SMASHED HITS Pop lyrics re-appraised by the Magazine
SMASHED HITS Pop lyrics re-appraised by the Magazine
Source of inspiration, to songwriters and property developers alikeThe Hammersmith Palais, which closes this week, was immortalised by The Clash's (White Man) In Hammersmith Palais, a song Joe Strummer ended his gigs with right up to his death in 2002. But what's the song all about?
Source of inspiration, to songwriters and property developers alikeThe Hammersmith Palais, which closes this week, was immortalised by The Clash's (White Man) In Hammersmith Palais, a song Joe Strummer ended his gigs with right up to his death in 2002. But what's the song all about?
The Britain of The Clash is no longer with us. "I live by the river" was the clarion call of the dispossessed in their 1979 hit London Calling; nowadays, it's the boast of a Thameside double-mortgage condo-dweller.
The Britain of The Clash is no longer with us. "I live by the river" was the clarion call of the dispossessed in their 1979 hit London Calling; nowadays, it's the boast of a Thameside double-mortgage condo-dweller.
And the scene of the previous year's (White Man) In Hammersmith Palais is now to be demolished for an office-and-restaurant complex.
And the scene of the previous year's (White Man) In Hammersmith Palais is now to be demolished for an office-and-restaurant complex.
In 1919, a former tram shed in west London became the Hammersmith Palais De Danse, the beginning of thousands of nights of jazz, swing, pop, rock, bhangra and ska - as well as the School Disco phenomenon.
In 1919, a former tram shed in west London became the Hammersmith Palais De Danse, the beginning of thousands of nights of jazz, swing, pop, rock, bhangra and ska - as well as the School Disco phenomenon.
And it's a reggae all-nighter at the Palais that Clash frontman Joe Strummer's describing in the track.
And it's a reggae all-nighter at the Palais that Clash frontman Joe Strummer's describing in the track.
Reggae DJ Don Letts had thought the event would be up The Clash's alley, but the lyric starts from the seditionary Strummer's disappointment at the apolitical poppiness he witnessed - "onstage they ain't got no roots rock rebel".
Reggae DJ Don Letts had thought the event would be up The Clash's alley, but the lyric starts from the seditionary Strummer's disappointment at the apolitical poppiness he witnessed - "onstage they ain't got no roots rock rebel".
The Palais' history dates back to the old dance hall daysStrummer had hoped for reggae to be the voice of struggle, like other white British youths before and since - the reason we have the coinage "trustafarian" being that many of them are, like Strummer, public schoolboys and/or diplomats' sons.
The Palais' history dates back to the old dance hall daysStrummer had hoped for reggae to be the voice of struggle, like other white British youths before and since - the reason we have the coinage "trustafarian" being that many of them are, like Strummer, public schoolboys and/or diplomats' sons.
But then the lyric takes an unexpected turn into gonzo reportage with a cast including Robin Hood, Paul Weller and Adolf Hitler. What it's "about" depends on who you ask: the death knell of punk? A call for racial unity? An attack on gun culture?
But then the lyric takes an unexpected turn into gonzo reportage with a cast including Robin Hood, Paul Weller and Adolf Hitler. What it's "about" depends on who you ask: the death knell of punk? A call for racial unity? An attack on gun culture?
This ambiguity was unlike punk's previous stark messages - Tom Robinson saw it as The Clash realising that they could "afford to admit the contradictions that we all face."
This ambiguity was unlike punk's previous stark messages - Tom Robinson saw it as The Clash realising that they could "afford to admit the contradictions that we all face."
Certainly, there's disillusionment and fear of futility in there. The Jam take a pasting for their off-the-peg jackets and "turning rebellion into money" (a barb some thought was literally rich from a band signed to CBS for £100,000) and the new "solution" proposed ("Why not phone up Robin Hood and ask him for some wealth distribution?") strikes the same ambivalent note as the various versions of The Beatles' Revolution.
Certainly, there's disillusionment and fear of futility in there. The Jam take a pasting for their off-the-peg jackets and "turning rebellion into money" (a barb some thought was literally rich from a band signed to CBS for £100,000) and the new "solution" proposed ("Why not phone up Robin Hood and ask him for some wealth distribution?") strikes the same ambivalent note as the various versions of The Beatles' Revolution.
What makes it fun?
What makes it fun?
There's ambivalence, too, about violence. On the one hand, the White Man is isolated and scared of guns - "please, Mister, leave me alone"; on the other, Strummer took to ad-libbing "and good for you" after the verse about UK punk rockers "fighting for a good place under the lighting" - at least until sideman Mick Jones persuaded him that the band had hosted one too many skinhead invasions-cum-bloodbaths.
There's ambivalence, too, about violence. On the one hand, the White Man is isolated and scared of guns - "please, Mister, leave me alone"; on the other, Strummer took to ad-libbing "and good for you" after the verse about UK punk rockers "fighting for a good place under the lighting" - at least until sideman Mick Jones persuaded him that the band had hosted one too many skinhead invasions-cum-bloodbaths.
