263:. She had been in a mental institution, where she apparently lived in a tree house in its garden. This was where the line 'Her name was Pauline, she lived in a tree' comes from. The institution was also where she seems to have been raped by one of the male nurses. When she was released, she travelled to London, where she became a punk rock fan. She had several abortions. According to
324:(2007) about The Sex Pistols' "Never Mind The Bollocks" album Lydon further said: "That song was hated and loathed. It's not anti-abortion, it's not pro-abortion. It's: 'Think about it. Don't be callous about a human being, but don't be limited about a thing as 'morals' either. Because it's immoral to bring a kid in this world and not give a toss about it.'"
385:(live)" single, under the title "Buddies," and is a different mix from the track on the live album (the audience noise is mixed much higher, with John Lydon's vocal barely audible under the audience singing the first verse). "Buddies" is a bonus track on the Japanese edition of
337:
described the song as "a gurgling bloody depiction of an abortion replete with a volley of expletives from Rotten". Musically, it is also the fastest and heaviest song in the Sex
Pistols canon — characterized by thudding drums, droning buzzsaw guitar, and shouted vocals.
318:, said "I don't think there's a clearer song about the pain of abortion. The juxtaposition of all those different psychic things in your head and all the confusion, the anger, the frustration, you have to capture in those words." In the BBC documentary series
360:
recorded bass, although his part was later overdubbed by Steve Jones, after
Matlock refused to return to play the part. The song was, like all other Sex Pistols songs, credited to the entire band, though Vicious was in the hospital with
290:, she told Lydon about becoming pregnant and then having abortions and she described them in detail to him. This affected Lydon enough to write the song. Most of the band also had experiences with Pauline, but have spoken less about it.
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817:
312:
magazine put the song at #8 on its list of the "50 Greatest
Conservative Rock songs", due to its negative and unflinching description of abortion. Lydon himself, in a 2007 interview with
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With its repeated mentions of "I'm not an animal," of "Mummy," and of a dying baby, the song has been interpreted as anti-abortion, music critic
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381:, London on 23 June 1996, and released on 29 July that year - includes a performance of "Bodies." This same performance is a B-side on the "
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230:. The song tackles the subject of abortion with lyrics described as "some of the most uncompromising, gut-wrenching lyrics imaginable".
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331:," it is probably the most graphic and controversial Sex Pistols song in both its subject matter and style. A 2017 article in
279:. In a 1977 interview, when asked about the backstory of the song, Lydon also claimed that she was arrested after entering a
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claims he had sex with her: "I'm glad I found out the story afterwards, about the abortion".
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contemporarily calling it "effectively anti-abortion, anti-woman, and anti-sex." In 2006,
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818:"No future: 40 years since Sex Pistols stuck two fingers up at the British establishment"
600:
The Album: A Guide to Pop Music's Most
Provocative, Influential, and Important Creations
423:
was performed on Jones' radio show, with the use of the word "fuck" changed to "pluck".
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The song is mostly about a fan named
Pauline, who was (as the song states) from
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687:"Backspin: Steve Jones on 'Never Mind the Bollocks Here's the Sex Pistols'"
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did not co-write. It is also one of only two songs on the album on which
706:"Consumer Guide Review, Never Mind the Bollocks, Here's the Sex Pistols"
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956:"Review: The Sex Pistols - Filthy Lucre Live (1996 Japanese Import)"
846:"The guitar stories behind Never Mind The Bollocks, by Steve Jones"
1190:
https://www.discogs.com/release/6821777-Peppermint-Creeps-Cover-Up
571:"Sex Pistols Break Down 'Never Mind the Bollocks' Track by Track"
252:
29:
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728:"Rockin' the Right - The 50 greatest conservative rock songs"
635:"Smash Your Head On The Punk Rock: The Sex Pistols - Bodies"
238:
The lyrics contain very graphic imagery about a terminated
1748:
Song recordings produced by Chris Thomas (record producer)
481:"Sex Pistols playlist: 10 broadsides that shook the world"
536:
534:
246:
for the time: the third and final verse begins with a
1050:"This Is The Band Liam Gallagher Wished He Was In..."
412:
to their delight and to the horror of their parents.
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542:"Never Mind the Bollocks - Track by Track (Bodies)"
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1157:Killing Joke – The Original Unperverted Pantomime
1292:Never Mind the Bollocks, Here's the Sex Pistols
923:Never Mind the Bollocks, Here's the Sex Pistols
349:Never Mind the Bollocks, Here's the Sex Pistols
227:Never Mind the Bollocks, Here's the Sex Pistols
43:Never Mind the Bollocks, Here's the Sex Pistols
1213:
8:
256:is repeated five times in rapid succession.
894:"After 40 years, 'Never Mind the Bollocks'"
661:"Sex Pistols - Tobler Interview - 11/11/77"
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505:
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20:
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844:Total Guitar Magazine (24 October 2017).
1733:Songs written by Steve Jones (musician)
1386:Anarchy in the U.K: Live at the 76 Club
764:"Tell us what you think, Johnny Rotten"
757:
755:
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471:
38:
27:
1393:Live at Chelmsford Top Security Prison
1028:"Jonesy's Jukebox Indie 1031 Archives"
887:
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981:Sex Pistols - Pretty Vacant / Buddies
873:Sex Pistols - Never Mind The Bollocks
415:In 2005, a "barnyard" arrangement by
7:
740:from the original on 13 January 2019
597:Perone, James E. (17 October 2012).
