In November 1977 Ritchie met American groupie Nancy Laura Spungen and they immediately began a relationship (Spungen had come to London looking for Jerry Nolan of The Heartbreakers). She was a heroin addict, and inevitably Ritchie, who already believed in his own "live fast, die young" image, soon shared the dependence. Although deeply in love, their often violent and rocky relationship had a disastrous effect on the Sex Pistols. Both the group and Ritchie visibly deteriorated during their 1978 American tour. The Pistols broke up in San Francisco on January 14 during a concert at the Winterland Ballroom when Lydon walked off the stage. Ritchie left shortly afterwards, and with Spungen acting as his "manager" he embarked on a solo career, during which he performed with musicians including Mick Jones of The Clash, original Sex Pistols bassist Glen Matlock, Rat Scabies of The Damned and the New York Dolls' Arthur Kane and Jerry Nolan.
Meanwhile Ritchie and Spungen had become locked in their own world of drug addiction and self-destruction. Interview footage shows the couple attempting to answer questions from their bed: Spungen is barely coherent while Ritchie lapses in and out of consciousness. He also came very close to death following a heroin overdose and was hospitalised for a time.
On the morning of October 12, 1978 Ritchie allegedly awoke from a drugged stupor to find Spungen crumpled dead on the bathroom floor of room 100 in the Hotel Chelsea in New York. She had received a single stab wound to her abdomen and apparently bled to death. Vicious was arrested and charged with her murder although he said he had no memory of having done so. However, he later claimed to have "killed her because I'm a dirty dog." There are wholly unsupported theories Spungen was murdered by someone else, usually said to be one of the two drug dealers who visited the apartment that night.
After appearing in court over Spungen's death, Ritchie was briefly interviewed by a tabloid journalist. He was shaking slightly and appeared sober, morose, and withdrawn:
Interviewer: Are you having fun at the moment?
Ritchie: Are you kidding? No, I am not having fun at all.
(long pause)
Interviewer: Where would you like to be?
Ritchie: Under the ground.
Interviewer: Are you serious?
Ritchie: (quietly, and sad) Yeah.
Bail of $50,000 was put up by Virgin Records at McLaren's request, and in February 1979 a party to celebrate his release was held at the home of his new girlfriend Michelle Robinson. During his time at Rikers Island prison, Ritchie had undergone drug rehabilitation therapy and was supposedly clean. However at the party he obtained some heroin from his mother, and was discovered dead the following morning, having taken a large overdose. Speculation has persisted that Ritchie, unable to live without his beloved Nancy, took his own life. He wrote the following poem about her:
You were my little baby girl,
And I shared all your fears.
Such joy to hold you in my arms
and kiss away your tears.
But now you're gone, there's only pain
and nothing I can do.
And I don't want to live this life,
If I can't live for you.
To my beautiful baby girl.
Our love will never die...
After Ritchie's death, his mother phoned Deborah Spungen, Nancy's mother, to request that he be buried next to her, but Deborah Spungen declined. There are several myths about what happened to Ritchie's remains but one of the most persistent is that late one night, "Sid's mother jumped the graveyard fence where Nancy was buried and scattered his ashes over his beloved for them to be together for all time."
According to The Guardian, "It's more likely that Ma Vicious arrived back at Heathrow with his remains. Malcolm McLaren claims she knocked them over in the arrivals lounge; hence the fanciful myth that Sid's essence still circulates, wafting through the air vents and moving among the travellers." .
Sid Sings, a solo album, was released posthumously by Virgin Records. This was mostly a collection of cover versions of rock 'n' roll numbers such as "C'mon Everybody" and "Something Else" by Eddie Cochran along with material by Iggy Pop and Johnny Thunders and a rendition of the Paul Anka / Frank Sinatra standard "My Way". Striking footage of Vicious performing this song in Paris provides the closing sequence for Julien Temple's film The Great Rock 'n' Roll Swindle.
