Despite the uproar it caused 45 years ago, despite all the controversy and outrage it caused, it’s hard not to see in retrospect what the Sex Pistols’ world-changing single “God Save the Queen” was: Rebel with Svengali- Young people are like managers trying to shock (and succeed). Released on purpose a week before the jubilee, a major national celebration of her 25th year on the throne, the song is just a loud raspberry (and, no accident, it’s an icy rock classic). They don’t really believe the queen is not human or lead a fascist regime, whatever their problem with the concept of royalty.

While the band’s singer-songwriter John Lydon aka Rotten certainly has issues with the monarchy (and has had other issues in recent years, leaning towards conservatives and expressing support for Donald Trump and Brexit) , but said in his comments last June that he had never had any relationship with the Queen or the royal family.

“God bless the Queen. She endured a lot,” he wrote in a column for the British publication The Times. “I’m not hostile to any of the royals. Never did. What bothers me is its system, and the assumption that I’m going to pay for it. That’s where I draw the line. Like, ‘No, you Didn’t get my tax ski vacation.’”

With all of this in mind, it’s no surprise to see him respectfully and slightly self-referentially paying his respects on his website the morning after the Queen’s death was announced.

It simply said, “Rest in peace, Queen Elizabeth II.

“Send her victory.

“From all johnlydon.com. “

The phrase “Send Her Victory” is from the original official version of “God Save the Queen” and is illustrated using the original unaltered portrait of Queen Elizabeth used on the cover of the Pistol Legends single.