Joe Strummer, centre, So the White Man sees a problem, but can't tell what to do. How is a song about isolation and confusion so well loved, so often covered, and so much fun?
Joe Strummer, centre, So the White Man sees a problem, but can't tell what to do. How is a song about isolation and confusion so well loved, so often covered, and so much fun?
The answer's partly given in another piece of onstage patter - Strummer liked to introduce the song with the advice "for this one, you move your arse sideways instead of up and down."
The answer's partly given in another piece of onstage patter - Strummer liked to introduce the song with the advice "for this one, you move your arse sideways instead of up and down."
Sonically, this was a new noise from "a big fat riff group", as Strummer described the 1976-77 Clash.
Sonically, this was a new noise from "a big fat riff group", as Strummer described the 1976-77 Clash.
Phased hi-hats, acoustic guitars, harmonica and backing vocals play off the "sideways" reggae rhythm - it's undeniably a London song, but it's a London where ska and hippies and punk and rock melt into one another - and so there's playful joy there too, clearer in the music than in the words.
Phased hi-hats, acoustic guitars, harmonica and backing vocals play off the "sideways" reggae rhythm - it's undeniably a London song, but it's a London where ska and hippies and punk and rock melt into one another - and so there's playful joy there too, clearer in the music than in the words.
Punk's Gettysburg
Punk's Gettysburg
What we get from the lyric is a journey. Early on, Strummer despairs that the "many black ears" are listening to pop rather than a rebel message. Then, as if anticipating Don Letts' later rejoinder that for Jamaicans, "the ghetto is something you get out of", he weighs up the pros and cons of armed resistance, gives up on his fellow punks, and gets a rise out of himself, "the all-night drug-prowling wolf who looks so sick in the sun".
What we get from the lyric is a journey. Early on, Strummer despairs that the "many black ears" are listening to pop rather than a rebel message. Then, as if anticipating Don Letts' later rejoinder that for Jamaicans, "the ghetto is something you get out of", he weighs up the pros and cons of armed resistance, gives up on his fellow punks, and gets a rise out of himself, "the all-night drug-prowling wolf who looks so sick in the sun".
Don Letts, right, with former Clash guitarist Mick JonesWhat makes White Man stand out is that the journey carries on after it 4'01" are up. Former NME journalist Danny Baker calls it "punk's Gettysburg Address" - and while the UK has changed, this song has weathered better than some of punk's starker 45s.
Don Letts, right, with former Clash guitarist Mick JonesWhat makes White Man stand out is that the journey carries on after it 4'01" are up. Former NME journalist Danny Baker calls it "punk's Gettysburg Address" - and while the UK has changed, this song has weathered better than some of punk's starker 45s.
In 2007, modern-day Strummers lambast hip hop for being more interested in bling than in civil rights, "punk" groups are far faker than they were in 1979 and still the "youths" haven't agreed on a "solution". ¡La lucha continua! - solidarity over time - as the South American Strummers say.
In 2007, modern-day Strummers lambast hip hop for being more interested in bling than in civil rights, "punk" groups are far faker than they were in 1979 and still the "youths" haven't agreed on a "solution". ¡La lucha continua! - solidarity over time - as the South American Strummers say.
The wrecking ball is still headed for the Palais, though - and with the London Astoria going the same way, there's a lot less space for a certain kind of gig: the kind between the pub backroom and the pocket-emptying stadium event.
The wrecking ball is still headed for the Palais, though - and with the London Astoria going the same way, there's a lot less space for a certain kind of gig: the kind between the pub backroom and the pocket-emptying stadium event.
Punks may be cheered that (White Man) In Hammersmith Palais will echo around the shell for a while, following a farewell gig from The Good The Bad And The Queen with The Clash's Paul Simonon on bass. Don Letts is DJing, Mick Jones is expected - and Joe Strummer? He won't be there for obvious reasons, but perhaps he'd have had more fun at this concert than at the one that spawned the song.
Punks may be cheered that (White Man) In Hammersmith Palais will echo around the shell for a while, following a farewell gig from The Good The Bad And The Queen with The Clash's Paul Simonon on bass. Don Letts is DJing, Mick Jones is expected - and Joe Strummer? He won't be there for obvious reasons, but perhaps he'd have had more fun at this concert than at the one that spawned the song.
