The Clash: Rock the Casbah Meaning

Rock the Casbah Lyrics

Now the king told the boogie men
You have to let that raga drop
The oil down the desert way
Has been shakin to the top
The sheik he drove his cadillac
He went a cruisnin down the ville
The muezzin was a standing
On the radiator...

1. 1TOP RATED

   #1 top rated interpretation:
   anonymous

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   Jun 20th 2011 !⃝

   It's reportedly based on an incident in Iran when somebody was flogged for listening to Rock. Sharif is only a position of authority. Casbah is Arabic for fortress. He hates rock but its popularity is spreading. It has even entered the casbah against his command, causing such a racket and undermining his authority.
2. anonymous

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   Jul 8th 2022 !⃝

   Shareef or sharif is incorrect.. I see it written this way everywhere but it is “the sheriff” everyone thinks sharif is in a position of authority because the lyric is sheriff!
3. anonymous

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   Jul 20th 2020 !⃝

   Joe Strummer pleaded with young Londoners to save the planet and increase awareness for the environment. His message is for a universal effort for world youths to combat rock thefts in underserved countries lacking the infrastructure to build, “Rock by rock” the Casbah Highway across the Hermes peninsula.
4. XFLCracker67

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   Jan 19th 2015 !⃝

   (addendum)
   
   after giving this order, the sheik then went for a drive, his stereo playing his favorite music - a style proscribed to the people and the King's own word.
   
   [NOW, the Chorus]
5. XFLCracker67

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   Jan 19th 2015 !⃝

   1st Stanza:
   
   The Sheikh (King) tells his security people to ban with force ANY unrest among the people; his profits are up and any disruption in the day to day activities condoned to the status quo are to be put down with extreme prejudice.
   
   [Chorus]
6. anonymous

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   Sep 7th 2014 !⃝

   It is about, at least in part, their manager (Bernie), "the king" yelling at them "the boogie men" to stop playing so much reggae music.
7. anonymous

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   Aug 15th 2011 !⃝

   American troops rocked sadams casba
8. anonymous

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   Jul 30th 2011 !⃝

   It's about the muslims who follow sharia law and hate rock music.
9. KillingTime

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   Jul 11th 2008 !⃝

   A BiGGER BOZO than YOU? I doubt it!
   It's about the Power of Music.
   Shareef don't like is about control of Media, (see 1984 by George Orwell) and ipso facto , thought!
10. adamssong91

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    Dec 15th 2007 !⃝

    Okay, no that's not at all what it's about. This was actually a Jeopardy question, the answer was, "This 'The Clash' song represented speak-easies in the Middle-East that were a result of the ban of night clubs and alcohol from a Communist law." Get it? Rock The Casbah, they don't give a crap about what the communists want them to do or about all the money and power they have. And I swear if anyone contradicts this, you're a bigger ass than the bozo above me.
11. anonymous

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    Nov 24th 2007 !⃝

    This song is obviously about what happened in the middle east and has been happening for like a long time so yea. The oil and the riches.

    This interpretation has been marked as poor. view anyway

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