No One Is Innocent
Encyclopedia
"No One Is Innocent" was the fifth single by the British punk rock
band Sex Pistols
. It was released on 30 June 1978. The Sex Pistols had split up early in 1978, losing bassist Sid Vicious
and original lead vocalist Johnny Rotten
. No One is Innocent was recorded by remaining members Paul Cook
and Steve Jones
, with vocals performed by Ronnie Biggs
, a British criminal notorious for his part in the Great Train Robbery of 1963
. At the time of No One is Innocent Biggs was living in Brazil, still wanted by the British authorities, but immune from extradition
. The song was credited to Paul Cook
, Steve Jones
, and Biggs.
, the television host who started a great controversy two years earlier when Steve Jones swore on his live show (egged on by Grundy), as well as Martin Bormann
and "Nazis
on the run". Notorious child murderers Myra Hindley and Ian Brady are mentioned (with Hindley's surname mispronounced "Highnd-ley"), along with politicians and the police (referred to as "pigs"), Idi Amin
, and finally Biggs himself. The chorus goes,"Ronnie Biggs was doing time, until he done a bunk, now he says he's seen the light, and he's sold his soul for punk." (In UK slang, to "bunk", or "do a bunk", is to leave without permission; most frequently used to indicate skipping school or work, here it refers to Biggs' escape from the police.)
The final lines of the last verse are "God save the good samaritan and God save the worthless creep". Associating all the characters together, both good and bad (including themselves) while claiming that "no one is innocent" is exemplary of the nihilistic
attitude of the Sex Pistols.
Bormann, prankishly pictured as the band's uniformed bass player on the 12" pressing, is also mentioned in Biggs' recording of the earlier Pistols song "Belsen Was A Gas
", another song which makes light of the Holocaust ("No One is Innocent", while calling Brady "horrible", dismisses the Nazis as "they wasn't being wicked/it was their idea of fun"). Fleeing prosecution for war crimes following World War II
, Bormann was for years thought to have escaped, like Biggs, to Brazil
.
The title of the song was originally supposed to be "Cosh the Driver", a reference to the near-fatal beating that the train driver took in Biggs' robbery years before. Virgin Records
vetoed the idea, and the song eventually appeared as "No One Is Innocent (A Punk Prayer by Ronnie Biggs)". On the 12" pressing, the title became "The Biggest Blow", but subsequent releases on albums reverted to the original title.
The song reached number six on the UK pop charts, and appears on the albums The Great Rock 'n' Roll Swindle
and Flogging a Dead Horse
. The B-side of both the 7" and 12" pressings was Sid Vicious
' infamous rendering of Claude François
, Jacques Revaux
and Paul Anka
's "My Way
".
The second song recorded, “Belsen Was A Gas”, turned up on the movie soundtrack album of “The Great Rock 'n' Roll Swindle”
in 1979. Overdubs to both songs were recorded at Wessex Studios in London with engineer Bill Price.
(Sauveur Mallia on bass guitar and Pierre-Alain Dahan on drums). The vocals were recorded on the same day, the final single version consisting of three different vocal takes.
Overdubs were recorded back at Wessex Studios in London with engineer Bill Price. Steve Jones added guitars and Simon Jeffes
arranged an orchestral intro to the song.
The original backing track coupled with one of the three vocal takes was released on the album Sid Sings
.
Producer Dave Goodman
stated he did an unreleased mix of the song at Berwick Street Studios in London in June 1978, but the studio bill was not paid in time so his mix was delivered to the record company too late to be used on the single.
Punk rock
Punk rock is a rock music genre that developed between 1974 and 1976 in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia. Rooted in garage rock and other forms of what is now known as protopunk music, punk rock bands eschewed perceived excesses of mainstream 1970s rock...
band Sex Pistols
Sex Pistols
The Sex Pistols were an English punk rock band that formed in London in 1975. They were responsible for initiating the punk movement in the United Kingdom and inspiring many later punk and alternative rock musicians...
. It was released on 30 June 1978. The Sex Pistols had split up early in 1978, losing bassist Sid Vicious
Sid Vicious
Sid Vicious was an English musician best known as the bassist of the influential punk rock group Sex Pistols...
and original lead vocalist Johnny Rotten
John Lydon
John Joseph Lydon , also known by the former stage name Johnny Rotten, is a singer-songwriter and television presenter, best known as the lead singer of punk rock band the Sex Pistols from 1975 until 1978, and again for various revivals during the 1990s and 2000s...
. No One is Innocent was recorded by remaining members Paul Cook
Paul Cook
Paul Thomas Cook is an English drummer and member of the punk rock band Sex Pistols.-Early life and career:...
and Steve Jones
Steve Jones (musician)
Stephen Philip "Steve" Jones is an English rock guitarist, singer and actor, best known as guitarist and founding member of the punk rock band the Sex Pistols.-Childhood:...
, with vocals performed by Ronnie Biggs
Ronnie Biggs
Ronald Arthur "Ronnie" Biggs is an English criminal, known for his role in the Great Train Robbery of 1963, for his escape from prison in 1965, for living as a fugitive for 36 years and for his various publicity stunts while in exile. In 2001, he voluntarily returned to the United Kingdom and...
