall
I got to go over the Berlin wall
I don't understand this thing at all
I'm gonna go over the Berlin wall
I'm gonna go over the Berlin wall
I'm gonna go over the Berlin wall
Claustrophobia there's too much paranoia
There's too many closets
So when will we fall
And now I gotta reason
It's no real reason to be waiting
The Berlin wall
I got to go over the wall
I don't understand this thing at all
This third rate B movie show
Cheap dialogue
Cheap essential scenery
I got to go over the wall
I wanna go over the Berlin wall
Before they come over the Berlin wall
I don't understand this thing at all
I'm gonna go over the wall
I wanna go over the Berlin wall
I'm gonna go over the Berlin wall
Before they come over the Berlin wall
I don't understand this thing at all
Please don't be waiting for me
.
@doctorskull8197
Incredible guitar sounds! Still fantastic still sounds revolutionary over 40 years later!
@pooystuy
Totally agree 👍
@mollkatless
I don't know, I liked the guitar sound for this song the first time I heard it, when the song was called "in the City" by the Jam
@MadisonStationCrossFitCanton
Sounds just ok.
@joeysvideos9909
This is the music the world needs now.
@colinsmith8891
Needed it then too mate. I grew up in the shit they fought. Now I watch my kids with banal options. Bless you . Let's stay angry
@shannonflores2317
@@colinsmith8891 thank you...I feel like we're being swamped and swollowed. PISTOLS WILL GET YOU OUT OF A BAD DAY!!!Crank it up cuzzins'!!!
@shannonflores2317
It's the truth! ❤ Punk music is a great education! Music that makes you THINK, not follow along with the ...?..Its just a little jarring to some with a sensitivity to realism and how relative this music is to today, as always! Have a happy day everybody! ❤ ...and yes, CRANK IT UP!😁
@bernicehenry9738
Absolutely!!!!
@markoskalatis1454
DESTROY!!!!!!!!!!!