The song was first played live in at Mont De Marsan (Landes - France), in August 1977 and recorded the same year in the band's October and November sessions in CBS studios. The song was edited in December by producer Mickey Foote (Joe Strummer's old sound-man from the 101'ers and producer of The Clash and "White Riot") after manager Bernie Rhodes decided it sounded 'a bit flat' rendering the song one semitone higher in pitch. Strummer and Jones were in Jamaica at the time. With the exception of the 2000 re-issue of the US version of The Clash, the original mix of the song has been used on every re-release since.
The Clash's first overt attempt as self-mythology, "Clash City Rockers" is, by and large, a song about positivity and moving forward, and revisits themes common in Clash songs of the era, specifically dead-end employment and having a purpose in life. The middle part of the song is based on an old nursery rhyme, "Oranges and Lemons", and namechecks David Bowie, Gary Glitter and Prince Far-I; the irony of the line "when I am fitter say the bells of Gary Glitter" following his scandal was not lost on Mick Jones, who joked about it in December 2003 of Uncut magazine:
"The Gary Glitter lyric? yeah that was before the internet [grins]"
The main riff is very reminiscent to The Who's debut single, I Can't Explain's main riff, and sounds like it has been expanded by The Clash. This riff was reworked by the band again for Guns On The Roof on their second album Give Em Enough Rope.
Clash City Rockers
The Clash Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You need a little jump of electrical shockers
You better leave town if you only want to knock us
Nothing stands the pressure of the Clash city rockers
You see the rate they come down the escalator
Now listen to the tube train accelerator
Then you realize that you got to have a purpose
So don't complain about your useless employment
Jack it in forever tonight
Or shut your mouth and pretend you enjoy it
Think of all the money you've got
An' I want to liquefy everybody gone dry
Or plug into the aerials that poke up in the sky
Or burn down the suburbs with the half-closed eyes
You won't succeed unless you try
You owe me a move say the bells of St. Groove
Come on and show me say the bells of Old Bowie
When I am fitter say the bells of Gary Glitter
No one but you and I say the bells of Prince Far-I
No one but you and I say the bells of Prince Far-I
An' I want to move the town to the Clash city rockers
You need a little jump of electrical shockers
You better leave town if you only want to knock us
Nothing stands the pressure of the Clash city rockers
Rock rock Clash city rockers
The Clash’s song “Clash City Rockers” is a rallying cry for youth to reject their boring, day-to-day routine and embrace the invigorating energy of punk rock. The first verse opens with a call to action: the singer passionately declares his desire to relocate the town to the “Clash city rockers” and inject it with a jolt of “electrical shockers.” He warns those who don’t share his rebellious spirit to leave town and, in doing so, underscores the power and intensity of punk music.
Moving on to the second verse, the singer describes the frenzied atmosphere of London’s mass transit system. Against the backdrop of the tube train’s accelerating roar, he notes the importance of having a purpose in life or risk being “knocked out sooner or later.” He then offers a choice: “Jack it in forever tonight” – in other words, quit your dull job and join the punk rock revolution – or “shut your mouth and pretend you enjoy it” and embrace the material benefits your job offers.
The third verse doubles down on the song’s message of rebellion. The singer declares his desire to shake up the status quo, whether by “liquifying everybody gone dry,” “plugging into the aerials that poke up in the sky,” or “burning down the suburbs with the half-closed eyes.” The singer uses a series of bell tolls to evoke different musical icons from past and present, ultimately ending with the words “No one but you and I,” a reminder that it’s up to the young people listening to the song to carry on the legacy of punk rock and reject the empty values of mainstream society.
Line by Line Meaning
An' I want to move the town to the Clash city rockers
The singer wants to transform the town into a rock and roll hotspot
You need a little jump of electrical shockers
To enjoy the excitement of the city, you need something that energizes and shocks you
You better leave town if you only want to knock us
If you're not here to rock and roll with us, you should find another place to be
Nothing stands the pressure of the Clash city rockers
The energy of the city is so powerful that it can't be resisted
You see the rate they come down the escalator
Observing people's intense movements as they come down the escalator
Now listen to the tube train accelerator
Hearing the sound of the train accelerating from the underground tube
Then you realize that you got to have a purpose
The chaos of the city makes you realize that you need to have a goal
Or this place is gonna knock you out sooner or later
If you don't have a purpose, the city will wear you down over time
So don't complain about your useless employment
Don't complain about your job being meaningless
Jack it in forever tonight
Quit your job permanently tonight
Or shut your mouth and pretend you enjoy it
Keep your mouth closed and pretend that you're satisfied with your job
Think of all the money you've got
Money might make up for the lack of passion in your work life
An' I want to liquefy everybody gone dry
The singer wants the energy of the city to revitalize those who have lost their passion for life
Or plug into the aerials that poke up in the sky
The singer wants to connect with something greater by tuning into the signals in the sky
Or burn down the suburbs with the half-closed eyes
The suburbs, which lack energy and passion, should be set ablaze
You won't succeed unless you try
In order to succeed, you have to make an effort
You owe me a move say the bells of St. Groove
A phrase to indicate that a change is in order, to move to where the music is happening
Come on and show me say the bells of Old Bowie
Old Bowie encourages the singer to show them what they have got
When I am fitter say the bells of Gary Glitter
Gary Glitter reminds the singer that when they are healthy, they should strive for even more
No one but you and I say the bells of Prince Far-I
Prince Far-I indicates that the two of them are the only ones that can bring the change they want
No one but you and I say the bells of Prince Far-I
Prince Far-I indicates that the two of them are the only ones that can bring the change they want
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: JOE STRUMMER, MICK JONES, PAUL SIMONON, TOPPER HEADON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind