Garageland
The Clash Lyrics
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Carbon monoxide making sure it's effective
People ringing up making offers for my life
I just want to stay in the garage all night
We're a garage band (oh, oh, oh)
We come from garageland (oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh)
Contracts in the offices, groups in the night
My bumming slumming friends have all got new boots
And someone just asked me if the group would wear suits
We're a garage band (oh, oh, oh)
We come from garageland (oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh)
I don't want to hear about what the rich are doing
I don't want to go to where, where the rich are going
They think they're so clever, they think they're so right
But the truth is only known by guttersnipes
We're a garage band (oh, oh, oh)
We come from garageland (oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh)
Twenty-two singers, but one microphone
Back in the garage
Five guitar players, but one guitar
Back in the garage
Complaints, complaints, what an old bag
Back in the garage, back in the garage
Back in the garage
The Clash's "Garageland" is a rebellious ode to the punk rock ethos and an assertion of their identity as a garage band from the streets rather than a band with a polished image. The song starts off with the singer returning to the garage with his "bullshit detector" on, implying he is wary of the music industry's tricks and wants to keep it real. He highlights the irony of people offering deals for his life when all he really wants to do is stay in the garage and play music all night.
The second verse juxtaposes the singer's working-class background with the glamour of the West End music scene. He complains of the pressure to conform to the industry's expectations, such as wearing suits. In contrast, the garage band takes pride in their raw, unpolished sound and defies the mainstream expectations of what a successful band should look and sound like. The final verse dismisses the bourgeoisie and their pretensions, affirming the authenticity of the gutter punks and their music.
Overall, "Garageland" is a celebration of DIY culture and a denunciation of the commodification of music. As one of the closing tracks on The Clash's debut album, it serves as a fitting manifesto for the band's punk rock ethos and their mission to "outlaw boring pop music."
Line by Line Meaning
Back in the garage with my bullshit detector
Returning to our origins with an awareness of insincere or misleading speech
Carbon monoxide making sure it's effective
The fumes of our creativity and passion fuel our drive
People ringing up making offers for my life
Requests and demands for our music and image bombard us constantly
I just want to stay in the garage all night
The raw, organic sound of the garage is our natural habitat, and we want to stay true to it
Meanwhile things are hotting up in the West End, alright
While mainstream music industry is ramping up, we remain stubbornly independent
Contracts in the offices, groups in the night
Major record labels are signing artists, but we prefer the freedom and authenticity of the underground scene
My bumming slumming friends have all got new boots
Our down-to-earth friends are strutting new style trends, while we remain genuine and unchanged
And someone just asked me if the group would wear suits
Those in the music industry attempt to mold and commodify us, trying to turn us into something we're not
I don't want to hear about what the rich are doing
Material wealth holds no appeal for us; we want to focus on our authentic musical expression
I don't want to go to where, where the rich are going
We don't want to be part of high society; we prefer the gritty, frenzied atmosphere of garages and dive bars
They think they're so clever, they think they're so right
The mainstream music industry thinks they know what sells and what will be popular, but we believe that only genuine expression brings true success
But the truth is only known by guttersnipes
The most authentic and genuine perspectives come not from the elite, but from the common people
Twenty-two singers, but one microphone
We celebrate the collaborative and improvisational nature of our music, using only limited resources to create something special
Five guitar players, but one guitar
We embrace chaos and collaboration, using creativity to overcome limitations rather than relying on strict conventions
Complaints, complaints, what an old bag
We see no use in constant complaints or nostalgia; we focus on the present and the future
Back in the garage, back in the garage
We remain grounded and true to ourselves, despite the industry pressures and frivolities
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: JOE STRUMMER, MICK JONES, PAUL SIMONON, TOPPER HEADON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@yvesleroux9290
Back in the garage with my bullshit detector
Carbon monoxide making sure it's effective
People ringing up making offers for my life
I just want to stay in the garage all night
We're a garage band (oh, oh, oh)
We come from garageland (oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh)
Meanwhile things are hotting up in the West End, alright
Contracts in the offices, groups in the night
My bumming slumming friends have all got new boots
And someone just asked me if the group would wear suits
We're a garage band (oh, oh, oh)
We come from garageland (oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh)
I don't want to hear about what the rich are doing
I don't want to go to where, where the rich are going
They think they're so clever, they think they're so right
But the truth is only known by guttersnipes
We're a garage band (oh, oh, oh)
We come from garageland (oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh)
Twenty-two singers, but one microphone
Back in the garage
Five guitar players, but one guitar
Back in the garage
Complaints, complaints, what an old bag
Back in the garage, back in the garage
Back in the garage
@KTILLA23
Goosebumps...... There's a beauty in the sound of this song. "I don't really care what the rich are doing." There is something so sincere when he sings this line. It's the true punk spirit. No matter what happens in our lives to us we will always be back in the Garageland...
@Thesortvokter
<3 norway
@KTILLA23
@Thesortvokter Never lose the spirit <3
@luismarioguerrerosanchez4747
The Clash never sold out!
@KTILLA23
@Luis Mario Guerrero Sánchez Always back in Garageland..
@cunobelinusX31
Especially with Covid, I'm 64 and this track just resonates more now than when I was 17
@ShrekHistory
This album is a masterpiece
@FredMorris-pc8ed
if you like this you might like my brothers music. His name is Stu Morris, 'murder the ghost' is a good song by him
@titaniumpecker
The Clash's first album sounds like it could have been recorded in a garage, and I mean that in the best way possible. Punk rock is not meant to be overly produced and polished.
@bruceskibby201
Easily a top 5 album for me of all time.