Glen Matlock, former guitarist of the Sex Pistols, prepared new lyrics for the band’s controversial track God Save the Queen for Charles III’s coronation. The plan was for the musician to perform the piece before a London audience at the 100 Club. The report about this appearance has circulated in media circles, including Guard.
Matlock explained that rhyming posed a real challenge in the rewrite. He noted that wording changes ripple through the whole song, and rhymes with the word king are scarce. He mentioned that only a few possibilities come to mind, and some translations complicate the issue further, making the task harder than it might appear. He emphasized that the rhymes would become clearer during the actual performance, when tempo, delivery, and audience reaction could reveal the fit of each line.
The guitarist added that the approach to the coronation project was not a straightforward endorsement of the monarchy. He suggested that the celebration, while officially sanctioned, could attract mixed feelings among the public. In his view, many people see royalty as a spectacle similar to reality TV shows like Love Island or The X Factor, describing such pageantry as a form of mass entertainment that can suppress debate rather than provoke it.
The song God Save the Queen has a long, complex history. Released in 1977 amid World War II references and tied to Elizabeth II’s silver jubilee, it carried a sharp critique of royal authority. Reports from The Guardian recount that the piece cast the monarchy in a harsh light, equating it with a fascist regime at times. While it faced bans on BBC radio and television, the track still climbed to the second spot on music charts, reflecting its provocative resonance and the era’s tensions. The narrative surrounding the song continues to spark conversations about national identity, sovereignty, and artistic expression — debates that persist beyond any single performance or event.