John Lydon Quotes & Sayings

Simon Le Bon spotted me having a problem there, and he went, 'Don't you know who he is?' and that was it, I was in. I thought, 'Bloody hell, it takes Duran Duran to get Johnny Rotten into a building!' I liked him as a bloke, and I like a lot of their songs. I like 'Girls On Film', and I can't pretend otherwise. — John Lydon

I've done no harm to no one. In fact, I think I've improved the world. — John Lydon

I liked him as a bloke, and I like a lot of their songs. I like "Girls On Film," and I can't pretend otherwise. I don't have hatred for different forms of music, in fact I've got a great deal of love and openness to everything done by anybody. Christ, I have to: I've got two Alvin Stardust albums. — John Lydon

It's a loser's emblem (swastika), because the Nazis lost the war. It's ridiculous to suggest we are involved with fascists. All my best friends are black, gay, Irish or criminals. — John Lydon

My way of thinking as I approach any human being on this planet is, 'What are you doing now?' That's what interests me. I don't come at anybody with a whole bunch of assumptions. — John Lydon

I like lime-flavoured yoghurt. The end. There is no religion. It's a man-made fabrication. Once you understand that, you'll be a happier individual. Atheism is as pointless as satanism. — John Lydon

These were early days for me in the American culture, and so I wasn't aware that when people are showing you guns, they're not threatening you, it's like they're showing you their art collection. For me, at that point, what he was presenting to me was very challenging. — John Lydon

Pop music I have always loved best. But the more extreme, fascist-led examples of the music business I tend to detest the most. — John Lydon

Sometimes the most positive thing you can be in a boring society is absolutely negative. — John Lydon

I'm sort of of the belief that people kill themselves from the inside out. When they're unhappy with what they're doing, or not achieving things - when your focus is off-kilter. The thing that keeps me ticking is my values. And I maintain them, because they're worthy. I like to wake up and feel I've done no wrong. I like that feeling. — John Lydon

Remaining childish is a tremendous state of innocence. — John Lydon

I'm no one's lap dog, you can't put me on a leash. — John Lydon

It's no good being nice and young and naive. There's no good in that at all. You've got to do it all yourself, and you've gotta learn quick. And you can't look for sympathy either. — John Lydon

I don't tolerate liars. When somebody lies to me, that's really, like, just unbearable. — John Lydon

Anyone who's parading under a $100,00-plus video is not free from corporate. That's just the MTV advertising agency. I find them all to be just a bit of a sham. — John Lydon

If you can sort out why you feel the way you do then you might be in better shape to meet your maker. — John Lydon

The so-called alleged 'art' of the video - well, the video has killed the radio star, but the video star killed the live musician, et cetera, et cetera, et cetera. — John Lydon

For me, the best rock is not what you play - it's what you're not playing. — John Lydon

Books are like my one and only joy. — John Lydon

I never thought of Green Day as a punk band. Just bubblegum, really. — John Lydon

I don't like the monikers, and I don't like being pigeonholed. You know, I'm a human being. — John Lydon

Punk is like looking at a mirror. I already have a mirror so I don't need the Offspring to remind me how gorgeous I am. — John Lydon

There's many, many ways to write a song. But generally, sitting down at a table and writing is not one of them. — John Lydon

Disco sucks? You never heard that from me. — John Lydon

If you give me the chance, I'll destroy America for you. — John Lydon

My biggest fear is mindlessly and stupidly repeating myself. — John Lydon

There are some Rolling Stones songs that are just stunners. — John Lydon

I love books, and all the best ones are people analysing their own emotions. You can learn from that. — John Lydon

Heaven is on this earth. There are no angels on the clouds with twanging harps ... That's just another man's fantasy. — John Lydon

I'm not blowing my own trumpet here, but I made a rap song 20 years ago with Afrika Bambaataa. — John Lydon

