Handwritten Sex Pistols Lyrics by John Lydon to Auction

As we celebrate the 47th anniversary of the iconic album, the handwritten lyrics for several tracks from the Sex Pistols’ Never Mind the Bollocks, Here’s the Sex Pistols are making headlines as they go up for auction, offering fans and collectors a unique glimpse into punk rock history.

The handwritten lyrics, crafted by frontman John Lydon, famously known as Johnny Rotten, showcase the rebellious spirit of the Sex Pistols. These lyrics belong to the tracks “Holidays in the Sun,” which boldly opened the band’s groundbreaking 1977 debut album, and “Submission,” a track that was initially released as a standalone single. This song later found its way into various editions of the album, highlighting the band’s influential role in shaping the punk rock genre and its lasting impact on music culture.

Despite its significant cultural impact, Never Mind the Bollocks, Here’s the Sex Pistols did not achieve chart-topping success in the United States. The album peaked at a modest No. 106 on the Billboard 200, lingering on the chart for 12 weeks. This initial commercial performance starkly contrasts with the album’s enduring legacy, which has solidified its status as a cornerstone of punk rock music, influencing countless artists and reshaping the music landscape for generations.

The lyrics are meticulously penned in striking green and black ballpoint pen on both sides of an 8 x 13 sheet. One side prominently features the complete lyrics to “Holidays in the Sun,” with the title written as “Holiday in the Sun.” Notably, the opening line, “A cheap holiday in other people’s misery,” is sketched in pencil, reflecting the raw, unfiltered emotion that defines the band’s ethos. The reverse side contains the lyrics for “Submission,” although Lydon had yet to include the title at the time of writing, showcasing the creative process behind the music.

According to the auction details, the sheet is in “fine condition,” exhibiting three folds and minor signs of general handling, indicative of its age and the storied journey it has undergone. Accompanying the lyrics is a signed letter of authenticity, along with another letter from renowned music journalist Jon Savage. This letter notes that the lyrics originated from Savage’s personal collection, adding a layer of provenance to this collectible piece of punk rock memorabilia.

The accompanying letter provides intriguing insights, stating that the lyrics were collected during the research for England’s Dreaming, a seminal work often regarded as the definitive book on Punk Rock and the cultural landscape of Britain from 1975 to 1979. It also mentions that the lyrics were likely written around the time the Sex Pistols signed a publishing deal with Warner Brothers in the autumn of 1977, making this piece a vital artifact from an essential era in music history.

The handwritten lyrics have been on loan to the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland since 1996, where they have been prominently featured in the museum’s Punk exhibit. Additionally, these lyrics were showcased at the Hospital Exhibition in London in 2004, and later at the ‘PUNK: Sex, Seditionaries & the Sex Pistols’ exhibition held at Manchester’s Urbis building in 2005. This history of public display underscores the significance and cultural value of this punk rock artifact.

The auction is set to close on November 21, and as of now, 14 bids have driven the price to an impressive $30,800. Experts estimate that the final bidding could exceed $80,000, reflecting the high demand and intrinsic value of such a historically significant piece of music history. Collectors and fans alike are eagerly watching this auction, knowing that owning a piece of the Sex Pistols’ legacy is a rare opportunity.