, a British criminal notorious for his part in the Great Train Robbery of 1963
Great Train Robbery (1963)
The Great Train Robbery is the name given to a £2.6 million train robbery committed on 8 August 1963 at Bridego Railway Bridge, Ledburn near Mentmore in Buckinghamshire, England. The bulk of the stolen money was not recovered...
. At the time of No One is Innocent Biggs was living in Brazil, still wanted by the British authorities, but immune from extradition
Extradition
Extradition is the official process whereby one nation or state surrenders a suspected or convicted criminal to another nation or state. Between nation states, extradition is regulated by treaties...
. The song was credited to Paul Cook
Paul Cook
Paul Thomas Cook is an English drummer and member of the punk rock band Sex Pistols.-Early life and career:...
, Steve Jones
Steve Jones (musician)
Stephen Philip "Steve" Jones is an English rock guitarist, singer and actor, best known as guitarist and founding member of the punk rock band the Sex Pistols.-Childhood:...
, and Biggs.
Lyrical Content
The lyrics refer to "God Save the Queen", by beginning each verse "God save...", followed by many, often unsavoury, characters, starting with the Sex Pistols themselves. They refer to Bill GrundyBill Grundy
William "Bill" Grundy was an English television presenter and former host of Today, a regional news programme broadcast on Thames Television...
, the television host who started a great controversy two years earlier when Steve Jones swore on his live show (egged on by Grundy), as well as Martin Bormann
Martin Bormann
Martin Ludwig Bormann was a prominent Nazi official. He became head of the Party Chancellery and private secretary to Adolf Hitler...
and "Nazis
Nazism
Nazism, the common short form name of National Socialism was the ideology and practice of the Nazi Party and of Nazi Germany...
on the run". Notorious child murderers Myra Hindley and Ian Brady are mentioned (with Hindley's surname mispronounced "Highnd-ley"), along with politicians and the police (referred to as "pigs"), Idi Amin
Idi Amin
Idi Amin Dada was a military leader and President of Uganda from 1971 to 1979. Amin joined the British colonial regiment, the King's African Rifles in 1946. Eventually he held the rank of Major General in the post-colonial Ugandan Army and became its Commander before seizing power in the military...
, and finally Biggs himself. The chorus goes,"Ronnie Biggs was doing time, until he done a bunk, now he says he's seen the light, and he's sold his soul for punk." (In UK slang, to "bunk", or "do a bunk", is to leave without permission; most frequently used to indicate skipping school or work, here it refers to Biggs' escape from the police.)
The final lines of the last verse are "God save the good samaritan and God save the worthless creep". Associating all the characters together, both good and bad (including themselves) while claiming that "no one is innocent" is exemplary of the nihilistic
Nihilism
Nihilism is the philosophical doctrine suggesting the negation of one or more putatively meaningful aspects of life. Most commonly, nihilism is presented in the form of existential nihilism which argues that life is without objective meaning, purpose, or intrinsic value...
attitude of the Sex Pistols.
Bormann, prankishly pictured as the band's uniformed bass player on the 12" pressing, is also mentioned in Biggs' recording of the earlier Pistols song "Belsen Was A Gas
Belsen Was a Gas
"Belsen Was a Gas" is one of the most controversial songs by the British punk rock band Sex Pistols. The song is about one of the concentration camps in Germany during World War II, i.e...
", another song which makes light of the Holocaust ("No One is Innocent", while calling Brady "horrible", dismisses the Nazis as "they wasn't being wicked/it was their idea of fun"). Fleeing prosecution for war crimes following World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, Bormann was for years thought to have escaped, like Biggs, to Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
.
The title of the song was originally supposed to be "Cosh the Driver", a reference to the near-fatal beating that the train driver took in Biggs' robbery years before. Virgin Records
Virgin Records
Virgin Records is a British record label founded by English entrepreneur Richard Branson, Simon Draper, and Nik Powell in 1972. The company grew to be a worldwide music phenomenon, with platinum performers such as Roy Orbison, Devo, Genesis, Keith Richards, Janet Jackson, Culture Club, Lenny...
vetoed the idea, and the song eventually appeared as "No One Is Innocent (A Punk Prayer by Ronnie Biggs)". On the 12" pressing, the title became "The Biggest Blow", but subsequent releases on albums reverted to the original title.
The song reached number six on the UK pop charts, and appears on the albums The Great Rock 'n' Roll Swindle
The Great Rock 'n' Roll Swindle (album)
The Great Rock 'n' Roll Swindle is the soundtrack album of the film of the same name. Although released under Sex Pistols' name, it includes performances by other artists.- Production :...
and Flogging a Dead Horse
Flogging a Dead Horse
Flogging a Dead Horse is a compilation album of singles by the Sex Pistols, released after their break-up, and includes the four songs that were issued as singles A-sides from Never Mind the Bollocks, Here's the Sex Pistols with three of their B-sides, as well as the six A-sides that were issued...
. The B-side of both the 7" and 12" pressings was Sid Vicious
Sid Vicious
Sid Vicious was an English musician best known as the bassist of the influential punk rock group Sex Pistols...
