L F C F

Album: End of World (2023)
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Songfacts®:

  • John Lydon, the ever-outspoken frontman of the Sex Pistols and Public Image Ltd., unleashed a torrent of outrage over director Danny Boyle's TV drama Pistol, which chronicles the Sex Pistols' rise and fall.

    The Disney miniseries, based on guitarist Steve Jones' autobiography Lonely Boy, became a lightning rod for controversy before it even aired, primarily because of Lydon's vehement opposition.

    Lydon's main gripe? The use of the Sex Pistols' original music in the series. He fiercely objected to it, arguing that it misrepresented the band and exploited their legacy for commercial gain. The disagreement escalated into a legal battle, with Jones and drummer Paul Cook suing Lydon to secure the rights to use the songs. In August 2021, a UK High Court ruled in their favor.

    "L F C F," standing for Liars, Fakes, Cheats and Frauds, is Lydon's unapologetic dig at his former bandmates.

    "The only way to deal with this is to be direct and don't be coy with the words," Lydon told the Guardian of the song. "But also, make it somewhat of a comedy. Let's face it, when I went on to form PiL, the world really, really noticed. They [Cook and Jones] don't have that capability, and they are still stuck in my mud tracks."
  • Lydon continued to seethe about losing the legal battle. "I think those poor sods made an error of judgment when they sided with the Disney corporation," he told The Sun. "That was a 'nice' way to go down in flames."
  • Public Image drummer Bruce Smith admitted to Mojo magazine he didn't immediately click what the song was about. "John's a very good writer," he said. "He'll write words and then trim them down and it's always very personal."

    Bass guitarist Scott Firth added: "It came together like they all do. They start with panic that we haven't got anything and then gradually they just emerge from the ether."
  • Public Image Ltd. recorded "L F C F" for their 11th studio album, End Of World. Lydon wrote all the lyrics and co-composed the music with his bandmates.

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