Welcome to Season 3 of According to Doyle. If you are just joining us, feel free to read the About This Project page for information about what else I’ve ranked (and am going to rank) here as well as statements about hubris and my cat. All songs here are ranked based on the guiding principle of “do I like each song more than the last song?” No science was harmed (or employed) in the creation of these lists. I welcome editing feedback because Doyle brain too fast for Doyle fingers.
I am of the opinion that The Clash were not always well served by their singles. Here, in brief, are a few tracks from each album that I like as much or better than their singles from those albums.
The Clash (1977): “Janie Jones,” “I’m So Bored With The U.S.A.,” “London’s Burning,” “Police and Thieves”
Give ‘Em Enough Rope (1978)” “Safe European Home,” “Julie’s Been Working for the Drug Squad,” “Guns on the Roof,” “Stay Free”
London Calling (1979) (I mean, everything on this album is great including the singles): “Hateful,” “Spanish Bombs,” “The Guns of Brixton,” “Death or Glory”
Sandinista! (1980): “Washington Bullets,” “Something About England,” “Up In Heaven (Not Only Here),” “Charlie Don’t Surf”
Combat Rock (1982): “Car Jamming,” “Atom Tan,” “Death is a Star”
Cut the Crap (1985): I don’t know – maybe something from Big Audio Dynamite instead
Now on to the songs that were singles.
20. English Civil War
Traditional song arranged by Joe Strummer and Mick Jones
Second single from Give ‘Em Enough Rope (1978), released as a single in 1979
Nobody understands it can happen again, hurrah, tala
I mentioned this frequently in the last entry, but if you are a fan of The Clash and are a fascist, well, they hate you, think you’re awful and they are correct. Tala! The Clash’s reworking of the American Civil War era song “When Johnny Comes Marching Home” was written to be an anti-fascist anthem. Re-christened “English Civil War,” Strummer envisions a time when the fascists control the U.K. again (the far right was on the rise in the 60’s and 70’s and musicians were responding – Costello’s “Less Than Zero”- #60 – was a reaction to the same horror). I am a little “meh” on the tune, but I love their performance of it, particularly Topper Headon’s drum work.
19. I’m Not Down
Special single from London Calling (1979), released as a single in 2018
‘Cause I’ve lived that kind of day
When none of your sorrows will go away
Oh God, do I write about London Calling now? The album handily dominates my top ten, so I feel a little awkward starting by writing about this particular (excellent) track. OK, you know what? I’m going to write at length about the parent album when I get to the song “London Calling.” Yes, that would be the appropriate thing to do.
Mick Jones and Joe Strummer were the central songwriting team of The Clash. Strummer tended to write lyrics and Jones wrote all the music. Jones, as it happens, was also a lyricist and he generally wrote the words to his poppier songs (“Train in Vain,” “Should I Stay or Should I Go,” “Stay Free,” etc). When he writes the lyrics, he also tends to be the singer of record. Jones is a fine songwriter though his lyrics for The Clash tended a little more to the personal and a little less to the political. “I’m Not Down” is a fine example of this – a song where he defiantly sings about fighting against his struggles (both literal fights and inner turmoil).
London Calling is one of those albums that includes nary a bad track – there have been weeks in my life where it’s the only record I’ve listened to over and over again. “I’m Not Down,” on any other record (including on other Clash records) would be an absolute stand-out song. It’s really great and it resonates with me on a pretty deep level (even if I have not been as personally resilient during times of conflict as Jones). That said, it is also the weakest song on the album. I am hard pressed to think of a higher quality “worst song” on any record. It was released as a special single in 2018.
18. Know Your Rights
First single from Combat Rock (1982), released as a single in 1982
You have the right to free speech
As long as you’re not
Dumb enough to actually try it
As I mentioned before (#23), Combat Rock started off life as a much longer album that would have been titled Rat Patrol From Fort Bragg. The version of “Know Your Rights from the earlier mix was significantly different in both lyrics and approach. I am reluctant to repeat a rumor here, but I’m going to. Mick Jones has allegedly said that the original intention of this song was for The Clash to create a song parodying themselves. If that is in fact true, it is a little more clear on the original mix of the song.
