Song of the Day 10/6: The Sex Pistols, “Pretty Vacant”
They would never admit it, even to themselves, but the Freedom Caucus apparently is in favor of anarchy in the U.S. House, which makes the Sex Pistols the perfect soundtrack for their exercise in nihilism.
According to original bassist Glen Matlock, who wrote the song, “‘Pretty Vacant’ is a primal scream kind of thing: We don’t know what we’re gonna do, but we’re gonna do it anyway.” Yeah, that fits the bill.
“Pretty Vacant” was the first song written by the band. Released as their third single, it made it to No. 6 in the UK in 1977 before its inclusion on the lone Sex Pistols LP. Matlock had quit the band by then, replaced by the doomed Sid Vicious.
My favorite story about this song is that they pronounced “vacant” that way to anger the network censors who didn’t want them on TV.
Second best Sex Pistols song next to No Feelings.
Intriguing how white-bread most of the Sex Pistols look — anarchy (in the media) in 1977 — a la the first British Invasion