This is THE song that changed my life. I was a metal head and punk rock kid heading into his freshman year of engineering school at university. I didn’t know it at the time but I had been assigned the dorm hall, wing and floor that was basically the nucleus of the college radio station. I vividly remember hearing this song coming from one of the upper class men’s room. Turns out he was the music director of the radio station. The voice sounded so familiar. I was a shy kid but I had to know what the song was and if it was Johnny Rotten or a pretender sound-alike. I quickly got into the whole college radio scene and alternative music. Next thing I knew I was the guy entrusted with making Metal Wednesdays really take off. Then I was the Metal music director and eventually overall Music Director. Fun as hell and I got to experience a whole lot of new music. Never got my degree due to a severe and chronic health issue but I have a lot of great memories all because of PiL and Disappointed.
Well when Hollyweird are over promoting people like Taylor Swift and Lady Gaga? You gotta wonder... you don’t even see Kate Bush getting any recognition anymore... heck as incredible as Peter Gabriel is, you don’t see him much in Hollyweird.... they never promote nor speak much about him and he’s a genius too... I used to wonder about these things... but lately I’ve been learning a lot about Hollyweird and why people like Beyoncé and Jay Z are so overly rated.... it has something to do with “selling out” (literally no joke) I used to think that the whole selling your soul to Satan thing was a crazy Christian conspiracy... but I guess there’s truth to it. Isaac Kappy spoke about it two years ago now he’s deceased...
That main guitar riff is simple, yet not easy to play. McGeoch just plays it so smoothly and perfectly and it really makes the song, in my opinion. Not to be overlooked is the importance of the backup singers. Their voice harmonies really give the song an uplifting moment. A great arrangement.
This is a very well done song. Its so different than the typical stuff of the day and flows so well. He is a really good stand up guy. His wife has dementia very badly and he waits on her 24/7/365 at home. He is hell bent on taking care of her himself. Very devoted to his wife.
@@sexobscura glad you noticed his constant reference to Alzheimers desease. He has helped bring it to the forefront in regards to people who are not aware that such a delibatating desease can need round the clock care. You're a bit of a smart arse aren't you
Soundtrack of our lives. Summer 1989, 15 years old, riding my bike around a midwestern suburb. Hear the intro to this song (not included in the video) playing on some outside speakers of a record store. I was into alternative. Asked some snobbish college guy working there who it was. He looked at me like I was bothering him and answered me like I should have known who PIL was. Discovered them and bought their stuff when I got the coinage. John Lydon/Rotten developed his own cool character and image post Sex Pistols as seen in their videos. The hypnotic The order of death.
Jimmy Pop Johnny Rotten is a bum. He talks shit about Sid cuz to this day Sid gets all the attention for Sex Pistols even though he couldn't play for shit. And Mr. Rotten goes from anarchy to singing ballads. What a sellout who couldn't sell records. PiL sucks ass.
There's the PiL and Sex Pistols documentaries and he's written 2 books... so it could happen. I think he's just trying to keep it together for himself and his wife right now. Johnny Rotten is a stage persona, you might see him around Venice Beach these days...well, probably not with everything going on Mar 2020...
John Lydon and PIL are simply one of the most important, creative and original bands,...person to come along in a very long time. PIL and The Ramones. Best ever. Scary so good and original. IMPORTANT.
Just heard this for the first time in my life tonight, after " " . Played it a few times already. What a deep song within the pop. A guote about the song I just dug up from John Lydon: "Friends will let you down, but that doesn't mean you shouldn't have friends. You should enjoy it for the very fact that they are human beings and fallible, that that very fallibility is what you should enjoy about human contact. Otherwise, really what you're asking for is sycophantic robots that merely compliment your ego. And there's no enjoyment in that."
Never heard that quote before, I like it. I recommend early PiL (1978-1983). Maybe This Is What You Want... and Commercial Zone. But the rest is kind of boring compared to the experimentation in Metal Box and Flowers of Romance.
