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
London
The Clash Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
London's burning
All across the town, all across the night
Everybody's driving with full headlights
Black or white, you turn it on, you face the new religion
Everybody's sitting 'round watching television
London's burning dial nine-nine-nine-nine-nine
London's burning with boredom now
London's burning dial nine-nine-nine-nine-nine
I'm up and down the Westway, in and out the lights
What a great traffic system, it's so bright
I can't think of a better way to spend the night
Than speeding around underneath the yellow lights
London's burning with boredom now
London's burning dial nine-nine-nine-nine-nine
London's burning with boredom now
London's burning dial nine-nine-nine-nine-nine
Now I'm in the subway and I'm looking for the flat
This one leads to this block, this one leads to that
The wind howls through the empty blocks looking for a home
I run through the empty stone because I'm all alone
London's burning with boredom now
London's burning dial nine-nine-nine-nine-nine
London's burning with boredom now
London's burning dial nine-nine-nine-nine-nine
London's burning
The Clash's London's Burning is a punk anthem that was released in 1977 during a time when London was experiencing significant social and economic changes. The song opens with the repetition of the title, "London's Burning", suggesting a sense of urgency and chaos that permeates the city. The lyrics go on to talk about the monotony and boredom of everyday life, as people "watch television" and "drive with full headlights". This sense of ennui is heightened by the repeated refrain of dialling the emergency number 999 as if to say that people are so bored they're resorting to false alarms for entertainment.
The second part of the song sees the singer driving around the Westway with the bright yellow lights flashing past, almost like an escape from the mundane. However, the sense of freedom is short-lived as the singer takes the subway, running through empty blocks looking for a home. The song eventually returns to its opening line, suggesting that no matter what direction one takes, the chaos and destruction of London continues.
Overall, the song seems to be a commentary on the state of society in London during the late 1970s, specifically the sense of boredom and lack of purpose that many young people felt at the time.
Line by Line Meaning
London's burning
The city of London is on fire, but also metaphorically burning due to the dullness and boredom felt by its residents.
All across the town, all across the night
The feeling of boredom is widespread throughout the entire city, and persists through day and night.
Everybody's driving with full headlights
People are driving around with their lights on as it is dark outside, representing the monotony of daily life.
Black or white, you turn it on, you face the new religion
No matter your skin color or background, everyone is exposed to and consumed by the current culture and lifestyle, which acts as a new type of religion.
Everybody's sitting 'round watching television
People are so bored that they turn to watching TV as a way to pass the time, instead of engaging in meaningful activities.
London's burning with boredom now
The city is engulfed in a state of extreme boredom and restlessness, leading to feelings of despair and hopelessness.
London's burning dial nine-nine-nine-nine-nine
The singer is using this emergency phone number to represent the desperate need for something to change or happen in order to break the monotony.
I'm up and down the Westway, in and out the lights
The artist is driving around on this road, trying to find something interesting to do or see, but ultimately just driving around aimlessly.
What a great traffic system, it's so bright
The artist is being facetious, as the traffic system is actually hindering any sort of excitement or adventure in the city.
I can't think of a better way to spend the night
The artist is acknowledging that there is no other interesting or exciting way to spend the night but to drive around aimlessly.
Than speeding around underneath the yellow lights
The singer is finding even a small thrill in the mundane act of driving quickly under street lights.
Now I'm in the subway and I'm looking for the flat
The artist is now walking around in the subway, trying to find a particular building or apartment.
This one leads to this block, this one leads to that
The singer is getting lost in the maze-like structure of the subway, seemingly wandering aimlessly with no sense of direction.
The wind howls through the empty blocks looking for a home
The city itself seems empty and desolate, as if the buildings and streets are searching for purpose and meaning like the people living there.
I run through the empty stone because I'm all alone
The singer is feeling more and more isolated, despite being in a city of millions of people. They run through the subway tunnels seeking some sort of escape or meaning.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: JOE STRUMMER, MICK JONES, PAUL SIMONON, TOPPER HEADON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@miracleofsound
One of the greatest songs of all time. Sounds like the end of the world
@giandomenicorodino1776
sono d'accordo
@mikeferguson5935
So gosh darn correct. One of my top ten best albums EVER. Side 3 is perfection.
@astraluna6is9
It did. It does. It will always.
@rajs4719
Think it was written because they were having to go back to London because of the threat of a war at the time of something like that. So you were pretty spot on haha
@thomasconrad7998
Holy shit miracle of sound comments on music videos!
@onlinefriend3889
I can't believe a city was named after this song, those people there must be huge Clash fans
@patdan774
Am a huge clash fsn from way back n biracial they r just top musicians 🥰
@bigboiac5592
Ikr they even made it a capital city as well!
@clivesnell
😂😂😂😂nice one!