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
Magnificent Seven
The Clash Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Ring, ring, it's 7:00 A.M.
Move yourself to go again
Cold water in the face
Brings you back to this awful place
Knuckle merchants and your bankers too
Weather man and the crazy chief
One says sun and one says sleet
A.M., the F.M. the P.M. too
Churnin' out that boogaloo
Gets you up and it gets you out
But how long can you keep it up?
Gimme Honda, gimme Sony
So cheap and real phony
Hong Kong dollar, Indian cents
English pounds and Eskimo pence
You lot, what?
Don't stop, give it all you got
You lot, what?
Don't stop, yeah
You lot, what?
Don't stop, give it all you got
You lot, what?
Don't stop, yeah
Working for a rise, better my station
Take my baby to sophistication
Seen the ads, she thinks it's nice
Better work hard, I seen the price
Never mind that it's time for the bus
We got to work and you're one of us
Clocks go slow in a place of work
Minutes drag and the hours jerk
Yeah, wave bye, bye (when can I tell 'em what I do?)
(In a second, maan, alright Chuck)
Wave bub-bub-bub-bye to the boss
It's our profit, it's his loss
But anyway the lunch bells ring
Take one hour, do your thang
Cheeesboiger
What do we have for entertainment?
Cops kickin' gypsies on the pavement
Now the news has snapped to attention
Lunar landing of the dentist convention
Italian mobster shoots a lobster
Seafood restaurant gets out of hand
A car in the fridge, a fridge in the car
Like cowboys do in TV land
You lot, what?
Don't stop, give it all you got
You lot, what?
Don't stop, huh
You lot, what?
Don't stop, give it all you got, yeah
You lot, what?
Don't stop
So get back to work and sweat some more
The sun will sink and we'll get out the door
It's no good for man to work in cages
Hit the town, he drinks his wages
You're frettin', you're sweatin'
But did you notice, you ain't gettin'
You're frettin', you're sweatin'
But did you notice, not gettin' anywhere
Don't you ever stop, a long enough to start
Take your car outta that gear
Don't you ever stop, long enough to start
Get your car outta that gear
Karlo Marx and Frederick Engels
Came to the checkout at the 7-11
Marx was skint but he had sense
Engels lent him the necessary pence
What have we got? Yeah, ooh
What have we got? Yeah, ooh
What have we got? Magnificence
What have we got?
Luther King and Mahatma Gandhi
Went to the park to check on the game
But they was murdered by the other team
Who went on to win fifty-nil
You can be true, you can be false
You'll be given the same reward
Socrates and Milhous Nixon
Both went the same way through the kitchen
Plato the Greek or Rin Tin Tin
Who's more famous to the billion millions?
News flash, 'Vacuum cleaner sucks up budgie'
Ooh, bye-bye, bub-bye
The magnificent seven
Magnificent
Magnificent seven
The Clash's song Magnificent Seven is a dissection of the daily grind of modern life, and how it seems like there is no end to the cycle. The lyrics talk about waking up in the morning, facing a day of work, and then coming home just to repeat the same thing the next day. The concept of time is also explored in the song, as the clocks seem to go slower in the workplace, causing minutes to drag and hours to jerk. The chorus of the song, "You lot, what? Don't stop, give it all you got," is a call to action, telling listeners that even though the cycle is monotonous, they have to keep pushing forward and giving it their all.
In addition to its commentary on work and time, Magnificent Seven touches on several other topics throughout its lyrics. These include consumerism (with references to Honda and Sony), currency (with mentions of various forms of money), and even pop culture (with allusions to TV cowboys and Rin Tin Tin). The song also features a spoken interlude in which Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels make an appearance, lending a humorous and intellectual edge to the track.
Overall, The Clash's Magnificent Seven is a hard-hitting song that offers a bleak yet truthful look at the modern world, and emphasizes the importance of persevering through life's constant hardships.
Line by Line Meaning
Ring, ring, it's 7:00 A.M.
The day has started and it's time to wake up
Move yourself to go again
Get up and start your day
Cold water in the face
Splashing water on your face to wake up
Brings you back to this awful place
The reality of going to work hits you
Knuckle merchants and your bankers too
People from all walks of life are going to work
Must get up and learn those rules
Everyone has to learn the rules at their job
Weather man and the crazy chief
Different people have different opinions, no one is always right
One says sun and one says sleet
Different people have different opinions, no one is always right
A.M., the F.M. the P.M. too
The different times of day
Churnin' out that boogaloo
Working hard and getting things done
Gets you up and it gets you out
Going to work gets you moving and out the door
But how long can you keep it up?
How long can you physically and mentally keep working like this?
Gimme Honda, gimme Sony
Advertising influences what people want and buy
So cheap and real phony
The advertised products are cheap but not truly genuine
Hong Kong dollar, Indian cents
Different currencies from around the world
English pounds and Eskimo pence
Different currencies from around the world
You lot, what?