Chatterbox
Sid Vicious Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I said ya squalk a lot
C'mon gimma some lips
Yeah Chatterbox
I call you up
Don't give me no line
I'm comin in your home
All dressed up
I got nowhere to go
Seems like fun night
On the telephone
Said Chatterbox
I said ya squalk a lot
C'mon gimma some lips
Yeah Chatterbox
C'mon c'mon c'mon
Yeah Chatterbox
C'mon c'mon c'mon
Yeah Chatterbox
I said Chatterbox
I said Chatterbox
I said ya squalk a lot
C'mon gimma some lips
Yeah Chatterbox
Call you up
Don't give me no line
I'm comin in your home
On the telephone
All dressed up
I got nowhere to go
Seems like fun night
On the telephone
I said Chatterbox
I said ya squalk a lot
C'mon gimma some lips
Yeah Chatterbox
C'mon c'mon c'mon
Yeah Chatterbox
C'mon c'mon c'mon
Yeah Chatterbox
I said Chatterbox
The lyrics to Sid Vicious's song "Chatterbox" appear to be about the ups and downs of phone communication with someone the singer is interested in. The chorus repeats the name "Chatterbox," which is likely a nickname for the person he is calling. He is frustrated by the person's constant talking ("ya squalk a lot") but still wants to hear more from them ("gimme some lips"). The second verse describes the singer as being "all dressed up" but "nowhere to go," suggesting he may be lonely and looking for companionship. However, he sees potential in spending the night talking on the telephone with Chatterbox.
Overall, the lyrics reflect a certain longing for human connection and a desire to break through the barriers of communication with the person on the other end of the line. It's unclear if this is a romantic interest or just someone the singer enjoys talking to, but either way, he seems to derive some sense of enjoyment from their conversations.
Line by Line Meaning
I said Chatterbox
I addressed the person as Chatterbox, implying that they talk too much
I said ya squalk a lot
I expressed my annoyance at the constant chattering and squawking
C'mon gimme some lips
I asked for more than just empty words, I wanted genuine conversation and connection
Yeah Chatterbox
I reiterated my frustration with the talkative person
Call you up
I reach out to this person via phone
Don't give me no line
I don't want to hear any excuses or lies from them
I'm comin in your home
I am entering into their personal space through our conversation
On the chatterline
The phone line serves as a medium for our exchange
All dressed up
I made an effort to get ready, but it was in vain as there's no real destination for my night
I got nowhere to go
I have no particular plans or activities to attend
Seems like fun night
Despite the lack of plans, there's a certain element of excitement to the unknown possibilities of tonight
I said Chatterbox
I said Chatterbox
I said ya squalk a lot
I emphasized the annoying aspect of the constant noise
C'mon gimme some lips
I urged for real communication and interaction
Yeah Chatterbox
I repeated my frustration
C'mon c'mon c'mon
I encourage the person to pay attention and engage with me
Yeah Chatterbox
I repeat the name and associated meaning
C'mon c'mon c'mon
I urge again
Yeah Chatterbox
I repeat their given name with an edge of annoyance
I said Chatterbox
I once again address the person as Chatterbox
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: DUNCAN JEROME BEINY, MARK HOWARD ROSS, STEVE JOLLEY, ALISON MOYET, DEREK SAFO, TONY SWAIN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Jason Xdogjs
That's not to say Jones and Cook were slackers. They actually became great musicians creating an onslaught of sound.
Terry Fire
#betterThanTheOriginal
Terry Fire
Why does the song start again at 1:51?
Jason Xdogjs
Rotten was the raw talent of punk, Sid was the image of punk. In the early days the audience used to squeeze stage right so they could be closer to Sidney. They just wanted to be near him. If they only knew what a sod he would become later in life, a wasted wretch.
Ben Tramer
@The Sinister Minister oi i's just thinkin' the same fuckin' thing man.
Dave Tucmantel
guitar and vocals sounds like, and i am sure is johnny thunders, former guitarist of the ny dolls!
David Black
that's not thunders on guitar or vox. its sid singing and Steve Dior on guitar.
Michelle Etienne
Nope
Dave Tucmantel
...oh yeah, in case you punx don't no, this is an old ny dolls songs from the dolls 2nd lp, in too much too soon, thunders sang it not the dolls singer david johannson...thanx 4 listening!
D. Oliver
Most of these live Sid gigs were backing group of ex New York dolls members.