(Credits: Far Out / YouTube Still)
Sun 18 January 2026 15:30, UK
If there was ever a musician who doesn’t bat an eye in the face of authority, it’s John Lydon.
It’s the 1970s, and the would-be punk icon is walking around London with a penchant for anarchy and the words “I hate” written on a Pink Floyd T-shirt. Punk didn’t even have a name yet, but Lydon was the living embodiment of the words before they were spoken into existence. The music played a big part in establishing the movement, but more than anything, it was his attitude.
The reason his music resonated so much with people was because of how effectively he was able to convey his point. The lyrics were good and pretty hard-hitting, sure, but the way that he sang them, and the means by which he carried himself, sold the punk aesthetic as something entirely believable and intentional.
People reacted so strongly to it because they believed everything that the band was saying. The proclamations of being an antichrist and an antichrist weren’t brushed off as something nonsensical; some rigid minds heard the song and viewed it as a soundtrack to a revolution.
“I have always thought that anarchy is mind games for the middle class,” said Lydon when discussing the meaning behind the track, “It’s a luxury. It can only be afforded in a democratic society, therefore kind of slightly f–king redundant. It also offers no answers and I hope in my songwriting I’m offering some kind of answer to a thing, rather than spitefully wanting to wreck everything for no reason at all, other than it doesn’t suit you.”
Maintaining authenticity has been at the heart of Lydon’s career ever since the Sex Pistols disbanded. He is one of the most opinionated musicians out there, and while some of his thoughts might be better left unsaid, one of his most consistent is that artists should be true to themselves.
For instance, while a lot of punk fans are big fans of both the Sex Pistols and The Clash, Lydon always took issue with Joe Strummer’s band, as he didn’t think they were an authentic representation. You could call it a creative clash, maybe even jealousy, but if you were to ask Lydon, he would attest that his disdain for the minds behind ‘London Calling’ was due to a clear and obvious phoniness, as he called them “champagne socialists.”
When you have such an unwavering outlook on music and aren’t afraid to give your opinion, it’s pretty difficult to be intimidated by other musicians. Punk artists aren’t the kind to get starstruck, given their whole identity revolves around sticking their middle finger up to any kind of authority, which includes celebrities. However, everyone has a kryptonite, even John Lydon, who, despite this anarchistic nature, couldn’t help but become shy when meeting one particular musical hero.
“Me and Nora, we were going in a cab in Tottenham to visit my brother who is an Arsenal supporter, and there was a traffic jam,” he recalled, “It was a Sunday afternoon and it was outside Harrods. Across comes running Paul and Linda McCartney and they’re banging on the window and they’ve got all these bags: ‘John it’s you!’ I got shy, so nervous, I just put the lock on and hid down low […] I couldn’t handle it at the moment. I suppose you could call that starstruck.”
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