From the wikipedia for the song: The song gives a fabulist account of a ban on Western rock music by a Middle Eastern king.[5] The lyrics describe the king's efforts to enforce and justify the ban, and the populace's protests against it by holding rock concerts in temples and squares ("rocking the casbah"). This culminates in the king ordering his military's fighter jets to bomb the protestors; however, after taking off, the pilots ignore his orders and instead play rock music on their cockpit radios, joining the protest and implying the loss of the king's power.
Topper not only wrote most of the song and played the drums, he was also responsible for that *epic* bassline, one of my favourite ever. And the playful piano too.
But, if you read the recent book about Joe Strummer: Joe ripped up the original lyrics Topper had written and rewrote it in 10 minutes while sitting on the toilet.
"Rock The Casbah" was The Clash's biggest commercial hit, but they had a ton of great songs. "Should I Stay Or Should I Go" is pretty famous, but also "Radio Clash", "Lost In The Supermarket" and "Rumble In Brighton". And so on... .
I saw this tour in 83. It was a small venue in Philly, Class of 23 rink, where the Flyers used to practice. There were no assigned seats and I remember moving closer to the stage but getting caught up in slam dancing. I was literally being ping ponged off people. And it hurt and I couldn’t get out of it. Some guy from my ex husband’s hockey team saw me, reached in the crowd, and pulled me out to safety. Pretty wild but the concert was great. ✌️♥️🎶
I remember back in the 80s everyone was singing this as it was on the radio a lot as it was kind of like the political statement too of the time cuz we were having a lot of issues with Iran and the Ayatollah with the United States, so it kind of hit home and everyone loved it... what a great beat, band and message. Strummer told Rolling Stone shortly before he died in 2002: "I got back to the hotel that night and wrote on a typewriter, 'The King told the boogie men You gotta get that raga drop.' I looked at it and for some reason I started to think about what someone had told me earlier, that you get lashed for owning a disco album in Iran." This served as inspiration for the rest of the lyrics, about the people defying the Arab ruler (Shareef)'s ban on disco music and "Rocking the Casbah." The Clash ARE the only group that matters!!! 😎💪💯🎶🔥❤ L33 ROCKS BRO!!!!
I always liked the way they (not so) secretly worked the "F" word into the chorus ("Rock the casbah, f*** the casbah"). The MTV video makes it even more obvious to anyone with basic lip-reading skill.
"Know your rights" is also a great track from this album:"You have the right to free speech/as long as you're not dumb enough to actually try it". Classic
I *really* want Lee to hear The Magnificent Seven! It was a 'first' at the time in a couple of ways, not just for the band. It's one of my favorite songs of all time. I mean anyone that can make me like a rap song, what can I say?
Great pick, guys! I came this close to requesting The Magnificent Seven for my first month pick! Probably will for next month. Never too much The Clash. :) They were so tight and such a great rhythm section, great lyrics, unique singer (Joe). So creative too. They weren't completely toned down for this album, just different. I think you'd like their first five albums. London Calling is their third. This is not anything like you've heard by them, Lee, and you will be mind-blown when you hear them rap. I'm not a fan of rap at all, but The Magnificent Seven is one of my all-time favorites. This song really shows their pop punk side. They did so many genres at a time. I bought Sandinista just for The Magnificent Seven song. Okay, I'm lying. I bought it because I love The Clash lol! Unfortunately, I only have Combat Rock and London Calling on CD, not vinyl. * cries * I believe Joe Strummer fought their label over making it (Sandinista!) a triple album the same cost to fans as a regular album.
Yay, thanks in advance for your (future) 'The Magnificent Seven' request. This song and, 'This is Radio Clash' would probably be my top two Wishlist songs for reactors. Plus, pretty much anything from London Calling.
Topper Headon recorded the drums on the Combat Rock album and was fired a few days before the release because of heroin addiction and Mick Jones was fired at the end of the tour. The drummer in the video are Terry Chimes. The original drummer. He left in 1977 and joined again in 1982. He also played with Generation X, Hanoi Rocks (replacing Nicholas 'Razzle' Dingley after his death), Black Sabbath and Cherry Bombz. A band who also had Andy McCoy & Nasty Suicide (Hanoi Rocks), Dave Tregunna (Lords Of The New Church) and Anita Chellemah (Toto Coelo).
