Ongoing History Daily: Sex, drugs, and rock’n’roll

One of the most common phrases in the world of rock is this one: “Sex and drugs and rock’n’roll.”  I mean, how many times have you heard someone say that?  Have you ever wondered where it came from? 

Although it was used colloquially as far back as the 60s, it really took off in 1977 when a British band called Ian Dury and the Blockheads released a successful single called “Sex and Drugs and Rock’n’Roll.”  But if you’re into language history, you gotta go further back than that. 

This phrase is merely an updated version of the notion of “wine, women, and song.” Examples of which can be found in every language from Polish and Swedish to Hindi and Sanskrit and extend back hundreds and even thousands of years. 

Some things never change, huh?

Friday’s story was on the origins of Gorillaz.