(`.Lyrics-of-the-Day.`)
I'm Not Down
The Clash. Album: London Calling (1979)
If it's true a rich man leads a sad life
That's what they say, from day to day
Then what do the poor do with their lives?
On judgment day, with nothin' to say?
I've been beat up, I've been thrown Out
But I'm not down, Oh I'm not down
I've been shown up, but I've grown up
And I'm not down, Oh I'm not down
On my own I faced a gang of jeering
In strange streets
When my nerves were pumping out
I Fought my fear in, I didn't run
I was not done
I've been beat up, I've been thrown Out
But I'm not down, No I'm not down
I've been shown up, but I've grown up
And I'm not down, No I'm not down
So I have lived, that kind of day
When none of your sorrows will go away
Go down and down and hit the floor
Down and down and down some more
Depression
But I now, there'll be some way
When I can swing everything back my way
Like skyscrapers, rising up
Floor by floor, I'm not giving up
So you rock around and think that
You're the toughest
In the world, the whole wide world
But you're streets away from where
It gets the roughest
You ain't been there
(`..``..`)
Thats twice in this blog that Ive printed lyrics by 70-80s politick-punks The Clash! Bare with me, Im currently re-evaluating their contribution to today and enjoying every minute of it....
The Clash to me epitomised the real positive heart of (70s) punk. Despite fiery titles like "Hate & War" and I'm So Bored with the U.S.A. and a predisposition to reflect the oppressive social conditions and political apathy of the day on their first album, The Clash were undoubtedly positive in stark contrast to the conspicuous nihilism of their contemporaries, The Sex Pistols. According to Mick Jones of The Clash:
That's the difference between us and the Pistols,' he says. 'I think we're more optimistic. The Pistols said there was no future and we say there is a future. But I've got great respect for the Pistols. They're my favourite group. People tried to make out there was a feud between us, but that's rubbish. The clever thing for me to do now would be to attack the Pistols. That would make us popular with some people over here, but the Pistols were great.
Much emphasis in England was placed on The Clash as being a political band, but according to Jones again this was not the case:
I am interested in politics,' he says. 'I could reel off a lot of clichs about the political conditions in England, but we write about a lot of things. We're not just interested in one or two subjects. I write about anything that interests me.
However, contrasting this statement against the lyrics on any album by the group just illustrates how easy it was to miss the wood for the trees in the middle of the tangled sociological forest of the time.
~~~~ How to Navigate My Journal ~~~~
I'm Not Down
The Clash. Album: London Calling (1979)
If it's true a rich man leads a sad life
That's what they say, from day to day
Then what do the poor do with their lives?
On judgment day, with nothin' to say?
I've been beat up, I've been thrown Out
But I'm not down, Oh I'm not down
I've been shown up, but I've grown up
And I'm not down, Oh I'm not down
On my own I faced a gang of jeering
In strange streets
When my nerves were pumping out
I Fought my fear in, I didn't run
I was not done
I've been beat up, I've been thrown Out
But I'm not down, No I'm not down
I've been shown up, but I've grown up
And I'm not down, No I'm not down
So I have lived, that kind of day
When none of your sorrows will go away
Go down and down and hit the floor
Down and down and down some more
Depression
But I now, there'll be some way
When I can swing everything back my way
Like skyscrapers, rising up
Floor by floor, I'm not giving up
So you rock around and think that
You're the toughest
In the world, the whole wide world
But you're streets away from where
It gets the roughest
You ain't been there
(`..``..`)
Thats twice in this blog that Ive printed lyrics by 70-80s politick-punks The Clash! Bare with me, Im currently re-evaluating their contribution to today and enjoying every minute of it....
The Clash to me epitomised the real positive heart of (70s) punk. Despite fiery titles like "Hate & War" and I'm So Bored with the U.S.A. and a predisposition to reflect the oppressive social conditions and political apathy of the day on their first album, The Clash were undoubtedly positive in stark contrast to the conspicuous nihilism of their contemporaries, The Sex Pistols. According to Mick Jones of The Clash:
That's the difference between us and the Pistols,' he says. 'I think we're more optimistic. The Pistols said there was no future and we say there is a future. But I've got great respect for the Pistols. They're my favourite group. People tried to make out there was a feud between us, but that's rubbish. The clever thing for me to do now would be to attack the Pistols. That would make us popular with some people over here, but the Pistols were great.
Much emphasis in England was placed on The Clash as being a political band, but according to Jones again this was not the case:
I am interested in politics,' he says. 'I could reel off a lot of clichs about the political conditions in England, but we write about a lot of things. We're not just interested in one or two subjects. I write about anything that interests me.
However, contrasting this statement against the lyrics on any album by the group just illustrates how easy it was to miss the wood for the trees in the middle of the tangled sociological forest of the time.
~~~~ How to Navigate My Journal ~~~~