”When an Armadillo smiles the world is your oyster” is a quote from Blake Edwards forgotten 80:s gem ”S.O.B”. Havn’t a clue what it means but maybe the Clash picked it up. The Armadillo becomes a symbol of the absurdity of the world we are living in - then AND Now.
I was a Clash fan (saw the London Calling tour and the Combat Rock tour), and this album certainly did not alienate me. "Punk" can only go so far. The Clash was a good example of how a band can change and not sell out.
One of Topper's rare songwriting contributions! Oh, Joe Strummer is a *legend* ! I'm one of the few who did not feel alienated by The Clash sound going 'pop punk' - probably because I wasn't around to be a full-on punk music fan lol! I like both their punk/funk sound and their more pop punk fare like this one and Should I Stay or Should I Go, Train in Vain, etc. I happen to like their previous sound more, but I'm not complaining! I would suggest White Man in Hammersmith Palais or The Magnificent Seven. The second one more than the first because it's *rap*. I don't care for rap, but that was a little bit groundbreaking at the time with the first real mainstream + white people rap song. The Clash members and Blondie members both visited NYC together and went to listen to the underground rap scene there and were both blown away, and both went back and wrote rap songs. They weren't well-received because no one had heard rap before, really outside of that underground scene in NYC. The Clash: The only band that matters! Punk music: 99% attitude. :)
the armadillo is there because they filmed the video in Austin, TX during a tour stop. Big to-do in town when it happened. I remember being in 4th grade and the whole school was talking about this....
I saw the Clash in Times Square NYC in the summer of '81 (they played 18 consecutive nights, which i thought was a big deal but later realized it's probablyba lot easier than touring!) It was in dance club called Bond's International Casino. It was pretty insane. All, open floor, no seats. You pushed your way up front until you needed to breath and retreated backward. There were some rooms in the back and balconies with sofas were people were on drug- filled hazed melted into the upholtery. There were four bands on first, none of whom we knew. Clash took the stage at about 3 AM, played a couple of hours. Political leaflets supporting anti- fascists insurgents in central and South America would periodically drop from the ceiling. When it was over we poured out into the bizarre world of Times Square at 5 AM. This was before the Disnefication of TS when there were broadway theaters, night clubs and porn theaters mixed together and hookers and pushers plied their trades in the open. As we sat at a Chock-full-O-Nuts coffee shop getting ready for out train ride home we saw some dude, totally naked, being chased screaming down the street by sone other dude. Wild scene!
Trying not to be political, but irrespective of decisions made during and after the 1st and 2nd World Wars, we all need to "cool our jets" and look for amicable solutions. Fact is that both Jews and Arabs have a legitimate claim to the land. Historically, "Israel" actually predates "Palestine" by more than 1000 years, but the land then became home primarily to an Arab population, again for more than a millennium. The Israeli-Palestinian conflict has seen a myriad wrongs and brutalities on both sides. It's so, so tragic, but will it ever end? I hope it does, and I really hope it ends peacefully.
This is why drummers should never do heroin. Topper Headon. He wrote 85% of this song, and was fired before the video was made. Edit: good after-song preach.
Rock the Casbah! I think the oil rig in the background represents the giant cache of oil in Saudi Arabia. As far as the armadillo, no clue. They are really only found in Texas. Perhaps we stopped oil the oil production off the Gulf of Mexico? Really good song.
If you like the classic English punk, you should delve into some American punk, as well. Old School stuff. I would recommend the song Detroit by Rancid, for starters. Also, Time Bomb by Rancid. Detroit is hard driving, fast, and just incredible. The bass and drums, especially. Time Bomb is one of the reggae-based Rancid tunes. Both great. Two of my favorites from them.
