Joe Strummer said that he got the idea for the song when he was thinking about terrorists, and how they probably enjoy reading about their killings as much as movie stars like seeing their films reviewed. While Topper Headon mimics the sound of gangster movie shootings with quick snare hits and the guitars are full of distortion and feedback, Strummer's sarcastic lyrics (I'm cutting out your picture from page one/I'm gonna get a jacket just like yours/And give my false support to your cause/Whatever you want, you're gonna get it!) condemn rather than condone violence: at the end of the song he sings, If death comes so cheap/Then the same goes for life!
In the liner notes of the recently released Singles Box, Carl Barat (former frontman of Dirty Pretty Things and The Libertines), says that "Tommy Gun" was important for music at the time because it let people know what was going on in the world—it talked about real issues. He says, “It's "Tommy Gun" a product of the volatile climate of the late seventies - all those references to terrorist organizations like Baader-Meinhof and The Red Brigade. It's like a punk rock adaptation of The Beatles' "Revolution".”
Tommy Gun
The Clash Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Tommy gun
Ain't gonna shoot the place up
Just for fun
Maybe he wants to die for the money
Maybe he wants to kill for his country
Whatever he wants, he's gonna get it!
Tommy gun
Waiting in the airport 'till kingdom come
An' we can watch you make it
On the nine o'clock news
Standing there in Palestine lighting the fuse
Whatever you want, you're gonna get it
You'll be dead when your war is won
Tommy gun
But did you have to gun down everyone?
I can see it's kill or be killed
A nation of destiny has got to be fulfilled
Whatever you want, you're gonna get it!
You can be a hero in an age of none
Tommy gun
I'm cutting out your picture from page one
I'm gonna get a jacket just like yours
An' give my false support to your cause
Whatever you want, you're gonna get it!
Boats an' tanks and planes, it's your game
Kings an' queens an' generals learn your name
I see all the innocents, the human sacrifice
And if death comes so cheap
Then the same goes for life!
The Clash’s “Tommy Gun” is a politically-driven song that explores the power and allure of guns and the violent acts they can enable. The song opens with the provocative lyrics, “You ain't happy less you got one. Tommy gun. Ain't gonna shoot the place up, just for fun.” Here, the singer is acknowledging that owning a Tommy gun can provide a sense of security and power, while also pointing out that, for some, owning a gun can be a dangerous thing. The next line, “Maybe he wants to die for the money. Maybe he wants to kill for his country. Whatever he wants, he's gonna get it,” shows that the singer is aware that guns can lead to violent and deadly actions, often motivated by greed or patriotism.
Later in the song, the lyrics shift to consider the larger political implications of gun violence. The line “Waiting in the airport 'till kingdom come” suggests that the singer is waiting for a violent attack to take place. Furthermore, “Standing there in Palestine lighting the fuse” and “A nation of destiny has got to be fulfilled” suggest that the violence is motivated by larger geopolitical conflicts. The lines “But did you have to gun down everyone? I can see it's kill or be killed” demonstrate that the singer is conflicted about the violence and questions whether it is necessary or justified. The final lines of the song, “And if death comes so cheap, then the same goes for life!” suggest that the singer is critical of the way that people often put their own lives at risk for the sake of others.
Line by Line Meaning
You ain't happy less you got one
You're not satisfied unless you possess a Tommy Gun.
Tommy gun
A submachine gun that represents power and control.
Ain't gonna shoot the place up, Just for fun
The gun is not intended for random violence, but has a specific purpose.
Maybe he wants to die for the money
The person carrying the gun may be willing to die for financial gain.
Maybe he wants to kill for his country
The person carrying the gun may seek violence in the name of patriotism.
Whatever he wants, he's gonna get it!
The gun represents limitless power and agency.
You better strip it down for a custom run
The gun requires customization and preparation to serve its purpose.
Waiting in the airport 'till kingdom come
The gun is used to intimidate and enact violence in a public space.
An' we can watch you make it
The media enjoys and profits from gun violence.
On the nine o'clock news
The sensationalism of gun violence in modern, televised news.
Standing there in Palestine lighting the fuse
The gun being used as an instrument of political or social conflict.
You'll be dead when your war is won
Violence will lead to destruction, regardless of the outcome.
But did you have to gun down everyone?
Gun violence often occurs with indiscriminate targets and innocent victims.
I can see it's kill or be killed
The world and those who live in it are structured by violent power relations.
A nation of destiny has got to be fulfilled
Political aspirations justify and immortalize bloodshed.
You can be a hero in an age of none
The gun glorifies individual, violent power in a society where heroism seems unachievable.
I'm cutting out your picture from page one
The media frames violence and violence-makers as heroes for public consumption.
I'm gonna get a jacket just like yours
Imitation of violent figures as a form of identity and bolstering of personal power.
An' give my false support to your cause
Violence as a means of social group affiliation and false political or social righteousness.
Boats an' tanks and planes, it's your game
Weapons of destruction being controlled and utilized by individuals in positions of power.
Kings an' queens an' generals learn your name
Violent aggression as a tool of political and historical legacy.
I see all the innocents, the human sacrifice
The consequences of violence often come at a cost to the powerless and innocent.
And if death comes so cheap, Then the same goes for life!
The cyclical nature of violence, where death and destruction become normalized and devalued.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: JOE STRUMMER, MICK JONES, PAUL SIMONON, TOPPER HEADON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@sammencia7945
I was lucky enough to see them 4 times.
They were probably the best live rock band, ever. Not the most technically gifted (ELP, Crimson, Yes, etc), but the best with life changing visceral impact.
Yes I include The Beatles in that list.
The Clash were that good.
What you think of them, completely true.
I wish all of you could have witnessed their mighty power, live.
My God, what a band.
@leokimvideo
No other band has ever come close to the everyday passion The Clash had in their music.
@parkerwayneenforcersofjust4006
Agreed. To me The Clash is the perfect blend of the raw passion and idealistic nature of punk with the complexity and showmanship of more traditional rock and roll. These guys were truly ahead of their time
@marceloantonioserrasqueiro6398
Song sung with a lot of strength and vigor
@recycling9348
Wrong.
@PatrickMorris-sm8dv
if you like this you might like my brothers music. His name is Stu Morris and 'She has a Car' is a good song by him.
@richardwatkins1676
Passion is right. The first gig I saw was at Brixton Academy in July 1982, age 14. Guess who it was?!! I'll never forget the sight of fucking steam coming off the side of Joe Strummer's shaved Mohican head. It was all kind of downhill after that.....
@rjsampsonrs
The greatest moment of my life...sitting at a bar in a Cambridge festival did a double take as Joe Strummer sat next to me ..all black leather jacket and smiles..bought him a Guinness...shared a joint with him...he invited me back stage...a humble ordinary genius of a man ...R.I.P
@cathyskywalker77
Damn you were lucky!! 😁
@joeboom0697
I was named after him
@heatherfeather1669
Jealous! What a great memory ❤️