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The Clash formed
The Clash's manager Bernie Rhodes and guitarist Keith Levene met up with Joe Strummer and offered him a position in the band as lead singer of the band, they gave him 48 hours to accept the offer. within 24 hours Strummer agreed and was now the lead singer of The Clash. -
The Clash made their debut
The Clash supported The Sex Pistols. at the Black Swan in Sheffiled. -
The Clash signed up to cbs records
The Clash signed up to cbs records for $100.000. -
The Clash's first single 'White Riot' was released.
The Clash - White Riotevents of Nottinghill. a riot happened.
it's called for white people to take their fight to the street like the black youth had at the Nottinghill event.
Strummer later said that is was a 'clumsy idea' to encourage people to protest. the song reached number 34.
The Clash was expressing their view that young white people should be outraged over their oppressive government just as blacks were, and should demonstrate through direct action and protest, without looking violent or racist. -
Police and Thieves was released
The Clash - Police and ThievesPolice and Thieves is a cover from a well known raggae song by Junior Murvin. -
Career Opportunities
The Clash - Career Opportunitiesthis song is about the lack of jobs at the time.and how kids had the same old identical lives.kids at schools went to work at the factory around the corner because the school didn't give them any other career opportunites or decisions. -
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White man (In Hammersmith Palais)
The Clash - White man (In Hammersmith Palais)being disappointed in reggae music performances because they were more pop -
Tommy Gun is released
The Clash - Tommy Gunthis song is about terrorists who enjoy reading articles about themselves.
Tommy gun is short for the 'Thompson Submachine Gun' This was the typical gun from the American prohibition era, where it was used for the police and the gangsters. -
The guns of brixton
The Clash - Guns Of BrixtonBrixton was the site of race riots in 1981 and again in 1985. This song captures the alienation many citizens of Brixton felt leading up to the riots. -
london calling is released
The Clash - London Callingin this song, London is used as a metaphor for the world. describing the hell the world is going through.
in their lyrics:
'a nuclear error' incident at three mile island.
'london is drowning' concerns of the river thames drowning
the song details the way the world could end, such as; the ice age, starvation and war.
the title came from the BBC world service's radio station identification: "This is London Calling..." The BBC used it during World War 2. -
Clampdown
The Clash - ClampdownThis song has many controversial interpretations such as; Nazi/hate speech. politics, capitalism and revolution. -
rudie can't fail
The Clash - Rudie can't failA "Rudie" is a "Rude Boy," which is a term for the first English generation born to Jamaican parents who had emigrated to England.These "Rude Boys" were often looked down upon as irresponsible, which is the theme of this song. The Clash were heavily influenced by Jamaican culture and Reggae music. -
Spanish bombs is released
Spanish bombsThe Spanish civil war. The song paises the heroism of republicans, who ranged from centrists to revolutionary anarchists and communists.
They sang The Red Flag, they wore the black one" contains references to both the red flag as a symbol of socialism and the socialist anthem The Red Flag, as well as the black flag of the anarchists. -
train in vain is released
The Clash - Train in Vainmost people thought train in vain was called stand by me. this song is a love song -
bankrobber is released
The Clash - bankrobberbankrobber is about the narrator's father who was a bankrobber (in the narrator's opinion on his father) -
'The call up' is released
The Call Upabout the draft and deals with war. they pick people to go to war. You could be forced to fight in a war supporting a regime that was intensely disliked by its people, and corrupt. This war was very unpopular among the young. the age was between 16 and 60 but those over 50 werent usually chosen to fight. -
Washington bullets is released
Washington bulletsA politically charged song. american history, cuban revolution, nicaraguan sandinistas, bay of pigs revolution, the soviet - afghan war, the Dalai Lama, Victor Jara and the Chilean military dictatorship. the song also talks about communism. -
should i stay or should i go is released
The Clash - Should I stay or should i goit's about the relationship between Mick Jones and his girlfriend Ellen Foley. -
rock the casbah is released
The Clash - Rock the Casbahit's about an Arab ruler (the shereef) who hates music, but it is challenged by the citizens and even his own air force. Strummer was inspired by this story after reading an article about Iranians who were lashed for owning disco albums.
casbah (alson known as Qasbah and Kasbah) is the walled areas in the North African towns.
The US military used this as a rallying cry when they invaded Iraq in 1991. -
straight to hell is released
straight to hellThe first verse refers to the shutting down of steel mills in Northern England and the alienation and racism suffered by immigrants despite their attempts to integrate into British society. The second verse concerns the abandonment of children in Vietnam who were fathered by American soldiers during the Vietnam War. The third verse contrasts the American Dream.vision of American reality. The final verse considers the plight of immigrants throughout the world. -
this is England
The Clash - This is EnglandWritten in late 1983, the song is about the state of England at the time. the problems in England were the years of the Thatcher administration; addressing inner city violence, urban alienation, life on council estates, high unemployment rates, Englands dying motorcycle industry, racism, nationalism and police corruption.
