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Great Rock 'n' Roll Swindle Lyrics

People said we couldn�t play
The called us foul-mothed yobs
But the only notes that really count
Are the ones that come in wads

They all drowned when the air turned blue
�Cos we didn�t give a toss
Filthy lucre, ain�t nothing new
But we all get cash from the chaos

The time is right to do it now
The greatest rock�n�roll swindle
The time is right to do it now

E.M.I. said you�re out of hand
And they gave us the boot
But they couldn�t sack us, just like that
Without giving us the loot

Thank you kindly A & M
They said we were out of bounds
But that ain�t bad for two weeks work
And 75,000 pounds

The time is right to do it now
The greatest rock�n�roll swindle
The time is right to do it now

The time is right to do it now
The greatest rock�n�roll swindle
The time is right to do it now

I just wanna play with my hand
Are you good enough for me
Hiya boys I�m the choosen one
Can�t you fucking see

I�m a jealous god and I want everything
And I love you with a knife
I�ll take you, if you�re ready for me
And I�ll give you my life

The time is right to do it now
The greatest rock�n�roll swindle
The time is right to do it now

The time is right for Nickey�s Special
The greatest rock�n�roll star
The time is right for me, now!
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Cover art for Great Rock 'n' Roll Swindle lyrics by Sex Pistols

They should have wrote out the part at the end where he calls Mick Jagger a "white nigger."

Cover art for Great Rock 'n' Roll Swindle lyrics by Sex Pistols

By the way, I'm not racist, I just can't believe John said that.

@Bite Me No, I totally get it. It cracked me up too. And just a note, Johnny Rotten had left the band at this stage. The guy who sang this was a tryout for his position, That's why the vocalists keep changing in this song. They are all trial vocalists. The movie explains it. But in short, Rotten didn't sing this.

Cover art for Great Rock 'n' Roll Swindle lyrics by Sex Pistols

John Didn't say that, Ed Tudor Pole did. By the time this song was written Johnny had left the band

Cover art for Great Rock 'n' Roll Swindle lyrics by Sex Pistols

It's just a really, really pathetic attempt to write a Rotten-esque lyric.

Cover art for Great Rock 'n' Roll Swindle lyrics by Sex Pistols

this song just isnt the same with out johnny because this guy is singing about events that didnt even happen when he came in the band

"E.M.I. said you´re out of hand And they gave us the boot But they couldn´t sack us, just like that Without giving us the loot" Johnny didnt leave till after god save the gueen was released and Ed Tudor Pole came in way after

Cover art for Great Rock 'n' Roll Swindle lyrics by Sex Pistols

I don't like that guys voice. Who is he anyway?

Cover art for Great Rock 'n' Roll Swindle lyrics by Sex Pistols

Are you all deaf? There's a different vocalist on practically every couple of lines.

They performed this song on 'The Great Rock 'n' Roll Swindle with a stage full of singers. I got the impression it was a mass audition for a new singer.

Cover art for Great Rock 'n' Roll Swindle lyrics by Sex Pistols

Or maybe it was the remaining pistols and Maclaren saying to Johnny, "look, any Tom, Dick or Harry can do your job." If so, they'd be wrong. Obviously.

Cover art for Great Rock 'n' Roll Swindle lyrics by Sex Pistols

Tudor Pole also says "Bob Dylan's got a parking ticket stuck to his arsehole" and calles Sid Vicious a "rock and roll cliche".

According to Lydon's book they had these auditions near Finsbury Park, pretty much right down the road from where his parents lived, and that even his brothers went and auditioned. It pleased dear Johnny none.

Cover art for Great Rock 'n' Roll Swindle lyrics by Sex Pistols

And Boss Man, that is the correct notion. From a clip I've seen from the movie there's a subtitle at the beginning of the song that says "Kids audition: anyone can be a Sex Pistol". The song also explains the plot of the movie, McLauren's idea that they cheated the record companies for money.