Clash – Death Or Glory

I first heard London Calling with my friend who had an import copy of it in the early 1980s. He and his older brother had some great music that wasn’t mainstream at the time. Bands like Big Star, Grateful Dead, Replacements, and The Clash. I learned to appreciate the so-called “nonpopular” bands at that time. It’s a trait I’ve kept ever since. Search music out and you will find good music.

They started off as a punk band but The Clash, unlike some other Punk bands, could play and sing well…, especially Mick Jones. He was probably the best pure musician in the band. The Clash wanted to break out of Punk’s limitations.

When they released London Calling, they moved beyond pure punk rock and began exploring a variety of styles, including rock, reggae, ska, and more. This song has very accessible music but the words are biting. You can get many things out of it but I pretty much get the hypocrisy directed to us all. They were directing much of it at the rock scene of the time. It’s also about the difficulties of not selling out. It’s not easy to do when navigating the trials of adulthood.

The album was produced by Guy Stevens, an unpredictable producer known for his eccentric methods. He encouraged spontaneity while creating an unorthodox atmosphere in the studio. He would throw chairs or ladders to “inspire” the band while recording. After thinking about this…he sounds perfect for The Clash. He would die of an overdose in 1981 of a medication that was helping him to reduce his alcohol intake. The Clash wrote a song in tribute to him called “Midnight to Stevens“. Stevens also produced Free and they wrote a song about him called Guy Steven Blues. 

The lyric “Love and hate tattooed across the knuckles of his hands” got me thinking about a film called The Night of the Hunter. I did some research and yes Joe Strummer was a huge fan of the movie when he was a teenager and that line is said to be a reference to Robert Mitchum’s sinister character Reverend Harry Powell who has that on his knuckles.

London Calling peaked at #9 in the UK, #3 in Canada, #12 in New Zealand, and #27 on the Billboard Album Charts in 1979-1980. 

Death or Glory

Hey

Now every cheap hood strikes a bargain with the worldEnds up making payments on a sofa or a girlLove and hate tattooed across the knuckles of his handsHands that slap his kids around ’cause they don’t understand how

Death or gloryBecomes just another storyDeath or gloryBecomes just another story

And every gimmick hungry yob digging gold from rock and rollGrabs the mic to tell us he’ll die before he’s soldBut I believe in this, and it’s been tested by researchHe who fucks nuns will later join the church

Death or gloryBecomes just another storyDeath or gloryBecomes just another story

Ooh, ah-ah-ah, oohOoh, ah-ah-ah, oohOoh, ah-ah-ah, ooh

Fear in the gun-sights, they say lie lowYou say ok, don’t wanna play the showNow all you’re thinking, was it death or glory now?Playing the blues for pennies sure looks better now

Death or gloryJust another storyDeath or gloryJust another story

And every dingy basement, on every dingy streetEvery dragging hand clap over every dragging beatIt’s just the beat of time, the beat that must go onIf you’ve been trying for years, we already heard your song

Death or gloryBecomes just another storyDeath or gloryJust another story

Gonna march a long wayFight a long timeGot to travel over mountainsGot to travel overseas

We’re gonna fight you, brotherWe’re gonna fight ’til you loseWe’re gonna raise troubleWe’re gonna raise hellWe’re gonna fight you, brotherRaise hell

Death or gloryBecomes just another storyDeath or gloryBecomes just another story

Death or gloryJust another storyDeath or gloryBecomes just another story

…

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Author: Badfinger (Max)

Power Pop fan, Baseball, Beatles, Alternative music, old movies, and tv show fan. Also anything to do with pop culture in the 60s and 70s... I'm also a songwriter, bass and guitar player. Not the slightest bit interested in politics at all.

30 thoughts on “Clash – Death Or Glory”

  2. The Clash were great! My high school years…my little brother (he’s your age) pointed out to me recently or reminded me that ‘BAD’ (Big Audio Dynamite) was some of those members. I had forgotten that…they were great too. The Clash & BAD are staples of XM’s ‘First Wave’ channel which I listen to the most these days. Good stuff, hope you guys dug the Dylan movie last night.

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    1. Oh that is a sore spot lol. We took my sister home yesterday about an hour too late. We would have had to wait 4 hours for the next showing so we are going Friday or Saturday.
      Anyway…I saw Big Audio Dynamite opening for U2…they were great.

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      1. Max, I’m sorry to hear that man. Well, I hope nothing negative happened there. But, I understand situations with family & old friends sometimes is sticky (I nice way to put it). The good thing is that it (the Dylan movie) wasn’t playing for 1 night so you guys can see it today or tomorrow.

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      2. Oh no…nothing negative at all thank goodness…when we got there Bailey looked at me and said…Dad…we should have left earlier because the nearest theater was 30 miles away. I love Dylan….but 4 hours waiting…yea I said lets wait lol

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  4. I always liked the Clash, but I never owned any of their albums, so the only songs I know are London Calling, Rock the Casbah, Should I Stay or Should I Go, and I Fought the Law, which a cover song. This one is really nice.

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  5. not one of my favorites of theirs nor one I know especially well but the gist of your column is spot on – ‘London Calling’ was a brilliant and diverse record and they were really beginning to show that they were a very, very good band with interesting ideas not just another quick punk act cashing in on a fad. And as time goes by, the cream rises as they say. It seems like the ‘punk’ acts that get remembered and listened to are the ones like that who could play instruments, write songs and express some interesting (even if hostile) ideas

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    1. I knew this one from listening to the album way back. It has a damn good sound in the intro and showed that they were moving somewhere else other than the more punk sound.

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    1. Yea I like The Clash. I’ve never been a huge Punk fan but to me, they went out and moved forward a bit from that. Part of my problem with punk was I’m American so we didn’t get the full brunt of it…after talking to a few UK bloggers, like Paul, I started to appreciate it more.

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  7. Great Song. Biting lyrics you’re right. It is a dilemma for artists. Getting paid seems almost like a crime, but e’erbody gotta eat. I have this album (library burn) but am embarrassed to say haven’t listened to it like it should be listened to, with attention and respect.

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  9. Pingback: Clash – Death Or Glory – MobsterTiger

    1. Mitchum’s character in that movie…is amazing. After I saw that Strummer was influenced…it fit because that is what I think of when I see those tattoos.

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