Its fair to say I didn’t see this coming.
I wouldn’t have offered any odds on the chances of PiL producing a perfect record in 2023.
That it would be a record of this nature even more unlikely – something the band recognised as they announced on Twitter:
“A PiL song like no other.“
I’ll admit, I saw John Lydon as a remnant of the past, an aging rent-a-quote, railing against society with an opinion on everything. But with the day job now an afterthought.
“Hawaii” knocked me sideways.
To see how implausible this is, first we have to go back…
In the beginning, Johnny was Rotten.
He was the future. Our future.
Giving voice to the frustration and anger of a British youth unable to envision any future for themselves. That didn’t pan out as punk grew up.
The notoriety fanned by Malcolm McLaren and the straitjacket of the punk sound led them out of anarchy to disillusionment.
At the end of a wearying tour of America Johnny bailed out before McLaren turned them into a cartoon.
His final act as a Pistol being a memorable entry into the canon of famous last words.
At the close of their San Francisco Winterland show, Johnny Rotten reverted to John Lydon asking the audience; ‘Ever get the feeling you’ve been cheated?’ before exiting the stage – and the band.
Freed from the confines of punk and the antics of his manager, he embarked on new and more interesting directions offering personal fulfillment leading PiL. Critical and commercial success waxed and waned. There were hits and misses. The raging against the establishment that had been the Sex Pistols raison d’etre was more nuanced. But anger was still an energy.
By the 90s they were history.
Their last UK top 40 single was in 1990, the last album released in 1992. Lydon’s one moment of relevance in the 90s came as the perfect scathing voice for Leftfield’s dance track “Open Up.” His solo career went nowhere and The Sex Pistols got back together, doing it for the money.
Since the turn of the millennium he’s been known more for appearing in ads for Country Life Butter, dressed as an English country gent and TV reality shows.
Not that Lydon cared what anyone thought, never afraid to speak his mind – regardless of who it aggravates.
PiL were resurrected in 2009, releasing two more studio albums before another fallow period.
And then came unlikely news in January.
They were putting themselves forward to be Ireland’s 2023 Eurovision Song Contest entry with “Hawaii” – his parents were Irish so he holds citizenship through them.
Eurovision is not generally seen as a bastion of good taste and musical relevance. It’s more a festival of novelty and banality in equal measure.
And in the world of Eurovision where best advice is keep it bright, brash and light…
…this song is far, far away from that.
“Hawaii” has a backstory.
Lydon and his wife Nora were married for 44 years. She was 14 years older than him and the mother of one of his punk contemporaries; Ari Up of The Slits.
When Ari died of breast cancer in 2010 John and Nora took guardianship of her three children. But in the following years Alzheimers began to take hold of Nora.
She was formally diagnosed in 2018 and he became her full time carer, explaining the lack of any new PiL material for the last few years.
“Hawaii” comes from this experience, referencing a holiday they took there in better times. As Nora’s memory deteriorated, it was the one thing they could still hold onto together. A love song to Nora, in his words:
“It is dedicated to everyone going through tough times on the journey of life, with the person they care for the most –
it’s also a message of hope that ultimately love conquers all”
Its a love song without any grandstanding, no cloying sentiment or reliance on banal cliche. Restrained yet intensely personal, without knowing the subject matter it could come across as cryptic but there’s so much depth and love in its minimalism.
There’s joy and warmth in the simple repeated statements emphasising the memory of how it used to be, along with the pain of how that has been taken away.
The music is lush and comforting, washing over the listener in a manner that reminds me of Fleetwood Mac’s “Albatross.”
Lydon is no great singer in the traditional sense. But he’s a great vocalist, with a strangled yelp and scenery chewing enunciation to match the often off kilter nature of the music. This is different territory though. The gentle understated beauty is matched by a vocal that plays it straight, dialing back the strident nature of John’s voice to deliver a heart rending message.
What makes it a perfect song?
Even on its own, its beauty is apparent. But the tenderness of delivery, contrasting the pain of the backstory gives it extra emotional heft.
Then there’s the juxtaposition of what came before for Lydon and PiL – and the sheer unlikeliness of late career redemption with a song from way out of left field.
I’ll leave you with what appears to be the only live performance, from the Eurosong TV show to select Ireland’s representative in early February.
I only saw it for the first time in writing this. And it floored me.
It isn’t the take for the perfect vocal performance: the voice creaks and loses the tune. But seeing John Lydon in this way for the first time, all belligerence and attitude cast aside is something else.
The pain and vulnerability is etched across his face and the plea to ‘remember me’ and summoning of ‘all those good times’ is almost too much to bear.
It’s crazy to contemplate this was a light entertainment show to select a song for Eurovision. I can’t comprehend what PiL were thinking in entering, and what the people watching on TV made of this naked emotion interrupting the frivolity.
