He's in Love With Rock 'n' Roll, Whoah

Album: The Clash, The Story of The Clash, Volume 1 (Sides 3&4), 1988

Best Track: "Career Opportunities"

I was probably unfair to The Clash in yesterday's post when I wrote, in so many words, that listeners could easily ignore the band's politics because those politics were a pose. I've no doubt that principal Clash songwriters Joe Strummer and Mick Jones felt strongly about the need for social justice and that they believed it was their job to open the kids' minds with their message songs. I'll even concede that they succeeded to some extent since I wouldn't know anything about the racial tensions of 1970s London if I had never heard "Guns of Brixton."

I will continue to argue, however, that The Clash's best songs are the ones about regular rock 'n' roll topics like lost love, teenage directionlessness, and rockin'. This is not a criticism of the band. If rocking is your business, and that business is good, then good on ya. And if you do have to bring politics into the discussion, keep those politics personal.

The Clash did this to a large extent in the songs included on the third and fourth sides of their absolutely essential career retrospective. "White Riot," for instance, is the inner dialog of a white supremacist presented for your derision. "White Man in Hammer Palais" is a cutting critique of white bands who ignore or deride black music while either intentionally or unintentionally stealing all their tricks from that deep well. (The Clash acknowledged and praised their reggae influences.)

Where The Clash lose their traction is when they get to songs like "Spanish Bombs," which while sounding incredibly cool, can't accomplish much more than make listeners to scratch their heads. A song about the Spanish Civil War recorded two years after Franco's death? Really?

Let's rein it in, guys. Do more songs like "Janie Jones," which begins

He’s in love with rock ‘n’ roll, woah
He’s in love with getting stoned, woah
He’s in love with Janie Jones, woah
He don’t like his boring job no ...

Or if you just have to let your inner anarchist out to play a few riffs, make sure he knows the tabs and words to "Career Opportunities":

They offered me the office, offered me the shop
They said I better take anything they got
Do you wanna make tea at the BBC?
Do you wanna be, do really wanna be a cop?

Career opportunities are the ones that never knock
Every job they offer you is to keep out the dock
Career opportunities, the ones that never knock

I hate the army and I hate the RAF
I don’t wanna go fighting in the tropical heat
I hate the civil service rules
And I won’t open letter bombs for you

Career opportunities are the ones that never knock
Every job they offer you is to keep out the dock
Career opportunities, the ones that never knock

Bus driver!
Ambulance man!
Ticket inspector!
I don't understand!

They’re gonna have to introduce conscription
They’re gonna have to take away my prescription
If they wanna get me making toys
If they wanna get me, well hell I got not choice

Career opportunities are the ones that never knock
Every job they offer you is to keep out the dock
Career opportunities, the ones that never knock

Careers
Careers
Careers
Ain’t a-never gonna knock

Click here to see a live performance of "Career Opportunities"

Click here to learn more about Career Opportunities star Jennifer Connelly

Up Next: The Connells, Darker Days, 1987 (a TVT Records reissue of the self-released 1985 debut album)