Rock the Casbah
The Clash Lyrics
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"You have to let that raga drop"
The oil down the desert way
Has been shaken to the top
The Sheik he drove his Cadillac
He went a-cruisin' down the ville
The Muezzin was a-standin'
On the radiator grille, ow
Shareef don't like it
Rockin' the Casbah, rock the Casbah
The Shareef don't like it
Rockin' the Casbah, rock the Casbah
By order of the prophet
We'll ban that boogie sound
Degenerate the faithful
With that crazy Casbah sound
But the Bedouin they brought out an electric camel drum
The local guitar picker got his guitar pickin' thumb
As soon as the Shareef had cleared the square
They began to wail
Shareef don't like it
Rockin' the Casbah, rock the Casbah
Shareef don't like it
Rockin' the Casbah, rock the Casbah
Now, over at the temple
Oh, they really pack 'em in
The in-crowd say it's cool
To dig this chanting thing
But as the wind changed direction
And the temple band took five
Of that crazy Casbah jive
Shareef don't like it
Rockin' the Casbah, rock the Casbah
Shareef don't like it
Rockin' the Casbah, rock the Casbah
The king called up his jet fighters
He said, "You better earn your pay
Drop your bombs between the minarets
Down the Casbah way"
As soon as the Shareef was chauffeured outta there
The jet pilots tuned to the cockpit radio blare
Soon as the Shareef was outta their hair
The jet pilots wail
Shareef don't like it
Rockin' the Casbah, rock the Casbah
Shareef don't like it
Rockin' the Casbah, rock the Casbah
Shareef don't like it, he thinks it's not kosher
Rockin' the Casbah, rock the Casbah
Shareef don't like it, fundamentally can't take it
Rockin' the Casbah, Rock the Casbah
Shareef don't like it, you know he really hates it
Rockin' the Casbah, rock the Casbah
Shareef don't like it, really, really hates it
The Clash's "Rock the Casbah" tells the story of a king who instructs the "boogie men" to stop playing music since it is deemed inappropriate according to their beliefs. In an ironic twist, the boogie men end up disobeying the king and playing their music anyway, much to the chagrin of the Shareef, who doesn't approve of the unorthodox sounds. The lyrics paint the picture of the conflict between the conservative beliefs of the people and the desire to express one's creativity and individuality through music.
The song is full of poetic imagery, such as "The oil down the desert way has been shaken to the top" and "The Muezzin was a-standin' on the radiator grille." These lines use vivid descriptions to help paint a picture of the world the song is set in. The use of phrases like "Crazy Casbah jive" and "Electric camel drum" help create a sense of whimsy and lightheartedness, even as the song tackles serious topics like censorship and freedom of expression.
Line by Line Meaning
Now the king told the boogie men
The authorities have issued an order to stop people from dancing to certain music
"You have to let that raga drop"
You must stop playing that type of music
The oil down the desert way
The oil industry is thriving in this region
Has been shaken to the top
There has been a significant change in the hierarchy of power in this area
The Sheik he drove his Cadillac
The wealthy entrepreneur is showing off his wealth by driving his expensive car
He went a-cruisin' down the ville
He's showing off his lifestyle to the other people in the town
The Muezzin was a-standin'
The religious person is observing the events happening around him
On the radiator grille, ow
He is in a position where he can't escape from what's happening
Shareef don't like it
The leader doesn't approve of the changes taking place
Rockin' the Casbah, rock the Casbah
The new music style is becoming very popular among the locals and it's upsetting the leader
By order of the prophet
The directive is coming from a religious leader
We'll ban that boogie sound
Music authorities will stop the new music style from playing
Degenerate the faithful
The music will corrupt the moral fiber of the locals
With that crazy Casbah sound
The unique cultural sound is causing problems in the community
But the Bedouin they brought out an electric camel drum
The nomads are modernizing their musical instruments
The local guitar picker got his guitar pickin' thumb
The musician is ready to play and entertain the people with his guitar
As soon as the Shareef had cleared the square
As soon as the leader left the area
They began to wail
The music started playing and the people were dancing
Now, over at the temple
The religious place of worship
Oh, they really pack 'em in
It's very crowded inside the temple
The in-crowd say it's cool
The popular people feel the music is acceptable
To dig this chanting thing
They enjoy this type of musical chanting
But as the wind changed direction
Suddenly there was a shift in the situation
And the temple band took five
The musicians took a break from playing
The crowd caught a whiff
The people started hearing the new music coming from outside the temple
Of that crazy Casbah jive
The unique new music has reached the temple and people are excited about it
The king called up his jet fighters
The military is getting involved in the situation
He said, "You better earn your pay
The military must complete this mission properly
Drop your bombs between the minarets
They must strike targets in a certain area
Down the Casbah way"
They need to get rid of the problem that originated from here
As soon as the Shareef was chauffeured outta there
As soon as the leader was safely taken away from the area
The jet pilots tuned to the cockpit radio blare
Pilots listened to their commands through the cockpit radio
Soon as the Shareef was outta their hair
As soon as the leader was out of sight
The jet pilots wail
The pilots continue to fly and complete their mission
Shareef don't like it, he thinks it's not kosher
The leader thinks the situation is not acceptable
Rockin' the Casbah, rock the Casbah
The new music style has taken over the area and caused a problem
Shareef don't like it, fundamentally can't take it
The leader is ideologically opposed to this situation
Rockin' the Casbah, Rock the Casbah
The new music is so popular in the area that the leader is having trouble stopping it
Shareef don't like it, you know he really hates it
The leader is very upset with the situation and wants it to stop immediately
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Joe Strummer, Mick Jones, Topper Headon
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@oldskoolmusicforever0724
WHO ELSE JUST RANDOMLY WANTED TO WATCH AND LISTEN TO ROCK THE CASBAH
@alicescott5462
Me
@kimberlytaylor8550
Same.
@catcookie6726
Me!
@claudiomarinocandianeto5684
ay
@elroyh9able
yep
@anarchyintheyoutube2069
I am in the eighth grade. In my class, there is a kid who has some sort of learning disability, but it has never been specified what exactly is wrong with him. Anyway, on my last day of seventh grade, he invited me to his house for a "dance party," and since one of my other friends was going to be there, I said "sure." When I got there, the two kids were taking turns playing songs on YouTube. I put this song on, and it's been his favorite song ever since. He asks me to pull out my phone and put it on everyday, and he mimics Joe Strummer's dances and expressions. He knows every word, and it brings all of us joy when we see him dancing and singing along.
@mrsbillhicks2118
cool!
@weiner66
+AnarchyInTheYouTube exactly how every Clash tribute band gets rolling, so your next thing will be instruments and a pub downstairs
@nikki-qb7iq
+AnarchyInTheYouTube that's so nice :) keep being nice to him and protect him