' infamous rendering of Claude François
Claude François
Claude François was a French pop singer, songwriter and dancer. He wrote "Comme d'habitude," the original version of "My Way."-Early life:...
, Jacques Revaux
Jacques Revaux
Jacques Revaux is a French songwriter most famous for his 1968 collaboration with singer Claude François on the song "Comme d'habitude" that singer-songwriter Paul Anka reworked into the English language as "My Way". He co-founded Trema Records with Regis Talar...
and Paul Anka
Paul Anka
Paul Albert Anka, is a Canadian singer, songwriter, and actor.Anka first became famous as a teen idol in the late 1950s and 1960s with hit songs like "Diana'", "Lonely Boy", and "Put Your Head on My Shoulder"...
's "My Way
My Way (song)
"My Way" is a song popularized by Frank Sinatra. Its lyrics were written by Paul Anka and set to music based on the French song "Comme d'habitude" composed in 1967 by Claude François and Jacques Revaux, with lyrics by Claude François and Gilles Thibault. Anka's English lyrics are unrelated to the...
".
“No One Is Innocent”
The song was recorded at an unknown 16-track studio in Rio de Janeiro during Jones' and Cook's stay from mid-January to late February 1978 . Lyrics and vocals were provided by Ronald Biggs: “The record was made in a church studio in Rio with the priest present, who seemed very happy. We were rather drunk by the time we came to make the recording, which explains why it may have appeared a little out of tune. We also recorded 'Belsen Was A Gas', which I must say I wasn't too happy about, and I was relieved that it didn't appear on the other side of 'No One Is Innocent', I did find these words a little disgusting.”The second song recorded, “Belsen Was A Gas”, turned up on the movie soundtrack album of “The Great Rock 'n' Roll Swindle”
The Great Rock 'n' Roll Swindle (album)
The Great Rock 'n' Roll Swindle is the soundtrack album of the film of the same name. Although released under Sex Pistols' name, it includes performances by other artists.- Production :...
in 1979. Overdubs to both songs were recorded at Wessex Studios in London with engineer Bill Price.
“My Way”
The backing track of the song was recorded at Studio de la Grande Armée in Paris on 10 April 1978 with engineer Emmanuel Guyot. French session musicians were used - Claude Engel on guitar, with the rhythm section from the disco band VoyageVoyage (band)
Voyage was a European eurodisco group consisting of lead vocalist Sylvia Mason-James, along with Slim Pezin , Marc Chantereau , Sauveur Mallia and Pierre-Alain Dahan ....
(Sauveur Mallia on bass guitar and Pierre-Alain Dahan on drums). The vocals were recorded on the same day, the final single version consisting of three different vocal takes.
Overdubs were recorded back at Wessex Studios in London with engineer Bill Price. Steve Jones added guitars and Simon Jeffes
Simon Jeffes
Simon Jeffes was an English classically trained guitarist, composer and arranger. He formed, and was the core performer of, the Penguin Cafe Orchestra. He composed the ballet Still Life at the Penguin Cafe...
arranged an orchestral intro to the song.
The original backing track coupled with one of the three vocal takes was released on the album Sid Sings
Sid Sings
Sid Sings is the title of punk rocker Sid Vicious's posthumous solo album. It was released on December 15, 1979 and peaked at number 30 on the British album charts.The album features the two singles, "My Way", and "Something Else"...
.
Producer Dave Goodman
Dave Goodman
Dave Goodman was a record producer and musician, perhaps best known as the live sound engineer for Sex Pistols, and the producer of three of their studio demo sessions.-Sex Pistols:...
stated he did an unreleased mix of the song at Berwick Street Studios in London in June 1978, but the studio bill was not paid in time so his mix was delivered to the record company too late to be used on the single.
Charts
- In the UK, the single spent 10 weeks in the Top 75UK Singles ChartThe UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
and reached #7 on 8 July 1978. For the 12 inch version, the song title was changed to “The Biggest Blow (A Punk Prayer By Ronald Biggs)”. - Virgin RecordsVirgin RecordsVirgin Records is a British record label founded by English entrepreneur Richard Branson, Simon Draper, and Nik Powell in 1972. The company grew to be a worldwide music phenomenon, with platinum performers such as Roy Orbison, Devo, Genesis, Keith Richards, Janet Jackson, Culture Club, Lenny...
released the single in West Germany, Holland, Italy and Greece, but it did not chart. - Barclay RecordsBarclay RecordsBarclay Records is a French record label founded in the mid-1950s by Eddie Barclay under the alias, Edouard Ruault. Eddie Barclay also founded the Riviera label in the early-1950s....
released the single in France (with the song title changed to “Cosh The Driver (A Punk Prayer By Ronnie Biggs)” and A- and B-sides reversed), but it did not chart. - Wizard Records released the single in Australia, but it did not chart. For the 12 inch version, the song title was changed to “The Biggest Blow (A Punk Prayer By Ronald Biggs)”.
- Nippon Columbia released the single in Japan in August 1978, but it did not chart.
- The Sex Pistols' US label Warner Brothers decided not to release the single in the USA.