The Clash – Guns of Brixton

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When they kick at your front door
How you gonna come?
With your hands on your head
Or on the trigger of your gun

When the law break in
How you gonna go?
Shot down on the pavement
Or waiting in death row

You can crush us, you can bruise us
But you’ll have to answer to
Oh-oh, the guns of Brixton

The money feels good
And your life you like it well
But surely your time will come
As in Heaven as in Hell

You see, he feels like Ivan
Born under the Brixton sun
His game is called survivin’
At the end of the harder they come

You know it means no mercy
They caught him with a gun
No need for the Black Maria
Goodbye to the Brixton sun

You can crush us, you can bruise us
But you’ll have to answer to
Oh-oh, the guns of Brixton

When they kick at your front door
How you gonna come?
With your hands on your head
Or on the trigger of your gun

You can crush us, you can bruise us
And even shoot us
But oh-oh, the guns of Brixton

Shot down on the pavement
Waiting in death row
His game was survivin’
As in Heaven as in Hell

You can crush us, you can bruise us
But you’ll have to answer to
Oh-oh, the guns of Brixton
Oh-oh, the guns of Brixton
Oh-oh, the guns of Brixton
Oh-oh, the guns of Brixton
Oh-oh, the guns of Brixton

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@luxxuryxx

The Clash “London Calling”: changing the beat changes the genre! The Clash’s love for (and many forays into) Jamaican music – reggae, ska, rocksteady and dub – is well documented. For example bassist Paul Simonon has said one of his inspirations was Leroy Sibbles, legendary Studio One session bassist/songwriter & vocalist for The Heptones. The Clash’s reggae influences become more clear when you replace Topper Headon’s swingin’ 12/8 beat with a JA-inspired one drop (i.e. no kick on the downbeat, as we discussed on our Bob Marley “Jammin’” episode last year) 🇯🇲 on the latest One Song podcast Fred Armisen helps Diallo & I break down the stems & stories behind “London Calling” by The Clash #theclash #musichistory #reggae

♬ London Calling – The Clash