A call to action, asking what people are doing
Don't stop, give it all you got
Keep pushing yourself and working hard
Working for a rise, better my station
Working hard to improve one's life and status
Take my baby to sophistication
Wanting to provide for one's family to have a better life
Seen the ads, she thinks it's nice
Advertising influences what people think is desirable
Better work hard, I seen the price
Knowing that hard work is required to afford the things one wants
Never mind that it's time for the bus
Ignoring the time and rushing to work
We got to work and you're one of us
Everyone is working together
Clocks go slow in a place of work
Time seems to drag on when working
Minutes drag and the hours jerk
Time seems to go by slowly when working
Yeah, wave bye, bye
Leaving work at the end of the day
(when can I tell 'em what I do?)
A desire to be able to discuss one's work with others
(In a second, maan, alright Chuck)
Promising to talk about it soon
Wave bub-bub-bub-bye to the boss
Leaving work and saying goodbye to the boss
It's our profit, it's his loss
The company's success comes at the expense of the boss's time and energy
But anyway the lunch bells ring
Time to take a break and eat lunch
Take one hour, do your thang
Take an hour for yourself and do what you want
Cheeesboiger
A silly way of ordering a cheeseburger
What do we have for entertainment?
Looking for something to do in one's free time
Cops kickin' gypsies on the pavement
Violent and unfair treatment of marginalized groups
Now the news has snapped to attention
The news focuses on sensational stories
Lunar landing of the dentist convention
Parodying the sensationalism of news stories
Italian mobster shoots a lobster
Violence and crime in the news
Seafood restaurant gets out of hand
Parodying the sensationalism of news stories
A car in the fridge, a fridge in the car
Parodying the surreal nature of things in the news
Like cowboys do in TV land
Parodying the unrealistic nature of TV shows
So get back to work and sweat some more
Pushing oneself to keep working hard
The sun will sink and we'll get out the door
Working until the end of the day when it's time to go home
It's no good for man to work in cages
Metaphorically referring to being trapped in a job or life situation
Hit the town, he drinks his wages
Going out and spending money after getting paid
You're frettin', you're sweatin'
Feeling stressed and overwhelmed
But did you notice, you ain't gettin'
Despite all the hard work, not seeing results or progress
Don't you ever stop, a long enough to start
Keep pushing and working hard to achieve goals
Take your car outta that gear
Don't slow down, keep moving forward
Get your car outta that gear
Metaphorically referring to not getting stuck or complacent in life
Karlo Marx and Frederick Engels
Referring to famous political philosophers
Came to the checkout at the 7-11
Giving a modern reference to the philosophers' time period
Marx was skint but he had sense
Marx may have been poor, but he was intelligent and wise
Engels lent him the necessary pence
Engels financially supported Marx despite his own limited means
Who's more famous to the billion millions?
Asking a rhetorical question about fame and relevance
News flash, 'Vacuum cleaner sucks up budgie'
A nonsense news story to parody sensationalism
Ooh, bye-bye, bub-bye
A goofy way of saying goodbye
Luther King and Mahatma Gandhi
Famous figures who fought for civil rights and peace
Went to the park to check on the game
Going to the park as a simple pleasure and leisure activity
But they was murdered by the other team
The realities of violent oppression and injustice
Who went on to win fifty-nil
The oppressor continued to dominate and triumph over their victims
You can be true, you can be false
People can be honest or deceitful, but still receive the same rewards in society
You'll be given the same reward
Regardless of one's character, society only values success and reward
Socrates and Milhous Nixon
Famous figures who were known for their intellect and political impact
Both went the same way through the kitchen
A humorous way of making a comparison between the legendary and the infamous
Plato the Greek or Rin Tin Tin
Making a comparison between a philosopher and a dog actor
Magnificence
Celebrating the greatness and diversity of humanity
The magnificent seven
The diverse and dynamic nature of society
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: JOE STRUMMER, MICK JONES, TOPPER HEADON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@jackspry9736
RIP Joe Strummer (August 21, 1952 – December 22, 2002), aged 50
You will be remembered as a legend.
@timbacon2449
20 years already, madness, Letts a good producer too
@101Restoration
Well Joe won 50 nil and what a life and career
@alejandroherrera7965
that bass line is killer
@user-zt2wc3uh1l
Norman Watt Roy
@mattiasgarvello185
fr fr on god the bassline sonfucking zased omg so znas e aso oh mgy god so fuckinfn za s e 🇦🇱 so dificing fAsed i loVeF I OH my godDD SO FUVKong ZasSeed so szase r d so fucking zba se e dos z Ased so za s ed d
@mikaelekstrom4333
I agre. And Topper is a great drummer. I love Clash. Eken Sweden
@Chrisamusic1
@@user-zt2wc3uh1l A wonderful bass player.
@yvonnemulder9038
Love vacuum cleaner sucks some budget magnifificent
@musicsavage
1/3 rock, 1/3 rap, 1/3 disco.....and it works just fine.