The song was inspired by raps by old school hip hop acts from New York City, like the Sugarhill Gang and Grandmaster Flash & The Furious Five. Rap was still a new and emerging music genre at the time and the band, especially Mick Jones, was very impressed with it, so much so that Jones took to carrying a boombox around and got the nickname 'Whack Attack'. The song was recorded in April 1980 at Electric Lady Studios in New York City, built around a bass loop played by Norman Watt-Roy of the Blockheads. Joe Strummer wrote the words on the spot, a technique that was also used to create Sandinista!'s other rap track, "Lightning Strikes (Not Once But Twice)". "The Magnificent Seven" represents the first attempt by a rock band to write and perform original rap music, and one of the earliest examples of hip hop records with political and social content. It is the first major white rap record, predating the recording of Blondie's "Rapture" by six months.
“ When we came to the U.S., Mick stumbled upon a music shop in Brooklyn that carried the music of Grand Master Flash and the Furious Five, the Sugar Hill Gang...these groups were radically changing music and they changed everything for us. ”—Joe Strummer
Though it failed to chart in America, the song was an underground hit and received heavy play on underground and college radio. Also popular were various dance re-mixes, both official B-side, ("The Magnificent Dance"), and original DJ remixes (WBLS's in particular, known as "Dirty Harry", after the film of same name), and can be found on various Clash bootlegs, including Clash on Broadway Disc 4.
The single was reissued in 1981 with "Stop the World" as its B-side and with different sleeve art.
Thematically, "The Magnificent Seven" is somewhat similar to the punkier "Career Opportunities", in that it takes the drudgery of the working life as its starting point. Unlike "Career Opportunities", however, in stream of consciousness fashion it also deals with consumerism, popular media, historical figures, and addresses these subjects with great exuberance and humor. The first verses of "The Magnificent Seven" follow a nameless worker (narrated in the second person) as he wakes up and goes to work, not for personal advancement but to buy his girlfriend consumer goods:
"Working for a rise to better my station / Take my baby to sophistication / She's seen the ads, she thinks it's nice / Better work hard, I seen the price"
The nameless worker then goes off for a cheeseburger lunch-break, and the lyrics devolve into a blur of fleeting images from television, movies and advertising:"Italian mobster shoots a lobster / Seafood restaurant gets out of hand / A car in the fridge or a fridge in the car? / Like cowboys do in TV land!"
Finally, the song takes historical figures, including Karl Marx, Friedrich Engels, Martin Luther King, Mahatma Gandhi, Richard Nixon and Socrates, and places them in modern America, before asking sarcastically whether "Plato the Greek" or Rin Tin Tin is more famous to the masses.
An exclaimed "newsflash" near the end of the song, "Vacuum Cleaner Sucks Up Budgie!", was in fact a headline in the News of the World newspaper at the time of the song's mixing in England, according to Joe Strummer.
The 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 The Magnificent Seven is an anthem about the daily grind of work and the struggle to keep up with the capitalist system. The lyrics are a critique of consumerism, capitalism, and the idea of the American Dream. The song starts off with the singer waking up early to face another day of work, with the lines "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." The song then talks about how everyone from "knuckle merchants and your bankers too" to "weather man and the crazy chief" have to learn the rules of the system and churn out the same boogaloo. The song also mentions the desire for material possessions such as a Honda or a Sony, which are ironically "cheap and real phony." The song ends with a reminder that even though people can work hard, they may not necessarily get anywhere and might end up perpetually trapped in the cycle of work and consumption.
The Magnificent Seven was inspired by a meeting that The Clash had with jazz musician Gil Evans, who suggested that they combine punk rock with jazz funk. The song features a horn section and a funky bassline and was a departure from The Clash's earlier punk rock sound. The song was recorded in New York City and was produced by veteran producer Sandy Pearlman, who was famous for his work with cult bands Blue Oyster Cult and The Dictators. The song was released as a single in 1981 and was also included on the album Sandinista!.
Line by Line Meaning
Ring, ring, it's 7:00 A.M.
Your day starts too early.
Move yourself to go again
You have to get out of bed and start your day.
Cold water in the face
The misery of waking up.
Brings you back to this awful place
You hate your job and the daily grind.
Knuckle merchants and your bankers too
Capitalists are everywhere and control your life.
Must get up and learn those rules
You have to follow society's expectations and conform to capitalism.
Weather man and the crazy chief
You can't even trust the news.
One says sun and one says sleet
The news is inconsistent and unreliable.
A.M., the F.M. the P.M. too
Radio is everywhere and constantly bombards you with music and news.
Churnin' out that boogaloo
The music on the radio is meaningless pop.
Gets you up and it gets you out
The radio helps you start your day, but also promotes consumerism and capitalism.