I've always loved how happily the singers sing "What friends are forrrrrrr" and how happily John says "What are friends for!?" when the sentiment beneath is actually so negative.
That is typical thinking on John's behalf. After he recovered from his illness years ago, his mind was re-set to thinking that way. Good thing that happened, and that he survived, we are all better off today because of John.
This song actually has a positive sentiment. Lydon's said that you should learn to accept and even enjoy when your friends inevitably let you down, because that shows they are real people and not spineless sycophants. I still think your point stands about the juxtaposition of tones: triumphal singing and yet worrying subject matter, it's quite funny actually.
Spinal meningitis at 7 and it practically erased his memory clean, he had to start again and fight for his life, he never seemed to stop after that! What a guy,!
What can you say about the legend that is Johnny "Rotten" Lydon that hasnt already been said just a diamond geezer 😎✌️👍 .... "Disappointed " one of many PIL classics .... Was gutted for Johnny when lifelong partner Nora died may she rest in peace 😑🙏➕️.
Saw them in '89 at the Boathouse in Norfolk Va. My teenage son still wears the t-shirt I got that night. Still the most sonically powerful show I've ever seen. Johnny mooned the crowd !
Cool song, cool video, cool lineup of PiL here. Love John's demented energy and dance moves! He's a very powerful songwriter and performer. The lyrics are personal, the "fools and horses" part is enigmatic. I can't help thinking "Disappointed" is about his original PiL bandmates, Levene and Wobble, but maybe not. A sad breakup, must have caused them all heartache...but glad they're all still making music to this day.
I thought I was crazy, but this singer is at another level. This is so much fun to watch and listen to. Great song. Trying to imitate his faces is actually therapeutic to me!
This is probably PiL's best song. I remember the tour for this album, in 1989. It was New Order, Public Image Limited and The Sugarcubes. Had I been older than 15 at the time, I definitely would have been in attendance. =/
Absolutely superb song on any level - PIL are a hit and miss band to a lot of people but they always come up with some belting songs and this is one of the best - Lou's guitar as always unreal
@@ArgoLupus Of course New Order and PIL were great reasons to see the show, but the Sugarcubes in 1989 were at their musical height! It must have been a great show!
These songs made me want to live in the UK so badly. I grew up in Los Angeles where gratefully I got to listen to KROQ and DJs like Richard Blade. He truly informed us all about what was badass musically happening in the UK. I truly felt we had an insight to the best music in the world IMHO.
Dissapointed a few people When friendship reared its ugly head Dissapointed a few people Well, isn't that what friends are for? (What friends are for) What friends are for (What friends are for) What are friends for? You, you're just a really sad person Who won't, you won't listen to anyone No not you With those half moon eyelids Just babbling on, your usless defenses So sad Dissapointed a few people When friendship reared its ugly head Dissapointed a few people Well isn't that what friends are for (What friends are for) What friends are for (What friends are for) What are friends for? This erratic haphazard, fluttering This to-ing and fro-ing Like a confused moth The collision, illusion And it's all ad infinitum You're a really sad person You're really so sad Dissapointed a few people When friendship reared its ugly head Dissapionted a few people Well isn't that what friends are for (What friends are for) What friends are for (What friends are for) What are friends for? Fools and horses Running their courses And brow beaten down Like dust on the ground You cheat easily Like sweet charity And all of the bastards The world despises In newer disguises You cheat easily Like all charity Fools and horses (What friends are for) Running their courses (What friends are for) And brow beaten down (What friends are for) Like dust on the ground (What friends are for) You cheat easily(What friends are for) Like sweet charity(What friends are for) And all of the bastards(What friends are for) The world despises(What friends are for) In newer disguises(What friends are for) You cheat easily(What friends are for) Like all charity(What friends are for)
John's reputation always preceded him and he was in many ways more famous than his band. What seems to be often overlooked is the insane musicianship of PIL. They're all world-class session-level players and they wrote, played and gelled with each other and Lydon so well.