Train in Vain! There is an interview of Joe and Robert Fripp who happened to cross paths at Musicians magazine. Really good discussion. Agree with you. If there is a God, he doesn’t deal in real estate
I was looking up definitions of Casbah and I saw what you saw the African castle but if you look at different versions of it the Arabic will say Cazba but it technically the translation means Citadel and a citadel is a strong Fortress or Tower so I guess Rocking the Casbah is The Rockin of the Fortress or Citadel of a country in this case the Middle East and again it was inspired by the Iranians whipping people for listening to rock and roll or disco albums in their country back then
From the wikipedia for the song:
The song gives a fabulist account of a ban on Western rock music by a Middle Eastern king.[5] The lyrics describe the king's efforts to enforce and justify the ban, and the populace's protests against it by holding rock concerts in temples and squares ("rocking the casbah"). This culminates in the king ordering his military's fighter jets to bomb the protestors; however, after taking off, the pilots ignore his orders and instead play rock music on their cockpit radios, joining the protest and implying the loss of the king's power.
Topper not only wrote most of the song and played the drums, he was also responsible for that *epic* bassline, one of my favourite ever. And the playful piano too.
But, if you read the recent book about Joe Strummer: Joe ripped up the original lyrics Topper had written and rewrote it in 10 minutes while sitting on the toilet.
This was allegedly the most requested song on Armed Forces Radio during the Iraq war.
Which pointless Iraq war?
Kind of ironic, given The Clash's anti-war stance.
"Put the bombs between the minarets, down the Casbah w-a-a-a-ay!"
Thanks for getting into the Clash. I knew Joe Strummer, he was a friend. I was the first to play them in the world on the radio.
Shareef DONT LIKE IT!! 😳💯😅♥️🎶🔥
Fundamentally can't take it.
Good reaction man.
"Rock The Casbah" was The Clash's biggest commercial hit, but they had a ton of great songs. "Should I Stay Or Should I Go" is pretty famous, but also "Radio Clash", "Lost In The Supermarket" and "Rumble In Brighton". And so on... .
"Train In Vain"!
Complete control, know your rights, working for the clampdown (my favorites today, tomorrow.... )
I saw this tour in 83. It was a small venue in Philly, Class of 23 rink, where the Flyers used to practice. There were no assigned seats and I remember moving closer to the stage but getting caught up in slam dancing. I was literally being ping ponged off people. And it hurt and I couldn’t get out of it. Some guy from my ex husband’s hockey team saw me, reached in the crowd, and pulled me out to safety. Pretty wild but the concert was great. ✌️♥️🎶
This song is GREAT in a CLUB: REALLY LOUD!!! We used to LOVE TO DANCE TO THIS ONE!!! Thanks for bringing back GREAT MEMORIES, LEE!! :) HUGS!!
I remember back in the 80s everyone was singing this as it was on the radio a lot as it was kind of like the political statement too of the time cuz we were having a lot of issues with Iran and the Ayatollah with the United States, so it kind of hit home and everyone loved it... what a great beat, band and message.
Strummer told Rolling Stone shortly before he died in 2002: "I got back to the hotel that night and wrote on a typewriter, 'The King told the boogie men You gotta get that raga drop.' I looked at it and for some reason I started to think about what someone had told me earlier, that you get lashed for owning a disco album in Iran." This served as inspiration for the rest of the lyrics, about the people defying the Arab ruler (Shareef)'s ban on disco music and "Rocking the Casbah."
The Clash ARE the only group that matters!!! 😎💪💯🎶🔥❤
L33 ROCKS BRO!!!!
This was the most commercial of their music. Even they were conflicted about it
I always liked the way they (not so) secretly worked the "F" word into the chorus ("Rock the casbah, f*** the casbah"). The MTV video makes it even more obvious to anyone with basic lip-reading skill.
i always remembered it as f*ck the casbah as it was from the clash
One of the most danceable songs from the 80s. Still love it.
Topper was a very talented guy. Overlooked. You should do Train in Vain next.
That's one of my favorites too
Another excellent video reaction I am also very cool with sharing the video with Gail as great minds think alike
lol... great job Lee❤
Huge hit. Huge. Dominated MTV.