But how long can you keep it up?
How long can you keep up with the daily grind?
Gimme Honda, gimme Sony
You are bombarded with ads for consumer products.
So cheap and real phony
The products advertised are cheap and fake.
Hong Kong dollar, Indian cents
You have to deal with different currencies and economies.
English pounds and Eskimo pence
The absurdity of the capitalist world.
You lot, what?
Addressing the audience directly, encouraging them to keep going.
Don't stop, give it all you got
Keep working hard and don't give up.
Working for a rise, better my station
Trying to work hard to get ahead in life.
Take my baby to sophistication
Wanting a better life for your child.
Seen the ads, she thinks it's nice
Consumerism even affects young children.
Better work hard, I seen the price
You have to work hard to afford consumer products.
Never mind that it's time for the bus
Even public transportation is a hassle.
We got to work and you're one of us
You're part of the working class.
Clocks go slow in a place of work
Time moves slowly when you're at work.
Minutes drag and the hours jerk
It feels like time is standing still when you're working.
Yeah, wave bye, bye (when can I tell 'em what I do?)
Wanting to escape your boring job and do something more fulfilling.
(In a second, maan, alright Chuck)
Sarcasm about the idea of quitting your job.
Wave bub-bub-bub-bye to the boss
Thinking about quitting your job and saying goodbye to your boss.
It's our profit, it's his loss
Your boss benefits from your work more than you do.
But anyway the lunch bells ring
Looking forward to the small pleasures in life, like lunch break.
Take one hour, do your thang
Enjoy your break and do something you enjoy.
Cheeesboiger
A playful way of saying cheeseburger.
What do we have for entertainment?
Sarcasm about the lack of entertainment in daily life.
Cops kickin' gypsies on the pavement
The reality of police brutality and discrimination.
Now the news has snapped to attention
The news is suddenly interested in the story of the cops kicking the gypsies.
Lunar landing of the dentist convention
The absurdity of the news, which contrasts the serious event (police brutality) with a ridiculous one (a dentist convention on the moon).
Italian mobster shoots a lobster
More absurd and comical news stories.
Seafood restaurant gets out of hand
Another absurd news story.
A car in the fridge, a fridge in the car
More absurd and nonsensical news stories.
Like cowboys do in TV land
The absurdity of TV shows and their unrealistic depictions of life.
So get back to work and sweat some more
Encouraging the audience to work harder and not give up.
The sun will sink and we'll get out the door
Working until dark and then leaving work.
It's no good for man to work in cages
Comparing work to being in a cage or prison.
Hit the town, he drinks his wages
Going out and spending all your money after work.
You're frettin', you're sweatin'
Stressing and working hard.
But did you notice, you ain't gettin'
Despite all your hard work, you're not really getting anywhere.
Don't you ever stop, a long enough to start
Encouraging the audience to keep going and not give up.
Take your car outta that gear
The car metaphorically represents your life, and encouraging you to take control of it.
Get your car outta that gear
Continuing the metaphor of taking control of your life.
Karlo Marx and Frederick Engels
References to famous philosophers known for their critiques of capitalism.
Came to the checkout at the 7-11
Making fun of the common occurrence of finding famous people in everyday settings.
Marx was skint but he had sense
Marx may not have been rich, but he was smart.
Engels lent him the necessary pence
Engels helped Marx financially.
What have we got? Yeah, ooh
Asking the audience what they have in life.
Magnificence
The answer is that there is no real magnificence in life.
Luther King and Mahatma Gandhi
References to famous activists who fought for equality and justice.
Went to the park to check on the game
Talking about the human desire to find entertainment and escape from reality.
But they was murdered by the other team
Tragic events occur and good people can be punished for trying to do good.
Who went on to win fifty-nil
The absurdity of the situation - winning a game after murdering their opponents.
You can be true, you can be false
Discussing the idea of being true to yourself versus being fake in order to succeed in life.
You'll be given the same reward
Regardless of whether you are true or false, the outcome is the same.
Socrates and Milhous Nixon
References to a philosopher and a politician who both faced death.
Both went the same way through the kitchen
Despite their different backgrounds, they both met the same fate.
Plato the Greek or Rin Tin Tin
Comparing a Greek philosopher to a popular TV dog.
Who's more famous to the billion millions?
Despite their different levels of fame, they are both well-known figures.
News flash, 'Vacuum cleaner sucks up budgie'
Another absurd and nonsensical news story.
Ooh, bye-bye, bub-bye
Ending the song with absurd and playful humor.
The magnificent seven
A sarcastic reference to the idea of living in a magnificently perfect world.
Magnificent
Continuing with the sarcastic tone and acknowledging that there is no real magnificence in life.
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.