After years of anarchy within the UK, punk legend John Lydon has swapped his Sex Pistols motto “God Save the Queen” for “God save the Clean” – admitting doing house responsibilities whereas caring for his late spouse impressed his new album.

The outspoken singer– identified by alter ego Johnny Rotten – championed a hellraising revolution within the Seventies because of the Pistols’ rebellious stance in opposition to the Royals and the institution.

But former punk John, 67, confessed that turning into a carer and doing every day chores, equivalent to vacuuming, dishwashing and laundry for late spouse Nora Forster throughout her battle with Alzheimer’s, helped him get again on the street along with his band Public Image Ltd.

“Being a 24/7 carer for Nora I was hoovering sometimes and I would think of a song. I used to sing it out loud and Nora used to find this highly entertaining,” says John.

“So a lot of these tracks were put together musically in my head by dishwashers, laundry machines, carpet cleaners, all of this. You can find a rhythm in anything mechanical.”

PiL kick off their UK and European tour this week in help of latest album End of World.

John says the time caring for his beloved Nora – who died practically 4 months in the past aged 80 after a two-year struggle in opposition to dementia – acquired him by the darkest of days.

“Doing the housework kept her thinking that I was relating to other subjects and not wallowing in self pity,” says John. “My baby was an independent sort of person and would not take kindly to being molly coddled. That would really annoy her.

“Of course it was tough as it was a bag of rocks in your head bashing you about. It was like skinheads running from one part of your head to the other. But my feeling is ‘Get over it’. I had to.

“There are many, many people out there in worse situations than me. I had 45 wonderful years with Nora and that is about as much as you can expect on planet Earth. We will meet again.”

John met Nora at designer Vivienne Westwood’s store Sex in 1975. He penned tribute tune Hawaii earlier this yr in a unsuccessful bid to be Ireland’s Eurovision Song Contest entry.

Despite rumours, John says he won’t ever reunite along with his one-time Sex Pistols bandmates following their authorized fallout over a current TV mini sequence Pistol, which the band selected to make with out him.

Of the authorized conflict, John says: “I don’t give a damn what they think anymore after allowing their mockumentary to be released. It is like, ‘Shame on you’. They are lucky I have been so kind hearted. I don’t feel no pity for them, rage of hatred. I don’t feel anything for them. There is no door (for a reunion). It is a brick wall and it ain’t coming down any time soon.”

• Public Image Ltd begin a UK tour on the Leadmill, Sheffield subsequent Friday. Their album End of World is out now.