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How The Clash’s London Calling Both Was And Fuelled A Rebellion
- Andrew Munnik
- 5 days ago
- 4 min read
Updated: 12 hours ago
London Calling is widely believed to be The Clash’s greatest album to date, with publications like Rolling Stone honouring the impact it had on music and culture. For many, it represented rebellion and the rejection of cultural rigidity, but that’s solely focusing on the sound. Looking at London Calling in context, the political rants seem far less dissonant to the doo-wop style rock and roll, and The Clash’s message at the end makes a disconcerting amount of sense.
A Cultural Rigidity Confrontation: London Calling
If you’ve been keeping an eye on our blogs, you’ll know all too well by this point that the 1970s and 80s were a time of incredible strife, both literally in the form of warfare and socially in the form of cultural flux.
These factors were not mutually exclusive of one another, either, as the Cold War represented a clash of political ideology as much as it did proxy warfare.
There are many cross-sections that can be drawn from this period. Following the Second World War, the UK youth reeled for a sense of identity in the ruins of a Blitzkrieged nation. The older generation, entrenched in their mindsets out of wartime necessity, seemed to overlook the struggles of a generation born free of active homefront warfare. The working class, disenfranchised by restrictions placed upon them, turned their ire toward ‘The Man.’
These are just a handful of the socio-economic cross-sections that inspired the creation of London Calling, not even making mention of the human rights struggle that undercut it all. Culture struggled against its own entrenched ideals, and this was true of music as well. This is why, when The Clash finally released their iconic album, it was received with a fervour akin to Beatlemania (despite their hatred of it). The people needed an outlet for their frustrations– something to give voice to their tumult, and London Calling became that voice.
London Calling – The Tumult and The Clash
Anybody who might have come across a track from London Calling would recognise its obviously political themes, but the structure and style of the album is in and of itself a rebellion.
Simply looking at the genres blended together within it reveals this much. From Reggae and R&B to Swing-style Rock ‘n Roll and even Jazz, Rather than blending genres, The Clash’s London Calling shattered the divisions that kept them apart.
The Clash refused to be placed in a box, and they refused to allow society to define what they would create through expectations and preconceived notions. Thus, alongside profound and at times melancholic political rants, there are ‘feel-good’ hits like ‘Brand New Cadillac.’ If one were to overlook the context, it might seem like an indisciplined jumble of musical influences.
Looking closer, though, it’s clear how The Clash navigated around expectation and order. They rejected even the method they once used to rebel (Punk/Rock), ushering in a new kind of middle finger to convention.
London Calling’s Obvious Political Themes
The album is full of references to the dire circumstances of the time, with tracks like ‘Guns of Brixton’ and ‘Hateful’ speaking to war and addiction, respectively.
The titular ‘London Calling’, however, acts almost as a time capsule, storing the experience of British life during the Blitz.
The name “London Calling” refers to a broadcast messaging system set up by the BBC during the war.
It called out to occupied territories, giving important updates and tips on how to survive bombing.
Though it was set up during World War 2, it was only discontinued in the early 90s, indicating a generations-long legacy of fear inflicted on the British people. The lyrics, “Come out of the cupboard, ya boys and girls,” further drive this point home, referring to the suggested practice of children climbing into cupboards to shelter from aerial raids.
Rock and Roll Sound With A Punk Message
London Calling and by extension The Clash’s effect on music and culture is undeniable, voted the best album of the 80s by Rolling Stone Magazine. Considering the competition at play during the 80s, that’s quite the accomplishment.
As to why this album in particular spoke to the people, one could argue it all comes down to The Clash tapping into the zeitgeist.
From one strong sense of identity to the next, there was a generational clash at work that The Clash quite fittingly put a voice to.
‘Spanish Bombs’ is perhaps the best showcase of this, featuring a swinging, 50s-style sound with lyrics that speak to the terror of wartime. It’s a microcosm of the album itself, using this stark contrast to highlight the internal conflict that defined the era.
It’s also quite fitting, then, that the album’s runout groove features a secret message: “Tear down the walls!” Mechanically speaking, this is the very last thing the listener will walk away with. The final song is an upbeat breakup hit free from political influence, ending the experience with an overall light-hearted moment– until that runout groove hits.
It’s the final stinger that drives home the album’s thematic content. A final reminder that, although the war might have ended, the tearing down of the walls erected in its name would go on for generations.
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