Jarvis Cocker speaks out against Roe v. Wade at Glastonbury 2022

Jarvis Cocker expressed his outrage at the Supreme Court’s recent decision to overturn Roe v. Wade during his Glastonbury set today (June 26).

Ahead of playing ‘Cunts Are Still Running the World’, the former Pulp frontman told the crowd that he and his JARV IS band had decided to change the lyrics.

  • READ MORE: JARV IS live at Glastonbury 2022: forward-looking set proves nostalgia doesn’t own Worthy Farm

“You might recognise thing song,” he said. “We keep trying to stop playing this song and then things happen in the world and we have to keep playing it. But we changed the words the other day because they wouldn’t allow it to be on telly.

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He continued: “It seems appropriate to sing this song, and especially with this lyric change. Usually it’s c-words are still running the world. Today we’re changing it to pricks are still running the world.

“We’re singing it over the Atlantic Ocean because a certain judgement has been made, mainly by men, telling women what they can and can’t do with their bodies so this is going to those guys.”

Cocker and his band played the Park Stage this evening ahead of Courtney Barnett. Earlier, Jack White played a secret set on the same stage.

In a four-star review, NME‘s Alex Flood called the JARV IS performance a “forward-looking set”. He added on the change of lyrics: “The comments spark huge cheers from the crowd, who only get louder as Cocker conducts them through a raucous singalong of the catchy chorus. It’s a fitting way to stick a finger up to the misogynists – and proves you don’t always have to shut up and play the hits.”

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Elsewhere, around the same time, Lorde gave an impassioned speech about Roe v. Wade being overturned during her Pyramid Stage set.

At the end of ‘Secrets From A Girl (Who’s Seen It All)’, she said: “The temperature is unbearable until you face it. You wanna know a secret, girls? Your bodies were destined to be controlled and objectified since before you were born. That horror is your birthright.”

As the song ended, she concluded: “Fuck the Supreme Court.”

Multiple musicians have referenced the ruling during their Glastonbury sets, including Kendrick Lamar, Billie Eilish, Olivia Rodrigo and Phoebe Bridgers.

Check back at NME here for the latest news, reviews, interviews, photos and more from Glastonbury 2022.