london calling by the clash?

Question

can someone please explain what this song is about?

Answer 1

Basically calling for people to rise up against injustice. It mentions various problems, and wants people to do something about them.

Answer 2

In my view "London Calling" is a near-future apocalyptic clarion call, with a thinly-veiled reference to Three Mile Island and a premonition of Chernobyl. After the fabulously written and recorded punk masterpiece "The Clash" and the spottier "Give 'em Enough Rope" (Safe European Home and Tommy Gun excepted), The Clash blew the rock 'n' roll roof off with the double album "London Calling". A rich stew of rock, ska, skiffle, Anglo-rasta, punk, pop, folk-rock, etc, 'London Calling' (the album) shows the Clash expanding beyond their three chord punk rock roots to stake their claim as the Only Band That Matters, with 'London
Calling' (the song) being the perfect anthem to close the seventies and ring in the eighties, the honeymoon serenade for Ronald Reagan and Margaret Thatcher and their baby-to-be, George W Bush. Also, the best video by The Clash.

Answer 3

A lot of the music by The Clash was political issue based. You may want to check out wikipedia and possibly some lyrics websites. From what I have seen, it appears to be a view of how London has viewed war.

Answer 4

To me it's about the rise of punk counter culture. It's a wake up call to the mainstream commercial music business in NYC and LA that the new wave is upon them.....

"London calling to the faraway towns
Now war is declared - and battle come down
London calling to the underworld"

It's a rallying cry to British youth to determine it's own culture and future and to dismiss artificially created acts developed by commercial, princiaplly US, record companies

"Come out of the cupboard, you boys and girls
London calling, now don't LECTURE us"
Phoney Beatlemania has bitten the dust"

It's a celebration of aggression and revolution to overthrow the current dominant good-time paradigm in music

"London calling, see we ain't got no swing
'Cept for the reign of that truncheon thing"

It's a warning that things are going to get tough and that the kids are no longer going to swallow the bubble-gum nonsense that big music companies churn out for their consumption, and it will hit their profits, but those with true authenticity need have no fear because they are close to the source or the revolution

"The ice age is coming, the sun is zooming in
Meltdown expected, the wheat is growing thin
Engines stop running, but I have no fear
Cause London is drowning - I live by the river"

It's a freedom cry for originality and individuality where you don't have to follow a particular fashion to fit in and gain acceptance and a warning that to subserviate yourself to popular fashion is a form of being dead (non-creative) whilst still alive - so stop selling yourself short and be as unique, creative, original and as truly alive as you can be

"London calling to the imitation zone
Forget it, brother, you can go at it alone
London calling the zombies of death
Quit holding out - and draw another breath"

It's a call to the mainstream to accept the inevitability of change, and that even if you run you can't escape it and it will reach you

"London calling - and I don't wanna shout
But while we were talking I saw you running out"

It's a statement that this revolution isn't about drugs, apart from one or two individuals (with hepatitis)

"London calling, see we ain't got no high
Except for that one with the yellowy eyes"

It's a triumphal anthem that London New Wave Punk will be (and was) the next Big Thing and that ought to make you happy if you are part of it.

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

I never felt so much ALIVE ALIVE ALIVE ALIVE"

Answer 5

As one of the original punks from the 1970s' I have never understood what the Clash were all about - and I don't think they really did either. They had one or two OK songs but they were more of a poseur band who made vaguely political-sounding statements to try and appear "cool".

Answer 6

the clash was punk rock
you first have to understand what that means
it's anti-establishment, fight for your rights, rebellion

sex pistols were bit harsher

they labeled green day as punk rock
they are no way close on that, they are sell outs

Answer 7

Anarchy

Answer 8

See below.

Answer 9

They were just jumping on someone else's train

Answer 10

how the hell did cartier95 type all that blurb in 11mins???