Do not stand in the middle, go to the right or to the left. — John Lydon

I'm not able to tell you what the best song is yet, because there's more to come. I feel that in me. I can still feel the burning energy and the desire to create and create and create. — John Lydon

I've never said I'm a communist. — John Lydon

What do you have to do to get people to take an interest? I'm not going to go out and cause a silly sex scandal just to sell a record! — John Lydon

If dolphins are so intelligent, how come they ain't got Walkmans? — John Lydon

[Replying to the question of the presenter: "where did the name "Sex Pistols" come from, who thought this name up?"] Some animal. I can't remember. It doesn't matter. It's history. — John Lydon

I don't need a Rolls Royce, I don't need a house in the country, I don't want to have to live in France. I don't have any rock and roll heroes; they're all useless. The Stones and The Who don't mean anything anymore; they're established. The Stones are more of a business than a band — John Lydon

There's nothing glorious in dying. Anyone can do it. — John Lydon

When I write, my brain moves faster than my hands so I'm always trying to picture things. — John Lydon

I love a bit of flag-waving. — John Lydon

Freedom isn't to do what you want at somebody else's expense. — John Lydon

I'm not going to pontificate and tell you to execute your government at dawn, but it wouldn't be a bad idea. — John Lydon

I don't release records to be anything but enjoyable. — John Lydon

Until I see an Arab country, a Muslim country, with a democracy, I won't understand how anyone can have a problem with how they're treated. — John Lydon

Only the fakes survive. — John Lydon

Love is 2 minutes and 52 seconds of squelching noises. — John Lydon

These days young kids don't have any place to form an epic adventure. It's more often in front of the TV screen or a laptop. That's very hard on them. They're being taught daily unsocial skills. Facebook is an unsocial skill. It's so sad. — John Lydon

There's no harm in me. Really, I'm just a big kid. — John Lydon

I love conversation and the sharing of different thoughts and philosophies. That kind of stuff always makes me happy. I don't mind interviews, either - I like doing them. — John Lydon

And then you've got a media ready to package that, because it takes away from the political content of them songs. Suddenly there's not a real serious social message, there's just a drug addict. I — John Lydon

It's volatile, the marriage. Which one isn't? Nothing better than a good, full-on row. Get it all out. Say rude and nasty things. And then be sorry. Genuinely sorry, afterwards. — John Lydon

Judge not others unless you're prepared to be judged! — John Lydon

If you were to look back at me as a school kid you'd see a very quiet little church mouse kind of character. — John Lydon

It's nice to be irritated. It's a very joyous thing. — John Lydon

Some song ideas absolutely require a kind of rigid discipline, and others require absolute chaotic abandon. The form is only valid if you know how to un-form it. I don't mean to sound like an intellectual here! — John Lydon

Gossip is a very dangerous tool. We should be more wary of the gossiper, and not the gossip they're trying to relay to you. — John Lydon

Maybe I'm a prehistoric monster by being an individual. It's highly likely. All I offer to others is their own individuality. Grab it! — John Lydon

If you have something to say then you want someone to pay attention or at least to have the opportunity for them to tell you to shut up and go away. — John Lydon

I'm not this callous clown walking around laughing at life all the time. I've had some serious, serious problems in my life. But I've come out with a smile. — John Lydon

I'm aware of my songs. I'm aware of them because they're about true emotions, true feelings, things that matter. — John Lydon

I think I have something valid to say. My words are my bullets. I like to brag that somehow I got it right. — John Lydon

There have been conversations here in the United States about why every ex-President opens a library when politicians do not read the books. Hello, America! Kind of explains your politics. For me, reading saved me, it brought me back. — John Lydon

You'll find that empty vessels make the most sound. — John Lydon

I've never done anything deliberately; I just speak my mind, and that is what I consistently do and will always do in any way shape or form that I can. — John Lydon

Look, if the Situationists achieved what they wanted, they would be very unhappy and they would have to be Situationists all over again. It's a never-ending process. — John Lydon