It’s not surprising that it wasn’t selected as the Irish entry, coming in fourth out of six entries. It’s not a reflection of the quality of the song – more the right song in completely the wrong place.
The final kicker is that Nora passed away two months after this performance on 6th April.
If they never played it live again I’d totally understand.
But as it stands: it’s a fine tribute to her and their life together.
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Whoa!!!!! I remember reading the headline about PiL competing for Ireland’s spot in Eurovision a couple months ago and I assumed it was a last-dash gasp for relevance from an aging punk. I had no idea about the backstory, or that this could be such a tender and heartfelt song. Eurovision is indeed a weird fit for such a personal meditation. And how strange (and frankly inspiring) to see one of the most jaded voices of a generation put his heart out there so boldly.
Thank you JJ for putting this song on our radar. This is a TNOCS mid-week gift!
Thanks Pauly. I guess they went the Eurovision route as they knew that despite being a terrible fit it would generate publicity and raise awareness of the song and subject matter.
There’s a new album forthcoming and another song; Penge, has recently been released which is a reversion back to type. Given that I love Hawaii, I’ll opt for discretion and just say that Penge isn’t quite so captivating for me.
https://youtu.be/GZspHQfNciw
Whoa indeed! Like Pauly, I had heard PiL was on Eurovision but never followed it up because I’m American and, y’know, Eurovision isn’t exactly front of mind over here. I knew about Nora, and of course Ari, and how his Lydon’s family life seems loving and healthy, but I didn’t expect him to produce a song this lovely. Thanks, JJ!
A perfectly moving tribute to his wife, and a perfectly humanizing moment for a man who even now is often reduced to that 1977 cartoon.
Rest in peace Norah, and her daughter Ari, genius of the Slits
May John finally start to acknowledge the humanity of people he caricaturizes as elites simply because they don’t have the same working class mannerisms as he does.
May he some day realize the awful weight of his efforts to keep an authoritarian menace in power in order to punish those humans reduced to cartoon elites.
May he take the lovely spirit of his song and apply it to every facet of his life.
Well put Phylum. I did initially make more specific reference to some of his thornier comments and views as a contrast to the song. Given the subject matter of the song though I decided it was more appropriate to rise above that and leave its humanising impact to stand out.
Hey mt, noticed a little ghost in the machine of the formatting. The sentence ‘At the end of a wearying tour….’ has repeated. If you’re able to remove one that’d be great 👍
One of the pitfalls of trying to do a layout with wonky Wi-Fi, on a red-eye at 40000 feet. Fixed.
Thanks mt, we’d be lost without your dedication to the site!
We surely would.
First off, “an aging rent-a-quote” is a great line. Made me smile. The rest of the article is gut-wrenching. but also wonderful. As someone, with a 45-year marriage of my own, this is the scariest thing that I can imagine. This song is just a lovely, lovely letter to a love that is nearly, but not quite, gone. I’m so glad that they had Hawaii to remember.
It reminds me of a beautiful story involving a dear friend’s parents. Her father was so far gone in dementia that he could no longer be cared for at home. His wife went to see him at the care home every day. One day, in a moment of semi-clarity, he said, “If I were younger, I would ask you to marry me.” She replied, “You already did that a long time ago.” His answer was “Oh good. That’s alright then.” She kept that in her heart for the rest of her life.
I’ve seen grandparents go through dementia and it was tough. Can’t imagine what it’s like to have your life partner slip away in that manner but the story of your friends parents shows there can still be moments of beauty to cling onto.
Definitely a pleasant surprise from Mr Lydon, and undoubtedly quite bittersweet for him. I always thought it strange how his marriage to Nora always seemed to be overlooked in terms of long term celebrity marriages. I mean, 44 years for them, my goodness. My heart goes out to Johnny for caring for her all these years and having to witness her slowly succumb to Alzheimer’s.
BTW, I just verified, Peacock streaming platform will host Eurovision once again for us Stateside next month. No word if we get Johnny Weir back as host or not though – I sure hope so!
Figured I did a review on it last year, why not give it another go this year for tnocs.com…… 😁
Yes, please.
I’d much prefer to read your take on it than have to watch it myself 😄
I think John Lydon is referencing Kui Lee’s “I’ll Remember You”, which Elvis Presley popularized, when he sings “I remember you.” Or maybe he simply remembers Hawaii.
Some of the architecture in the lyric video still exists, which is amazing, because we raze everything to the ground.
That’s Iolani Palace, the residence of Hawaii’s last monarch, Queen Liliokulani. Johnny Cash recorded an original composition by the queen, “Aloha O’e”. It was the first time I saw an English translation. For me, it was a revelation.
Great write up, JJ Live At Leeds. It made me listen to “Hawaii” with new ears.