Anyhow, enough about The Clash, let’s talk about me. When I was a wee lad of 14 contemplating Combat Rock for the first time, “Know Your Rights” utterly perplexed me. I got that Strummer sounded like he might be a little sarcastic, but he also sounded pretty serious. But why these three rights? The last one (quoted up top) resonated with me because all teenagers feel like they’ve been silenced their whole lives, but what about this business about “food money” and “not to be killed?” I concluded that England must be a pretty scary place if those were your only rights. No wonder we colonies revolted (and we’re still pretty revolting, thank you, thank you). I came to really love this song as I grew older and started to figure out what Strummer was getting at here – we are told we have rights, but the reality is those rights are as malleable as the state wants and, furthermore, some people (police and aristocrats in this song) have more rights than others. That’s what you need to know about your rights.
17. Complete Control
Stand alone single released in 1977
Oh, have we done something wrong?
Oh, complete control, even over this song
As I mentioned in the last entry, “Complete Control” was The Clash’ response to their record label releasing “Remote Control” (#25) as a single over their objections. The lyrics delve into The Clash’s other attempts at maintain some amount of idealism in the face of having signed a major label. It was their biggest hit to date in the UK, peaking at #28 on the pop charts. The Clash, as I’ve mentioned, were something of a mass of contradictions. I think it is worth considering that they both completely believed their ideology while simultaneously being a capitalist success story. You work in the system that exists and you work towards the system that you want to see exist. The Clash’s anti-Capitalist message got as much attention as it did because they were part of that system. You can only exert so much influence playing to your 25 loyal fans in the same club for fifteen months.
16. Police on My Back
Australia only single from Sandinista! (1980), released as a single in 1980
Cover of a song originally recorded by The Equals (1967)
The Equals were called the first interracial R&B band in England and it is ludicrous that most of you reading this don’t know about them. Eddy Grant (best known in the U.S. for “Electric Avenue”) wrote most of their songs and they had a string of top 40 hits in the U.K. including “Baby, Come Back” (#1), “Viva Bobby Joe” (#6) and “Black Skinned Blue Eyes Boys” (#9). “Police On My Back” must have been too controversial for the radio back in 1967 because it was not released as a single (or even a b-side). Grant is one of the great musicians and songwriters of the last 60 years so don’t talk smack about him. The Clash recorded “Police On My Back” for Sandinista! and were it not for them, I’d never have looked into The Equals or into Eddy Grant’s extensive discography either. That is what a great cover song does ideally – yes, it becomes popular in its own right, but it leads you to looking into the music of the people who originally performed it. Thank you, The Clash!
Just going to add I absolutely love singing along with the chorus, particularly the part listing the days of the week.
15. Tommy Gun
First single from Give ‘Em Enough Rope (1978), released as a single in 1978
And if death comes so cheap
The same goes for life
For a long time, my knowledge of The Clash consisted of four albums. Cut The Crap was not included in that knowledge, but neither was Give ‘Em Enough Rope. As a result, when I first heard the latter album, it was like a somebody had presented me with a great lost album by a favorite band. It had not been lost. I’d just never bothered to listen to it and it has to do with the Columbia House Record Club. Without going into all the details, teenage me saw this title in the pile of little stickers of albums I could order (seriously, it’s a long story) and I thought that it must be some rip off b-side Clash album. I can’t explain why I thought this, but the idea lingered in my subconscious and got in the way of me ever really listening to the record until this century. I mean, of course it is great. It’s woefully underrepresented here on my list as well because my four favorite songs from it (see above) weren’t singles. “Tommy Gun” is a close #5 of 10. “English Civil War” is like #9.
“Tommy Gun” is, of course, a ludicrously good song. The lyrics – in my opinion – are some of Strummer’s finest – he savagely takes apart terrorists as prima donnas in love with their own press (Camper Van Beethoven does something similar with their Patti Hearst inspired “Tania”). It’s a fine bit of Swiftian satire punctuated by some top notch drumming from Topper Headon (all drumming from Topper Headon is top notch). In many ways, it is as well polished a punk rock song as The Clash created but I rank it here because this is one of the few times where I feel like the music isn’t as interesting as the lyrics. Catchy and well composed, just a little less interesting than some of the tracks to follow (and four of the tracks on its parent album).
