London+Calling

London Calling: The Clash

London calling to the faraway towns Now that war is declared-and battle come down London calling to the underworld Come out of the cupboard, all you boys and girls London calling, now don't look at us All that phoney Beatlemania has bitten the dust London calling, see we ain't got no swing 'Cept for the ring of that truncheon thing
 * London Calling**
 * (Strummer/Jones)**

CHORUS The ice age is coming, the sun is zooming in Engines stop running and the wheat is growing thin A nuclear error, but I have no fear London is drowning-and I live by the river

London calling to the imitation zone Forget it, brother, an' go it alone London calling upon the zombies of death Quit holding out-and draw another breath London calling-and I don't wanna shout But when we were talking-I saw you nodding out London calling, see we ain't got no highs Except for that one with the yellowy eyes

CHORUS

Now get this London calling, yeah, I was there, too An' you know what they said? Well, some of it was true! London calling at the top of the dial After all this, won't you give me a smile?

I never felt so much a' like


 * Hateful**
 * (Strummer/Jones)**

Well, I got a friend who's a man What man? The man who keeps me from the lovely He gives me what I need What you need? What you got? I need it all so badly

CHORUS Oh, anything I want he gives it to me Anything I want he gives it, but not for free It's hateful And it's paid for and I'm so grateful to be nowhere

This year I've lost some friends Some friends? What friends? I dunno, I ain't even noticed

You see, I gotta go out again Again? My friend I gotta see that mainman

I killed all my nerves My nerves? What swerves? And I can't drive so steady

I've lost my memory My mind? Behind! I can't see so clearly

CHORUS


 * Rudie Can't Fail**
 * (Strummer/Jones)**

Sing, Michael, sing-on the route of the 19 Bus Hear them sayin' How you get a rude and a reckless? Don't you be so crude and a feckless You been drinking brew for breakfast Rudie can't fail

So we reply I know that my life make you nervous But I tell you that I can't live in service Like the doctor who was born for a purpose* Rudie can't fail

I WENT TO THE MARKET TO REALISE MY SOUL 'CAUSE WHAT I NEED I JUST DON'T HAVE FIRST THEY CURSE, THEN THEY PRESS ME TILL I HURT WE SAY RUDIE CAN'T FAIL

We hear them sayin' Now first you must cure your temper Then you find a job in the paper You need someone for a saviour Oh, Rudie can't fail

We reply Now we get a rude and a reckless We been seen lookin' cool an' a speckless We been drinking brew for breakfast So Rudie can't fail

Okay! So where you wanna go today? Hey boss man! You're looking pretty smart In your chicken skin suit

You think you're pretty hot In your pork pie hat But...Rudie can't fail Look out, look out... Sky juice!...10 cents a bottle!


 * DOCTOR ALIMANTADO


 * Right Profile, The**
 * (Strummer/Jones)****

Say, where did I see this guy? In Red River? Or a place in the sun? Maybe the Misfits? Or From Here to Eternity?

Everybody say, "Is he all right?" And everybody say, "What's he like?" Everybody say, "He sure look funny." That's...Montgomery Clift, honey!

New York, New York, New York, 42nd Street Hustlers rustle and pimps pimp the beat Monty Clift is recognized at dawn He ain't got no shoes and his clothes are torn

I see a car smashed at night Cut the applause and dim the light Monty's face is broken on a wheel Is he alive? Can he still feel?

Nembutol numbs it all But I prefer alcohol

He said go out and get me my old movie stills Go out and get me another roll of pills There I go again shaking, but I ain't got the chills

ARRRGHHHGORRA BUH BHUH DO ARRRRGGGGHHHHNNNN!!!!

Discussion Questions: How does London Calling reflect the problems in the late 70’s in Great Britain? How did London Calling influence the development of the 80’s music industry? What does the reference back to the Beatles back in London Calling tell about the Beatles influence on the band? Also, how does Elvis influence the songs, seeing as the album cover is almost a cookie cutter of his debut album? What does the apocalyptic tone of their cover song imply the band’s feelings toward the future? Does the band tend to personally reflect themselves in their songs, or are the songs more about the general population? How do the songs of London Calling fit together? Do they fit a general theme, or is each one more separate and unconnected to the others?

Notes: London Calling- -Interesting that the album has a massive 19 songs in it -The Album artwork has a very similar appearance as Elvis's First Album artwork. -London Calling -The Chorus is very apocalyptic, living by the river is high ground? -Beatlemania is mentioned, comes full circle to the Beatles man! -London is calling to many different people, like a crying baby needing something. -Hateful -Why is the song titled hateful, but it's about a friend of his? -How does one pay with hateful? -Interesting flow of words in the song. -Rudie Can't Fail -It's about a young, fun-loving man who is criticized for not being a responsible adult -Maybe asking about rude boys and telling them to grow up, while rude boys would rather just have fun and play all day. -Rudie can't fail, but there's no real mention of what he can't fail. At life, or at baseball? What? -The Right Profile -The title proposes having a correct profile, but the people in the song appear to be dysfunctional to an extent.

London Calling is apocalyptic, written right after Three Mile Island partial meltdown in 1979. (In Clampdown, on the same album, they sing, 'Working hard in Harrisburg (closest town to TMI), working hard in Petersburg (site of a Russian nuclear institute) ... begging to be melted down..."). Engines were theorized to stop running during a nuclear attack - don't know if people still believe that. In London, anything close to the Thames would be underwater during a flood caused by sea level rise or nuclear meltdown or any other reason, thus, you'd be the first to go. So no need to fear. Other apocalyptic images include the Sun becoming a red giant, an ice age taking place, and mass starvation. Not a pretty sight. London Calling itself is, of course, the call sign for the BBC. -anonymous-