Neil Young’s opinion on The Sex Pistols and Johnny Rotten

The singer and songwriter Neil Young often included in his compositions reflections on what was happening in the world and in music at the time. In “Hey Hey, My My,” a track from “Rust Never Sleeps” (1979), he said, “The king is gone but he’s not forgotten, this is the story of Johnny Rotten,” referencing The Sex Pistols frontman John Lydon by his nickname.

Over the years, he has shared his opinions on many artists from that era, including the legendary British punk rock band.

What is Neil Young’s opinion on The Sex Pistols and Johnny Rotten

Neil Young appreciated The Sex Pistols and the Punk Rock movement. When they emerged, he felt that new musicians were finally bringing back the true spirit of rock and roll. He even wore a “Never Mind the Bollocks” shirt during a few of his concerts. Until 1988 he still hadn’t met the band’s vocalist John Lydon as he told Spin magazine.

“I never met Johnny Rotten, but I like what he did to people. He pissed off a lot of people who I think needed waking up. Rock ‘n’ roll people, who in the Seventies were asleep and thinking they were just so fucking cool. They knew what had to happen. They were telling me: ‘Why don’t you make a real record?”

He continued:

“People became aware that there was more to it than perfection and overdubs. (Or) fucking equipment and limousines back and forth to Studio B, and the other group down the hall and getting high in the bathroom with the other group that’s going in and singing on their record. That’s not intense enough for me. I think art is a private thing. I’m not sharing my creative moment with whoever’s in the hallway,” Neil Young said.

Curiously, in the song, he first sings, “The king is gone but he’s not forgotten,” a reference to the late Elvis Presley, dubbed the King of Rock and Roll. The backing vocals quietly say, “Johnny Rotten, Johnny Rotten,” and then he sings, “This is the story of Johnny Rotten. It’s better to burn out than it is to rust”, which is a reference to the idea that he represented the new thing, the next revolution in rock music.

Elvis tragically passed away in 1977 at the age 42. In that same year The Sex Pistols released their groundbreaking and only studio album “Never Mind The Bollocks”.

Johnny Rotten is a fan and was flattered that Neil Young mentioned him

The Sex Pistols frontman was quite flattered when he first heard “Hey, Hey, My, My” and realized his name was in it. “I was scared to death, I didn’t have the slightest idea I was that important! Besides, it’s not that clear (smile).”

“It’s like left and right, it’s all open to interpretation. When I went to see him live he played that song. (He) had the whole audience chanting ‘This is the story of Johnny Rotten!” (Laugh) How embarrassing! But also what a compliment! He noticed me.”

“Yeah (I already was a fan of his work), I’ve always loved his music. He’s great, he takes risks all the time. You can’t label him. He can do everything. He’s totally free,” John Lydon told Guitare & Claviers in 1992.

Curiously, he was a fan of Young’s work already. One of his favorite albums by the artist is “Zuma”, released in 1975. In a TV interview a couple of decades ago, he dressed like Neil Young and sang the lines of “Hey Hey, My, My” to question why he refused the invitation to be interviewed.

To Young, Rock and Punk are the same thing

Music is often being labeled in categories and Punk was the definition the press and specialized media baptized that kind of music in the 70s. But to Neil, Punk is actually the real Rock and Roll music.

“That’s real Rock and Roll, that’s just all it is, not Punk or anything. I think that Rock and Roll is Punk. Punk and Roll and Roll are all the same thing. What degenerated from us what Rock and Roll is now, is not Rock and Roll. It’s Pop, it’s fabricated for the masses, an imitation, a semblance of what it was,” he told Jas Obrecht in 1991 (Transcribed by Rock and Roll Garage).

When he was interviewed by Rolling Stone for their TV special “20 Years of Rock and Roll” (1987) he praised the movement too. “The punks were cool, everything else was going to hell and they came along and they said: ‘Up yours with your slick record’.

‘Out of the blue and into the black’ is like Rock and Roll and ‘better to burn out than to fade away’, that’s the thing. A Rock and Roll start shouldn’t fade away”, he said (Transcribed by Rock and Roll Garage).