Seventeen
Sex Pistols (Live) Lyrics

The Sex Pistols and Sid Vicious's song, Seventeen, is a nihilistic expression of apathy towards social norms and expectations. The opening lines, "You're only twenty-nine, gotta lot to learn, but when your mummy dies, she will not return," sets the tone of the song as a rebellion against conventional lifestyles. The line implies that even though the person in question is almost thirty, they still have a lot to experience, but the ultimate certainty of life, death, cannot be reversed. This sentiment is emphasized by the subsequent lines, "We like noise, it's our choice, it's what we want to do," highlighting the idea that the individual's choice of lifestyle is theirs alone, regardless of what society deems acceptable.

The chorus of "I'm a lazy sod," is repeated several times throughout the song, emphasizing the nihilistic and hedonistic worldview of the singer. The lines, "Oh, I don't work, I just speed, that's all I need," expresses the idea that pleasure and gratification are of the utmost importance to the individual, beyond menial obligations like work or societal responsibilities. The repetition of "lazy" in the final lines of the song reinforces this ideology of rejection towards the expectations set by society. In conclusion, the song is a celebration of individualism and freedom, unbound to societal expectations or obligations.