564:
562:
408:, sing the song for the siblings of
816:Worley, Matthew (25 October 2017).
271:. This was re-iterated in the 2002
1326:Some Product: Carri on Sex Pistols
1113:"Suede, Royal Albert Hall, London"
892:Dyer, Jonathan (27 October 2017).
510:Simpson, Dave (15 February 2018).
14:
1174:Sepultura – Primitive Future 1990
954:Ladano, Mike (5 September 2015).
659:Tobler, John (12 November 1977),
479:Ross, Graeme (10 January 2018).
400:the title characters, played by
346:"Bodies" is one of two songs on
1582:The Great Rock 'n' Roll Swindle
1499:The Great Rock 'n' Roll Swindle
1319:The Great Rock 'n' Roll Swindle
1140:The Almighty – Soul Destruction
633:Faraci, Devin (29 March 2013).
352:which original Pistols bassist
569:Grow, Kory (27 October 2017).
1:
1603:There'll Always Be an England
1506:(I'm Not Your) Steppin' Stone
426:The song has been covered by
1738:Songs written by Sid Vicious
762:Rabid, Jack (October 2007).
726:Miller, John (26 May 2006).
275:documentary when discussing
242:and feature a great deal of
1743:Songs written by John Lydon
1030:. October 2004 – April 2005
365:when the band finished it.
1764:
1728:Songs written by Paul Cook
899:Public Radio International
704:Christgau, Robert (1977).
546:www.sexpistolsofficial.com
1575:D.O.A.: A Rite of Passage
1235:
283:with the aborted foetus.
56:28 October 1977
920:Heylin, Clinton (1998).
224:, from their 1977 album
16:1977 song by Sex Pistols
1407:Live at Winterland 1978
1082:"Bodies by Sex Pistols"
1001:"Review: Sid and Nancy"
373:The Sex Pistols' album
1596:The Filth and the Fury
1512:"Pretty Vacant" (live)
791:Cox, Alex (May 1986).
327:Along with the later "
1333:Flogging a Dead Horse
286:According to Lydon's
1723:Songs about abortion
930:. pp. 92, 131.
639:BirthMoviesDeath.com
145:Warner Bros. Records
1561:The Punk Rock Movie
1521:Other notable songs
1460:Holidays in the Sun
1439:Anarchy in the U.K.
999:(25 October 1986).
220:" is a song by the
1692:Bromley Contingent
1687:Neurotic Outsiders
1667:Vicious White Kids
1467:No One Is Innocent
1446:God Save the Queen
1347:Spunk/This Is Crap
1109:Ebert, Simon Price
693:. 9 February 2017.
605:Praeger Publishing
250:in which the word
1718:Sex Pistols songs
1700:
1699:
1677:The Professionals
1652:Edward Tudor-Pole
1642:Wally Nightingale
1568:Who Killed Bambi?
1421:Live & Filthy
1400:Filthy Lucre Live
1111:(28 March 2010).
460:Peppermint Creeps
388:Filthy Lucre Live
375:Filthy Lucre Live
214:
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69:11 November 1977
66:
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1672:Public Image Ltd
1620:Related articles
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377:- recorded at
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1057:. 6 June 2017
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1627:Discography
1485:Silly Thing
1378:Live albums
1361:Sex Pistols
1275:Sid Vicious
1241:Steve Jones
1229:Sex Pistols
666:BBC Radio 1
432:Veruca Salt
417:Steve Jones
402:Gary Oldman
358:Sid Vicious
292:Steve Jones
281:discotheque
222:Sex Pistols
191:Producer(s)
175:Sid Vicious
170:Steve Jones
83:August 1977
34:Sex Pistols
1713:1977 songs
1707:Categories
1682:Ex Pistols
1657:Jamie Reid
1087:WhoSampled
803:B00004ZBVO
466:References
406:Chloe Webb
265:John Lydon
261:Birmingham
206:Bill Price
60:1977-10-28
1662:Rich Kids
1340:Kiss This
1255:Paul Cook
456:Raimundos
452:Sepultura
363:hepatitis
342:Recording
298:Reception
244:profanity
180:Paul Cook
110:Punk rock
797:(Film).
738:Archived
80:Recorded
50:Released
24:"Bodies"
1431:Singles
1354:Jubilee
1179:Discogs
1162:Discogs
1145:Discogs
1124:9 April
1093:9 April
1061:8 April
1054:Radio X
1034:8 April
1012:9 April
985:Discogs
965:9 April
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878:Discogs
857:9 April
829:8 April
776:8 April
711:8 April
691:YouTube
672:13 June
644:9 April
582:8 April
551:9 April
523:8 April
492:8 April
248:couplet
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1543:E.M.I.
1536:Bodies
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240:foetus
218:Bodies
138:Virgin
116:Length
98:London
94:Wessex
89:Studio
1553:Films
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440:Suede
133:Label
105:Genre
1126:2019
1095:2019
1063:2019
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932:ISBN
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859:2019
831:2019
799:ASIN
778:2019
769:Spin
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