Still have this CD I bought back in 1989 with the original longbox! Also had a t-shirt with the pixelized PIL logo that I wore the hell out of back in the early 90's. I really loved that shirt!
Lydon cracks me up. (I read both his books.) He is the ultimate schizophrenic malcontent. He claims to HATE 80s new wave. (And yet, he loves Duran Duran.) And this whole album 9 is amazing at capturing that 80s vibe. His voice suits that era so well. PiL's BEST albums (at least they're my faves) are the ones they made in the 80s... 1. This Is What You Want... This Is What You Get (1984) (Lydon's most experimental & least commercial album from this era.) 2. Album (1986) (C'mon. Ginger Baker & jazz drummer Tony Williams on drums & guitarist Steve Vai. My fave! I bump this in my car at FULL volume all the time. It ROCKS!) 3. Happy? (1987) 4. 9 (1989) ( Pure ear candy! It's GREAT!)
I'm reading Anger Is An Energy. So inspiring to read about John's life. A true genius. True honor is sometimes found where you least expect it. I'm discovering a whole new world in his words.💖
And yet it's about more than simply that. It's about *remaining* friends with people who let you down. Because your friends WILL let you down and you have to love them anyway. Isn't that what friends are for?
Wow I have not listened to this song since my teens! I went out and bought the single...amazing song. I Still have that 7" record. As someone else mentioned, great melodic pop song, with meaning, great hooks and that awesome uplifting guita!
they need this song in one of those new tv series things .... THIS NEEDS MORE RECOGNITION!!!!!!!!!!!! This song is fucking amazing!!!! I swear if they use this song in a hip whatever tv series they do now a days its gonna be AMAZING and a younger generation will be like YESSSSSSS THIS THIS THIS THIS THIS! I can wish.... Love u man
Fucking awesome. The lyrics are amazing, even Nobel Prize quality. Genius guitar and the rest of it. Lydon is an actor too, for sure with his natural body language.
I was gifted to see P.I.L. tour in 1990. I was front stage amd when he sang Rise he rubbed my mohawk(I could be black or white!) Yes I also got his autograph....Deep Ellum Dallas Tx 1990! Black chic!
Lydon explained, "Friends will let you down, but that doesn't mean you shouldn't have friends. You should enjoy it for the very fact that they are human beings and fallible, that that very fallibility is what you should enjoy about human contact. Otherwise, really what you're asking for is sycophantic robots that merely compliment your ego. And there's no enjoyment in that."[4] Lydon has since called "Disappointed" one of his favorite songs that he has written, commenting, "If I could ever call a song a friend, 'Disappointed' is one of them."[5]
This song takes me back to the sunny San Fernando Valley in '89, where I first heard the song on KROQ and dashed over to the Tower Records on Sherman Way to pick up the CD.
Maybe. I guess Talking Heads were more inspired by Dada than anything. But PiL was hugely influential to many including me. I would love to collaborate with Keith and Wobble lol.
I think he was heavily inspired by Lewis Carroll...picked up where the mad hatter left off, and channels that spirit into musical form, i absolutely adore him🖤
MrKayley10 and i thought i was the only one whom loved 'pretty vacant' and ' wonderous stories ' ( gave up on prog in 82 but since my lad made me use computer 8 years back , caught up with post 1990 yes ) love from new forest pixies 👽
This song always just had great atmosphere. It really reminds me of high school. Tasting the feels in all their new forms. Style and fashion. Being different versions of me. Discovering new sounds
It's the arrangement. It's a so-so tune, but the arrangement, adding the background singers, and Lydon's otherworldly vocals at the front, ensure that this song will still kick ass in one hundred years.
PURE, RAW, POWERFUL!!!!! YEAH JOHNNY (ROTTEN) LYDON LS A TRUE ARTIST, AND WE WERE LUCKY ENOUGH TO CATCH HIM DURING A BRILLANT TIME OF HIS LIFE, SO VERY LUCKY!!!!! PEACE!
