Sex Pistol John Lydon Praises the Power of the Lyric

As one of the founding fathers of British punk rock, John Lydon's place in the rock 'n' roll pantheon is assured. The man responsible for penning some of the most savage and biting lyrics ever recorded -- just check out Sex Pistols' 'Bodies' or Public Image Ltd's 'Death Disco' -- has revealed that he would have been happy to have been just a writer, but appreciates how music fleshes out his ideas.

Speaking to Clash magazine, Lydon said, "I know that words work best with music. I would love to have been a writer but I would always have been disappointed because I would always know that the written word is just not enough."

He continued, "If you can find exactly the right tones, you can create a bigger picture. A much more accurate picture. That's what I do. That's why I love songwriting."

Lydon said he felt many of today's bands are ignoring the potential power of a well turned phrase or couplet. "I see so many modern bands ignore that capability," he said. "There's very many of them out there now, wonderfully creative musicians etc but the songs aren't about anything. Its just filler."