Smashed Hits is written by Alan Connor
Smashed Hits is written by Alan Connor
Send us your comments, using the form below:
Send us your comments, using the form below:
The last gig at the Palais is actually by the Fall on Sunday; the true inheritors of Strummer's mantle. Albarn's supergroup venture would have left him cold, I suspect.R. Totale, West London
The last gig at the Palais is actually by the Fall on Sunday; the true inheritors of Strummer's mantle. Albarn's supergroup venture would have left him cold, I suspect.R. Totale, West London
That song is a legendary, iconic song that i have heard well over a hundred times and i will listen to a hundred more. that clash are the greatest band to have ever lived. rest in peace joe strummer 1952-2002Joe Wilson, Aylesbury
That song is a legendary, iconic song that i have heard well over a hundred times and i will listen to a hundred more. that clash are the greatest band to have ever lived. rest in peace joe strummer 1952-2002Joe Wilson, Aylesbury
The best punk 45 by a mile and more.Can still make me cry when I hear it as it did back in the dayMr Poop, High Wycombe
The best punk 45 by a mile and more.Can still make me cry when I hear it as it did back in the dayMr Poop, High Wycombe
Actually the line "they've got Burtons suits they think it's funny, turning rebellion into money" was aimed at Power Pop groups such as the (long forgotten) Pleasers and Advertising who were being hyped up by sections of the music press at the time as "the next big thing" rather than the Jam. That's according to an interview that Strummer gave to the NME at the time.jimmy , Salford, UK
Actually the line "they've got Burtons suits they think it's funny, turning rebellion into money" was aimed at Power Pop groups such as the (long forgotten) Pleasers and Advertising who were being hyped up by sections of the music press at the time as "the next big thing" rather than the Jam. That's according to an interview that Strummer gave to the NME at the time.jimmy , Salford, UK
Joe Strummer summed up all that was wrong with punk and left-wing politics in that era: rich kids thinking they're the authentic voice of the working class because they lived in a squat for five minutes.David, Ely
Joe Strummer summed up all that was wrong with punk and left-wing politics in that era: rich kids thinking they're the authentic voice of the working class because they lived in a squat for five minutes.David, Ely
It's interesting to see how attitudes have changed and yet, at the same time, remained exactly how they were when this song was written. Everyone still complains about the violence, the 'youths', the drugs and everything else, and yet we still do nothing about it. The fake bands are still outselling the bands with a harder message and yet the fake bands will be the ones that are forgotten sooner. Joe was one of the great preachers of his era, and although some of the Clash's songs were very bleak, he still had enough honesty to say 'we're making money from this'. Hopefully his songs will be remembered for the a long time yet.Heather, Wolverhampton
It's interesting to see how attitudes have changed and yet, at the same time, remained exactly how they were when this song was written. Everyone still complains about the violence, the 'youths', the drugs and everything else, and yet we still do nothing about it. The fake bands are still outselling the bands with a harder message and yet the fake bands will be the ones that are forgotten sooner. Joe was one of the great preachers of his era, and although some of the Clash's songs were very bleak, he still had enough honesty to say 'we're making money from this'. Hopefully his songs will be remembered for the a long time yet.Heather, Wolverhampton
Yet another piece of history being detroyed for the benifit of the few! and a clear indication of how society is still going head long into total meltdown in regards to entertainment enjoyment by those who enjoy a different culture of music.Mike gregory, Reigate
Yet another piece of history being detroyed for the benifit of the few! and a clear indication of how society is still going head long into total meltdown in regards to entertainment enjoyment by those who enjoy a different culture of music.Mike gregory, Reigate
All this "right on" ageing punk stuff is OK; but what about Motorheads "No Sleep till Hamersmith" Tour Album.Chris Toms, Kirkbride Cumbria
Oh come on people! This is the Hammersmith Palais we're talking about. Whatever glorious days it might have known have, in recent years, largely given way to old-skool garage and harcore raves and... School Disco!The latter's only worthwhile contribution to music having been to set new standards for irony in pop music, as thousands of people almost young enough to be still wearing compulsory school uniforms from 9am-3.30pm (whilst resenting it and trying to modify it) danced around in a school uniform to tracks they are too young to remember in the name of nostalgia that they won't appreciate for another decade. The fact that they are being tricked into conforming with this uniform mentality to a few 80s anti-conformist punk hits, in the very venue where their parents saw the bands live is just the icing on the cake.Alex Blanco, Hammersmith, London
Saw my first ever concert at The Palais - The Undertones A great venue which will be sadly missed.Mike Jones, Windsor England
Mr Connor and the comments are very indicative of how self-centred and navel-contemplating are a particular age group.The Hammersmith Palais was a wonderful social centre to help people feel better about their hum drum lives: they could go out and dance. Then later it was where real bands could play rather than the derivative noise makers like The Clash, bands like the most famous British and American jazz musicians. I am pretty sure the Beatles first headlining concert in London was there in December, what, 1964? or 1963? I know the Yardbirds played before them and played the Beatles off the park. Some fellow from New Jersey played his first concert in England there; Joe Cocker came back to life there in, perhaps, 1982. I saw the Rumble in the Jungle there, live, when stiff 50 year old City Slickers in pinstriped suits and navvies like me hugged each other in tears when Ali won.This is history! Andrew Johnston, Boston USA
Following on from Heather's very well-made point, it's funny that 30 years on, people are still discussing Clash lyrics. At the time we used to sit around for hour discussing them. Well, first trying to decipher them, then discussing them.Adrian, London
An era when music was music for love and passion and ability... and not company executives and their share holders view of what music should sound like and look like. Sadly all lost.....john kecsmar, osaka, japan
Saw The Stranglers there in 1979 and a big shame it's being torn down but The Clash being held up as an iconic sybol for mentioning the name of a venue in music they "ripped off" from another generation - what did they know! Anyway, as the classic cliche goes: "All their songs do sound the same". Dominic Maher, London
