From their earliest days as a band, The Clash stood apart from their peers with their musicianship as well as their lyrics, the passionate, left-wing political idealism in the lyrics by frontman Joe Strummer and guitarist Mick Jones contrasting with the lyrical nihilism of the Sex Pistols and the musical minimalism of the Ramones. Their 1979 album 'London Calling' is considered by critics as one of the greatest albums in the history of rock music. Rolling Stone declared it the best album of the 80s.
The Clash's attitude and style, as much as their music, has influenced countless bands, both within and outside the sphere of punk rock. Often lauded as "the only band that matters," The Clash were canonized as rock saints even before they broke up. They were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in the class of 2003. Their first five albums, ('The Clash', 'Give 'Em Enough Rope', 'London Calling', 'Sandinista!', and 'Combat Rock') to this day, continue to earn a great deal of interest from rock fans and artists alike.
Mick Jones went on to form Big Audio Dynamite after being fired from The Clash, and he more recently has produced albums by artists such as The Libertines and Babyshambles. In 2004, he formed Carbon/silicon with musician Tony James (of Generation X and Sigue Sigue Sputnik fame). Exploring various genres such as alternative rock and electronic music, he continues to collaborate with other modern groups such as Gorillaz.
Joe Strummer went on to form and front Joe Strummer and the Latino Rockabilly War and then Joe Strummer and The Mescaleros. He also had a notable solo career that involved work in films and other endeavors, often earning critical acclaim. He died on December 22, 2002, the victim of an un-diagnosed congenital heart defect. Mourned by countless punk fans, his life has been subject to several tributes and was memorialized in the 2007 documentary 'Joe Strummer: The Future Is Unwritten'.
Bass player Paul Simonon went on to form Havana 3 A.M., a group that released a self-titled album in 1991, yet he decided to quit music in the early 90s in favour of becoming an artist. In 2006, he returned to music as bass player in a musical project together with singer-songwriter Damon Albarn. The project is often referred to as The Good, The Bad & The Queen, the name of the groups first recorded album that came out in 2007. In terms of his paintings, his well-received work notably was in an exhibition at Thomas Williams Fine Art in London.
Drummer Topper Headon released a solo album, 1986's 'Waking Up', before leaving the music business to become a taxi driver and escape the heroin addiction that cost him his legacy in The Clash. Over the years, he's had sporadic involvement in various music-related endeavors, such as being a key part of the aforementioned 'The Future Is Unwritten' film. He's currently residing in the seaside town of Dover, England.
Members:
1976 Original line-up
Joe Strummer – lead vocals, rhythm guitar
Mick Jones – lead guitar, backing vocals
Keith Levene – lead guitar
Paul Simonon – bass guitar, backing vocals
Terry Chimes – drums, percussion
1977
Joe Strummer – lead vocals, rhythm guitar
Mick Jones – lead guitar, backing vocals
Paul Simonon – bass guitar, backing vocals
Terry Chimes – drums, percussion
1977-1982 Classic line-up
Joe Strummer – lead vocals, rhythm guitar
Mick Jones – lead guitar, backing vocals
Paul Simonon – bass guitar, backing vocals
Topper Headon – drums, percussion
1982-1983
Joe Strummer – lead vocals, rhythm guitar
Mick Jones – lead guitar, backing vocals
Paul Simonon – bass guitar, backing vocals
Terry Chimes – drums, percussion
1983
Joe Strummer – lead vocals, rhythm guitar
Mick Jones – lead guitar, backing vocals
Paul Simonon – bass guitar, backing vocals
Pete Howard – drums, percussion
1983-1986 Final line-up
Joe Strummer – lead vocals, rhythm guitar
Nick Sheppard – lead guitar, backing vocals
Vince White – lead guitar
Paul Simonon – bass guitar, backing vocals
Pete Howard – drums, percussion
05-Bank Robber
The Clash Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
But he never hurt nobody
He just loved to live that way
And he loved to steal your money
Some is rich and some is poor
And that's the way the world is
And I don't believe in lying back
So we came to jazz it up
Never loved a shovel
Break your back to earn your pay
Don't forget to grovel
Daddy was a bank robber
But he never hurt nobody
He just loved to live that way
And he loved to take your money
What law?
