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
Ivan Meets G.I. Joe
The Clash Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
So you're on the floor at fifty-four
Think you can last at the Palace
Does your body go to the to and fro?
But tonight's the night or didn't you know
That Ivan meets G.I. Joe
Ivan meets G.I. Joe
Ivan meets G.I. Joe
He tried his tricks that Ruskie bear
The United Nations said it's all fair
He did the radiation he did the chemical plague
But he could not win with a cossack spin
The Vostok Bomb the Stalin strike
He tried every move he tried to hitch hike
He drilled a hole like a Russian star
He made every move in his repertoire
When Ivan meets G.I. Joe
Ivan meets G.I. Joe
Ivan meets G.I. Joe
Ivan meets G.I. Joe
Ivan meets G.I. Joe
Ivan meets G.I. Joe
Ivan meets G.I. Joe
Ivan meets G.I. Joe
Now it was G.I. Joe's turn to blow
He turned it on cool and slow
He tried a payphone call to the Pentagon
A radar scan a leviathan
He wiped the Earth clean as a plate
What does it take to make a Ruskie break?
But the crowd are bored and off they go
Over the road to watch China blow
Ivan meets G.I. Joe
Ivan meets G.I. Joe
Ivan meets G.I. Joe
Ivan meets G.I. Joe
The Clash's "Ivan Meets G.I. Joe" is a fascinating political commentary on the Cold War era. The song describes the ideological and political conflict between the USA and the Soviet Union in the context of an imaginary battle between two superheroes: Ivan, representing the USSR, and G.I. Joe, representing the USA. The lyrics describe how Ivan has tried everything in his arsenal including the Vostok Bomb, the Stalin Strike, radioactive tactics and chemical warfare, but has failed in defeating the seemingly invincible G.I. Joe. The song ends on a depressing note, with the crowd appearing unimpressed and bored by the spectacle and heading off to watch China.
The song can be interpreted as a reflection of the arms race and the policy of Mutual Assured Destruction (MAD), in which both superpowers continued to build up their nuclear weapons stockpile in order to deter the other from attacking. The song criticizes the absurdity of this situation, where both sides have become so entrenched in their ideologies that they are unable to find a way out of the conflict. The song is also a comment on the role of media in shaping public opinion and how it has become a spectator sport with little regard for its actual impact on real people's lives.
Line by Line Meaning
Anything we should know about your change?
No line assigned
So you're on the floor at fifty-four
You're getting old
Think you can last at the Palace
You wonder if you're still relevant
Does your body go to the to and fro?
You feel like something is off about your body
But tonight's the night or didn't you know
You're about to witness a great battle
That Ivan meets G.I. Joe
The Soviet Union and USA will go to war
Ivan meets G.I. Joe
The Soviet Union and USA will go to war
Ivan meets G.I. Joe
The Soviet Union and USA will go to war
Ivan meets G.I. Joe
The Soviet Union and USA will go to war
He tried his tricks that Ruskie bear
The Soviet Union tried different tactics
The United Nations said it's all fair
The actions were seen as justified by the international community
He did the radiation he did the chemical plague
The Soviet Union used chemical and nuclear weapons
But he could not win with a cossack spin
The Soviet Union's tactics didn't work
The Vostok Bomb the Stalin strike
The Soviet Union tried different attacks
He tried every move he tried to hitch hike
The Soviet Union tried every tactic they could think of
He drilled a hole like a Russian star
The Soviet Union tried different tactics
He made every move in his repertoire
The Soviet Union tried everything they could
Now it was G.I. Joe's turn to blow
Now it's the US's turn to strike
He turned it on cool and slow
The US was patient and strategic
He tried a payphone call to the Pentagon
The US strategized their moves
A radar scan a leviathan
The US tried various tactics
He wiped the Earth clean as a plate
The US was destructive in their attacks
What does it take to make a Ruskie break?
The US was wondering what it would take to defeat the Soviet Union
But the crowd are bored and off they go
People are not interested in the war anymore
Over the road to watch China blow
People are more interested in a new conflict with China
Ivan meets G.I. Joe
The Soviet Union and USA went to war
Ivan meets G.I. Joe
The Soviet Union and USA went to war
Ivan meets G.I. Joe
The Soviet Union and USA went to war
Ivan meets G.I. Joe
The Soviet Union and USA went to war
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: JOE STRUMMER, MICK JONES, TOPPER HEADON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Reality Real Estate
Nicky Headon is a fantastic drummer! He also proved that he could sing good. Then after this album, the next album Combat Rock he wrote the biggest hit the Clash ever had "Rock The Casbah". Now he proved himself to be a great songwriter as well! The Clash were the new Beatles of our time. Pure Greatness!
Simon Edwards
YOUR RIGHT,,WELL SAID!!!!!!!! FANTASTIC @@@
Vitaly Maliarov
This is one song that I thought was Terrible at first, now I can't stop listening to it. That's my experience with like half the songs on Sandinista
Teddy Dislake
The Clash, elegancia punk.
La Caseteca
ese puntito no lo contradice... aca va el mio.
AK
I love that little groove with the horns and piano, kinda reminds me a bit of Rock the Casbah
Wrightyla _
Fast becoming my favourite clash song.
Googlebanmetoomuch 2
Extremely under-rated song and band
AFIF ABAST
Holy sh- I think they're actually gonna remaster the whole album
Coquette Film Journal
isn’t this album already remastered 😂