14. Rock the Casbah
Second single from Combat Rock (1982), released as a single in 1982
Topper Headon wrote everything but the lyrics for “Rock The Casbah,” which became The Clash’s biggest hit. While it was exploding in the United States, Headon had already been sacked from the band for drug use. Ironically, the reason he was able to write and record the piano, drum and bass part on this song was because his non-drug using (sic) band mates were all showing up late for recording sessions and he had a lot of time to himself. The song is essentially about the unifying power of music. Of course, it’s about the power of western rock music to unite the people in an Arabic country. Imperialism takes all forms. Strummer was a pacifist and a leftist. As a result, he was appalled when “Rock the Casbah” become an unofficial song of the first Gulf War. I get furious just thinking about it – it was listed by a right wing magazine as one of the top 50 conservative songs of all time. Proof that some people just don’t listen all that carefully to the lyrics – and also that we have no control over our art once it’s released into the wild. I’m sorry that happened, members of The Clash.
13. The Call Up
First single from Sandinista! (1980), released as a single in 1980
For he who will die
Is he who will kill?
It’s taken 40 years for “The Call Up” to really grow on me, but the longer I’ve worked on this list (and I’ve been working on it for a long, long time), the more I’ve esteemed it. Musically, it is one of Mick Jones’ most satisfying (and surprising) compositions – a mix of dub, pop and just a little bit of funk. I think the music it’s most closely related to may be 90’s trance. Topper Headon and Paul Simonen lay down an hypnotic groove that Strummer and Jones color with guitar and other sounds (including overdubs of Marines marching and what sounds like a xylophone). The sonic effect is of kids marching to war as if in a dream. Then there are Strummer’s lyrics – a simple direct call for conscientious objection in the face of the draft (which had just been reinstated in 1980 – a thing I remember well). It is a crime against music that “Washington Bullets” was not also a single from Sandinista! but on side 4 (of 6) of that album, hearing that song immediately after “The Call Up” leaves no doubt regarding where The Clash stood on the subject of war (spoiler: against it).
12. Train in Vain
Third single from London Calling (1979), released as a single in 1980
“Train in Vain” was The Clash’s first U.S. Top 40 hit. It was written and recorded in like 48 hours to fulfill an obligation to make a flexi-disc for some publication or other, but that fell through. The sleeve and lyric sheet for London Calling had already been printed, but they had this decent song kicking around, so they stuck into on to the end of the record. It was never intended to be a hidden track – more of an afterthought. The lyrics were written and sung by Mick Jones and concern a failing romantic relationship. No political content included. Of course, he didn’t write “Train in Vain” anywhere in the lyrics (the dominant phrase is “You didn’t stand by me”) so it may not have mattered if the song had been listed on the album (from a sales and marketing point of view).
I knew this song before I really knew who The Clash were because it got played on our local rock station – I-95 – all the time and the DJs there didn’t always feel compelled to tell us what we’d just heard. I am sure I recorded it off the radio using my old school Panasonic cassette recorder. I didn’t have a direct line-in to my radio, so I’d set up my recorded close to the speaker, hit record, and get furious if anyone made any noise while it was recording. It always felt like a small victory when I’d get through an entire song without anything screwing it up. This was the kind of home taping that was going to BRING THE MUSIC INDUSTRY TO ITS KNEES in the early 80’s (and the subject of Bow Wow Wow’s delightful “C30 C60 C90 Go”). Anyhow, I had this song on a cassette tape of songs I’d recorded off the radio maybe a full year before I knew it was The Clash. In fact, I only learned it was by The Clash when I bought London Calling on vinyl and listened to it all the way through for the first time. As I was getting ready to take the needle off the record after their cover of “Revolution Rock,” there was that familiar guitar hook! Oh damn! The song was by The Clash! At last I can look at the record sleeve and learn its name! But no. I have no idea when I finally learned it was called “Train in Vain.”
And that’s why it is forbidden from the top ten on this list.
11. I Fought the Law
Second single from The Cost of Living EP (1979), released as a single in 1979
Cover of a song originally released by The Crickets (1960)
This is the second time a cover of this song has popped up on this website – the first being Green Day’s inessential cover (#70). The Clash’s cover was inspired by Bobby Fuller’s cover. Covers of covers of covers. Like a snake eating its law fighting tail forever. I think in 2020, most people will agree it is the definitive version of this song – the band absolutely tears through it and Strummer owns the lyrics. I’d like to draw a line between this song and the bitter sarcasm of “Know Your Rights.” I don’t know if Sonny Curtis had intended to write one of the great anti-authority anthems of all time (in his version, it sounds like he knows he got what he deserves – in The Clash’s version, it sounds like a howl of rage against the law) but he did and it’s glorious.
Coming Soon: No, really, soon. Sooner than three months.