The old man spoke up in a bar
Said, "I never been in prison
A lifetime serving one machine
Is ten times worse than prison"
Imagine if all the boys in jail
Could get out now together
What do you think they wanna say to us
While we were being clever
Someday you'll meet your rockin' chair
'Cause that's where we're spinnin'
There's no point to want to comb your hair
When it's gray and thinin'
Hey
Hey
Daddy was a bank robber
But he never hurt nobody
He just loved to live that way
And he loved to steal your money
So we came to jazz it up
We never loved a shovel
Break your back to earn your pay
And don't forget to grovel
Hey
Get away, get away
Get away, get away
Get away, get away
Get away
Daddy was a bank robber
But he never hurt nobody
He just loved to live that way
And he loved to steal your money
Hey
Run, [Incomprehensible], run
Strike out boy
For the hills
I can't find that hole in the wall
I know that they never will
Daddy was a bank robber
But he never hurt nobody
He just loved to live that way
And he loved to steal your money
The Clash's 05-Bank Robber is a punk-rock ballad that reflects on societal class inequalities and the love for living outside the law. The opening line, "My daddy was a bank robber, but he never hurt nobody," expresses the fact that the singer's father, a notorious bank robber, did not physically injure anyone while conducting his criminal activities. However, the lyrics suggest that society is flawed because of its unequal distribution of wealth; there are both rich and poor people in the world, and this is just the way it is. The song suggests that lying down or accepting these class inequalities is not the solution, and it is pointless to complain. The song insists that people should be proactive and take action to change circumstances, even if it means breaking the law. The song's narrator reveres living life on the outside of the law and glamorizes robbing others' money.
As the song draws to a close, the focus shifts to discussing the theme of imprisonment. The old man speaking up in the bar claims that serving the machine, also known as living according to strict societal conventions, is ten times worse than being incarcerated in prison. The song suggests that while the criminal justice system exists to punish offenders, the real prison for individuals is living a life devoid of free expression and living someone else's prescribed life. The song's final message highlights the importance of living life to the fullest and doing things that give us joy, even if it means going against societal norms.
Line by Line Meaning
My daddy was a bank robber
My father committed robbery at a bank
But he never hurt nobody
He didn't physically harm anyone
He just loved to live that way
He had a passion for a risky lifestyle
And he loved to steal your money
He enjoyed taking other people's money
Some is rich and some is poor
Society has a wealth gap between the rich and the poor
And that's the way the world is
This is how things naturally are
And I don't believe in lying back
I don't agree with being passive
Saying how bad your life is
Complaining about one's bad life doesn't solve anything
So we came to jazz it up
We came to bring excitement
Never loved a shovel
I dislike manual labor jobs
Break your back to earn your pay
Working hard to earn money
Don't forget to grovel
Don't forget to show respect to those with power
What law?
Defiance against authority/law enforcement
The old man spoke up in a bar
Elderly man expresses his opinion in a public place
Said, "I never been in prison
Claims to have never been incarcerated
A lifetime serving one machine
Spending a life working for a company
Is ten times worse than prison"
Believes corporate oppression is worse than prison
Imagine if all the boys in jail
Consider the perspective of incarcerated individuals
Could get out now together
They could unite and escape
What do you think they wanna say to us
How do you imagine they would feel about us?
While we were being clever
While we were exploiting their situation for amusement
Someday you'll meet your rockin' chair
Inevitability of aging and slowing down
'Cause that's where we're spinnin'
Life is constantly moving towards the end
There's no point to want to comb your hair
There's no longer a need to worry about one's appearance
When it's gray and thinin'
When hair is no longer thick and colored
Hey
Attention-getting interjection
Get away, get away
Escape or evade
Run, [Incomprehensible], run
Escape using any means necessary
Strike out boy
Leave and start anew
For the hills
Escape to the countryside
I can't find that hole in the wall
Unable to locate the entry point to a secret location
I know that they never will
I understand that this is not something I will achieve
Daddy was a bank robber
Reiteration that my father robbed banks
But he never hurt nobody
Reiteration that he never harmed anyone
He just loved to live that way
Reiteration that he enjoyed his lifestyle
And he loved to steal your money
Reiteration that he enjoyed taking other people's money
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: JOE STRUMMER, MICK JONES, PAUL SIMONON, TOPPER HEADON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@jimmyjazz95
Man,Topper.SO underrated.Absolutely unreal drummer.
@tangoguy12
At this moment of one this is easily my favourite song! Great band!
@hebert777
Topper Headon, so magic in this song alive.
@Thanksfortheshanks
Love it, brings back my youth and the music i listened to.
@PaulaJGlover
ABSOLUTE CLASS .....RIP JASON GLOVER!!!
@killer72619
Topper doing man's work here. Wow.
@CharlieDoesNotSurf
Sandy Pearlman, who produced 'Give Em Enough Rope', says Topper Headon is the finest drummer who ever lived. Simple as. And he aint no bad judge.
@EstebanSanbora
muy bueno !
@rudybolo
clashical style still hot & more loved than ever--
@xXlupo2000Xx
i love this song ;) i know this song from the best movie, rocknrolla <3