Former Sex Pistols singer John Lydon recently referred to his birthplace of England as a “mess” while speaking with Uncut. During the interview, Lydon praised Ireland for providing him entry to Eurovision and enabling him to perform the song “Hawaii” by his band, Public Image Ltd.
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His goal was to play the song for his late wife before she passed. Lydon’s wife, Nora Forster, died in April after suffering from Alzheimer’s. “Hawaii” was written for Forster, and is featured on Public Image Ltd’s 2023 album, End of World, which will be released on August 11.
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“[‘Hawaii’] dealt with the foreboding knowledge that she was going to die. It was heartbreaking to perform it live, at first. It’s easier to perform now she has passed away,” Lydon told Uncut. “I am very lucky and blessed that an Irish TV show called The One gave me the opportunity to go and perform that song, so I could show her that performance before she passed away.
“So blessings all around to those guys and girls in Ireland. It’s an opportunity I don’t get much in England,” Lydon continued. “I don’t recognize the cities, it’s a mess, I can’t cope with the traffic, the smog, the filth of it.”
Other notable moments from the Uncut interview include an instance where Lydon was asked about the meaning behind the new song “Walls,” which is also featured on End of World. “We all need barriers,” he said. “We need some degree of separation from others, if only just for a sense of security. At the moment I’m struggling with a stalker who is letting herself in my yard at night, running around claiming that she’s my daughter. And she’s in her 50s.
“It’s the uncaring selfishness of it that is really upsetting,” Lydon continued. “I’ve had stalkers in the past but this one is becoming just too irrational and has potential for something much more serious, so I’ve had to report it. I don’t like to get people into trouble but it’s causing me stress. It’s making me a bag of nerves.”
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