God Save The Queen (song)

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Artist: Sex Pistols

Year: 1977

Date of Action: May 27, 1977

Region: Europe

Location: UK

Subject: Political/Economic/Social Opinion

Medium: Music

Confronting Bodies: BBC

Description of Artwork: Lyrics:

God save the queen!
The fascist regime
They made you a moron
Potential H-bomb

God save the queen
She ain't no human being
There is no future
In England's dreaming

Don't be told what you want
Don't be told what you need
There's no future, no future,
No future for you

The Incident: BBC Radio was involved in a controversy surrounding their play of the Sex Pistols single "God Save the Queen" released by Virgin Records to coincide with the Queen's Silver Jubilee celebrations. The lyrics were found to be heavily offensive. It was banned not only by the BBC but also by every independent radio station, making it the "most heavily censored record in British history."

Results of Incident: The lyrics, along with the cover artwork, caused immediate controversy and yet the band’s intention was simply to draw attention to the plight of the working man; actually signifying a love for their country as opposed to animosity. ‘God Save the Queen’ was banned by BBC, but it became a punk rock classic. Sales of the single were not prohibited, but BBC's Radio 1 banned it from airplay. It had reached number two in the BBC's own charts, but the public service broadcaster pulled it because of its lyrics. The band was harassed by police when it (loudly) performed the song from a boat on the Thames River.

Source:
• http://whatculture.com/music/20-most-controversial-songs-of-all-time.php/17