I love consumerism, TV culture, shopping malls. There's nothing I'd ever buy, but I like being there. It's wacky. — John Lydon

You can always wake up on the wrong side of the bed and, boo-hiss, everyone suffers. We can all be temperamental. — John Lydon

I've been in very many situations where I've not liked the other members of the band or they have not liked me. I grew up presuming that's the way music was made. It doesn't need to be that way. It's taken me years years to find that out. — John Lydon

People should never allow themselves to be dictated to by media. — John Lydon

I nearly die of fear before I go on stage. Something wicked. I can't eat a thing the day before a gig. — John Lydon

I love pop music. It's not easy to write a good pop song. — John Lydon

Love is what you feel for a dog or a pussycat. It doesn't apply to humans. — John Lydon

People think I hate the Royal Family, but that's not true. — John Lydon

I like America's diversity and its landscapes. — John Lydon

I love America. I love Americans. — John Lydon

I've always said, I thought the Sex Pistols was more Music Hall than anything else - because I think that really, more truths are said in humour than any other form. — John Lydon

There are no limits to where our brains can take us. We are, if there be a God, God's gracious creation. — John Lydon

I like crazy people, especially those who don't see the risk. — John Lydon

Situationism is a ludicrous proposition. It's ill-formed and it's perfectly French. That Gallic disposition towards common sense. L'Anarchie! — John Lydon

The joy of life is in the work. — John Lydon

I've had great pleasure meeting the likes of Newt Gingrich and having a chat with the fellow on a staircase. I found him completely dishonest and totally likeable, because he doesn't care! He knows what a politician is, and he's a perfect embodiment of one. — John Lydon

Rules are important, but they're temporary and they're always supposed to be changed. — John Lydon

The only notes that matter come in a wad — John Lydon

I'm in England so often I haven't really left, but Americans aren't at all like they're misrepresented through their politicians. — John Lydon

Every single lyric I've ever written I meant. — John Lydon

We need wealthy dogs off the seats of power. They're taking us back to feudalism and I really don't want that. But I'm very far from being a socialist. — John Lydon

I don't listen to music. I hate music. — John Lydon

I hate the technological rip-offs that pass for music formats these days, and go back to vinyl to hear a good record because the sound is always so much fuller. I don't even like listening to music in the car. — John Lydon

If I'm left to my own devices, I will be tempted to make the most unlistenable music possible. — John Lydon

Punk became a circus didn't it? Everybody got it wrong. The message was supposed to be: Don't follow us, do what you want! — John Lydon

I've been asked over the years to compile a list of desert-island discs. I couldn't do that. If I was trapped on a desert island, I don't think I'd want 10 songs to bring with me. — John Lydon

You have moments of grief in life, and if you can put pen to paper and capture that, that's something wonderful. I can revisit actual songs about past deaths, and I know that emotion is as true now as it was then. — John Lydon

I always knew the Sixties wasn't a revolution. It really was just a bunch of university students with wealthy parents having fun. — John Lydon

I always find the mirror in the dressing room is where the best artists are. — John Lydon

Any kind of history you read is basically the winning side telling you the others were bad. — John Lydon

'Lollipop Opera' is the backdrop to Finsbury Park. A place that is very thriving, interracial and lot of music stores, Greek, Turkish, all sorts of immigrant music. It's utter Englishness. It blends the Jamaicans, the Irish. It's like what Jim Reeves did with American country music. — John Lydon

I don't have huge bank accounts. I'd love one. But it wouldn't change much. I don't have any expensive habits. I'm not a car collector or any of that nonsense. But I'd love to be incredibly wealthy for no reason at all. — John Lydon

People don't like other poor people, and rather than blame the people that make you all poor, you blame each other. — John Lydon

Britain's an island; it's always had a constant ebb and flow of immigration - it makes it a better place. — John Lydon

I'm just permanently agitated by everything and everyone. — John Lydon