The Clash: London Calling Meaning

London Calling Lyrics

London calling to the faraway towns
Now war is declared, and battle come down
London calling to the underworld
Come out of the cupboard, you boys and girls
London calling, now don't look to us
Phoney Beatlemania has bitten the dust
London...

1. KillingTime

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   Jul 10th 2008 !⃝

   It aint about the Falk' War. As has been pointed out, Joe was a Prophet but he wasnt that precise.
   The "Engines stop running" is about the end of Oil as a Motor feul, "wheat is growing thin" is a comment on the status of the World in the not too distant future.
   What I want to know, ..
   Is the line "see we aint got no highs, except for that one, with the Yellowy eyes" about Herion/ or speed or Alchol?
   Great song, Great Band f.t.m. R.I.P Joe.....and Joey & Deedee.
2. anonymous

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   Jun 2nd 2008 !⃝

   To me it has quite a prophetic meaning.
   
   "engines stop running" oil crisis anyone? look at the price of a gallon nowadays.
   
   it is sort of an abstract call for revolution except its all too late for the word is already doomed.
   
   and the part about "I have no fear" might very well be about the selfishness people show, as in they know the world is going to shit but as long as they themselves are not, they don't care to whats happening around them.
   
   Also, in the end when he says "Now get this" it sounds as if he was talking about some conference or show by that name when something in the likes was dicussed, except I have no idea about it.
3. anonymous

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   May 5th 2008 !⃝

   At the time this lick were hit, London...also known as MALICE (the JAM) was undergoing the sort of mean spiritedness that us is going through now Margaret Thatcher had made a power play (Pales in comparison with King Bush),but she were ultra cracking down on the IRISH,so the boys were partially singing from that perspective, as it was in a sense a police state...also, and it's been eluded to, weather or now, they're singing about British soldiers so called "PEACE KEEPING in Belfast, OR the Faulklands, all in all, the song I believe is about WAR, "the BATTLE come down" and they are also referring to the Lough Leigh,Long Kesh and all the horror that took place with the "PEACE KEEPING OCCUPATION"..talk about ABUSE of the CONCEPT of extraordinary rendition...YIKES..what a shite hole it were.
4. Gurl_E_Nerdd

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   Apr 30th 2008 !⃝

   This song is most def about wars raging.

   This interpretation has been marked as poor. view anyway
5. anonymous

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   Apr 11th 2008 !⃝

   Nuclear war? maybe Engines stop running is a definite reference to what happens right before a nuclear bomb drops.
6. anonymous

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   Feb 27th 2008 !⃝

   Are you sure he isn't referring to 'living near a priority target' of a nuclear weapon? meaning that he would be the first to die in an attack, not having to face the horrors of fallout?
7. anonymous

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   Jan 31st 2008 !⃝

   An interesting fact about the song. A man was taking a taxi to Miami airport and singing this song. The driver thought he was a terrorist and called the police. When they got to the airport the man was detained for a few hours and missed his flight. Not sure what it is really about.
8. anonymous

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   Sep 13th 2007 !⃝

   Nothing to do with the Falklands but still prophetic I think the global warming issues mentioned are also visionary strummer is a legend and the clash were the finest of many great punk bands London Calling was a BBC radio message sent in WW2.
9. anonymous

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   Aug 20th 2006 !⃝

   "There aint no need for ya, go straight to hell boys"
   
   This refers to the american g.I's having relations with vietnamese women and having children. Its about the vietman war and the kids desires to find a better life in the usa although the usa is referred to as "hell."

   This interpretation has been marked as poor. view anyway
10. CavGuy

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    Aug 4th 2006 !⃝

    It is not about the falkland island war. That happened from april 2, 1982 to june 14, 1982. London calling was recorded and released in 1979. The song is joe's belief that the thatcher government would destroy the uk. At the very end of the song the feedback from the guitar is tapping out sos in morse code(...---...).
11. anonymous

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    Feb 7th 2006 !⃝

    This song is about the destruction of Britain under Magaret Thatcher.
12. anonymous

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    Dec 3rd 2005 !⃝

    It's actually about a war that happened not to long ago. The British government owns a small island off the coast of Argentina and the Argentinians wanted it back and fought over it. "To a far away land, war has declared, battle come down."

    This interpretation has been marked as poor. view anyway
13. SickBoy1955

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    Oct 18th 2005 !⃝

    Interesting bit of trivia in this song:
    The line, "london is drowning, but I live by the river" is a reference to Joe Strummer's home at the time. He lived right next to the Thames, but several stories up, hence london would be under water, but he, living right by the river would be safe.
14. jim morrison

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    Jun 18th 2005 !⃝

    A song about the end of the world. "The ice age is coming, the sun's zooming in, meltdown expected, the wheat is growing thin, engines stop running but i have no fear, cos london is drowning and I, live by the river"
    
    It's punk rock at it's most abstract

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