"Where Are They Now" is a song recorded by English

Oi! Oi! is a subgenre of punk rock that originated in the United Kingdom in the late 1970s. The music and its associated subculture had the goal of bringing together punks, skinheads, and other disaffected working-class youth. The movement wa ...

punk rock Punk rock (also known as simply punk) is a rock music genre that emerged in the mid-1970s. Rooted in 1950s rock and roll and 1960s garage rock, punk bands rejected the corporate nature of mainstream 1970s rock music. They typically produced sh ...

band

Cock Sparrer Cock Sparrer () is an English punk rock band formed in 1972 in the East End of London. Although they have never enjoyed commercial success, they helped pave the way for the early '80s punk scene and the Oi! subgenre. Their songs have been cover ...

in 1982, from their album ''

Shock Troops Shock troops, assault troops, or storm troops are special formations created to lead military attacks. They are often better trained and equipped than other military units and are expected to take heavier casualties even in successful operations. ...

''. The lyrics comment on the previous six years of the

punk subculture The punk subculture includes a diverse and widely known array of Punk rock, music, Punk ideologies, ideologies, Punk fashion, fashion, and other forms of expression, Punk visual art, visual art, dance, Punk literature, literature, and film. La ...

. The song portrays the early years of the punk movement in a negative light, bemoaning the lack of follow-through by the leading figures. It also comments on the band members' own naivete, exhorting listeners to not make the same idealistic mistakes. Its lyrics mention several punk legends. In an interview with the fanzine ''Schizoipunx'' from 27 July 2006, Mickey Beaufoy of Cock Sparrer stated:

''
Julie Burchill Julie Burchill (born 3 July 1959) is an English writer. Beginning as a staff writer at the ''New Musical Express'' at the age of 17, she has since contributed to newspapers such as ''The Daily Telegraph'', ''The Sunday Times'' and ''The Guardi ...
and Tony Parsons were rebellious "punk" journalists from the late-1970s. Joe is the late, great
Joe Strummer John Graham Mellor (21 August 1952 – 22 December 2002), known professionally as Joe Strummer, was a British musician. He was the co-founder, lyricist, rhythm guitarist, and lead vocalist of punk rock band the Clash, formed in 1976. The Clash' ...
, Jimmy is
Jimmy Pursey James Timothy Pursey (born 9 February 1955) is an English rock musician. He is the founder and frontman of the punk rock band Sham 69, which he has performed with since 1976, along with releasing material as a solo artist. Early life Pursey wa ...
and Rotten was
Johnny Rotten John Joseph Lydon ( ; born 31 January 1956), also known by his former stage name Johnny Rotten, is a British-born singer, songwriter, author, and television personality. He was the lead vocalist of the punk rock band the Sex Pistols, which was ...
from the
Sex Pistols The Sex Pistols are an English punk rock band formed in London in 1975. Although their initial career lasted just two and a half years, they became culturally influential in popular music. The band initiated the punk movement in the United Ki ...
- and the song, which was written in 1982 was about what we saw as the quiet death of Punk - as none of these people were active then - but I am glad to say that the scene has recovered since then - but people still love that song so we keep it in the set as a warning that we have to keep at it or all this great music could disappear.''

The lyrics "Rotten on the telly, showing what a few choice words can do" refer to the

Sex Pistols The Sex Pistols are an English punk rock band formed in London in 1975. Although their initial career lasted just two and a half years, they became culturally influential in popular music. The band initiated the punk movement in the United Ki ...

' lead singer

Johnny Rotten John Joseph Lydon ( ; born 31 January 1956), also known by his former stage name Johnny Rotten, is a British-born singer, songwriter, author, and television personality. He was the lead vocalist of the punk rock band the Sex Pistols, which was ...

and the '' Grundy incident,'' in which Rotten and other Sex Pistols swore on live television, sending Britain into an uproar. The song has been covered and recorded by

Swingin' Utters Swingin' Utters (often typeset as $wingin' Utter$, and originally called Johnny Peebucks and the Swingin' Utters) is a Californian punk rock band that formed in the late 1980s.Bush, JohnSwingin' Utters Biography, Allmusic, retrieved September 30 ...

Strike Anywhere Strike Anywhere is an American punk rock band from Richmond, Virginia. Formed in 1999 after the demise of frontman Thomas Barnett's previous band, Inquisition, they took their name from the Inquisition song "Strike Anywhere". Their music is ch ...

Roger Miret and the Disasters Roger Miret and the Disasters are a street punk group formed by Agnostic Front frontman Roger Miret. The band started when Miret was writing songs that were not a style suitable for Lady Luck (a band fronted by his wife Denise) or Agnostic Front ...

and also, in their own language, the Spanish band

La Polla Records La Polla Records was a punk rock band from the Basque Country, formed in 1979 in Salvatierra/Agurain, a small town in Álava, Spain. Its founders were Evaristo Páramos "Evaristo" on vocals, Maleguin on bass, Fernandito on drums and Txarly an ...

, the German band Beck's Pistols and Polish band

The Analogs The Analogs are a Polish people, Polish street punk band. Originating in Szczecin, they have been successful on the local and international punk rock scene with hundreds of concerts played across Europe as well as musical releases in Poland, Rus ...

.Beck's Pistols first album Pöbel und Gesocks
/ref> It also appears on the German punk band

Die Toten Hosen Die Toten Hosen are a German punk rock band from Düsseldorf. The name is taken from the German slang idiom ''tote Hose'' (literally "dead trousers"), which means "nothing happening"; "boring". The band has had an important success through th ...

's cover album Learning English Lesson 2 (2017), with Colin McFaull participating.

References

External links

Cock Sparrer Official Website
1982 songs Cock Sparrer songs Protest songs Songs about music Songs based on actual events Cultural depictions of rock musicians Cultural depictions of the Sex Pistols