"Know your rights" is also a great track from this album:"You have the right to free speech/as long as you're not dumb enough to actually try it". Classic
I completely agree with you! Thanks for sharing this.
The Clash, after the Beatles, rearranged my DNA. Perpetually relevant.
Can't wait to eventually get your reaction to The Magnificent Seven.
I *really* want Lee to hear The Magnificent Seven! It was a 'first' at the time in a couple of ways, not just for the band. It's one of my favorite songs of all time. I mean anyone that can make me like a rap song, what can I say?
Great and fun song. Funny video!
The Armadillo lives in a world where it has to be armoured -- just like us. :0/
Video made in Austin, Texas, where they played Armadillo World Headquarters.
wow really?
Yep@@scottyhotty1003
Love this so much. Thank you!
Great pick, guys! I came this close to requesting The Magnificent Seven for my first month pick! Probably will for next month. Never too much The Clash. :) They were so tight and such a great rhythm section, great lyrics, unique singer (Joe). So creative too. They weren't completely toned down for this album, just different. I think you'd like their first five albums. London Calling is their third.
This is not anything like you've heard by them, Lee, and you will be mind-blown when you hear them rap. I'm not a fan of rap at all, but The Magnificent Seven is one of my all-time favorites. This song really shows their pop punk side. They did so many genres at a time. I bought Sandinista just for The Magnificent Seven song. Okay, I'm lying. I bought it because I love The Clash lol! Unfortunately, I only have Combat Rock and London Calling on CD, not vinyl. * cries * I believe Joe Strummer fought their label over making it (Sandinista!) a triple album the same cost to fans as a regular album.
Yay, thanks in advance for your (future) 'The Magnificent Seven' request. This song and, 'This is Radio Clash' would probably be my top two Wishlist songs for reactors. Plus, pretty much anything from London Calling.
You bet! I think he's doing all of London Calling, not sure, though.@@HidingFromFate
The Clash have so many bangers and are so versatile.. Keep going down that rabbit hole legend!
Topper Headon recorded the drums on the Combat Rock album and was fired a few days before the release because of heroin addiction and Mick Jones was fired at the end of the tour. The drummer in the video are Terry Chimes. The original drummer. He left in 1977 and joined again in 1982. He also played with Generation X, Hanoi Rocks (replacing Nicholas 'Razzle' Dingley after his death), Black Sabbath and Cherry Bombz. A band who also had Andy McCoy & Nasty Suicide (Hanoi Rocks), Dave Tregunna (Lords Of The New Church) and Anita Chellemah (Toto Coelo).
”When an Armadillo smiles the world is your oyster” is a quote from Blake Edwards forgotten 80:s gem ”S.O.B”. Havn’t a clue what it means but maybe the Clash picked it up. The Armadillo becomes a symbol of the absurdity of the world we are living in - then AND Now.
"Nobody's right, if everybody's wrong." ~~~
I was a Clash fan (saw the London Calling tour and the Combat Rock tour), and this album certainly did not alienate me. "Punk" can only go so far. The Clash was a good example of how a band can change and not sell out.
I remember this on MTV or VH1 (this be after MTV quit playing music); never listened to it on radio
My favorite Clash song. Loved your reaction. This was one of the MTV video hits.
I love that armadillo. Train in Vain, man. RIP Joe.
Memories of dancing to this, soooo fun!
Love this song. "Rob the cat box, Rob the cat box". Sure brings back memories.
🤣🤣🤣🤣
One of Topper's rare songwriting contributions!
Oh, Joe Strummer is a *legend* !
I'm one of the few who did not feel alienated by The Clash sound going 'pop punk' - probably because I wasn't around to be a full-on punk music fan lol! I like both their punk/funk sound and their more pop punk fare like this one and Should I Stay or Should I Go, Train in Vain, etc. I happen to like their previous sound more, but I'm not complaining!
I would suggest White Man in Hammersmith Palais or The Magnificent Seven. The second one more than the first because it's *rap*. I don't care for rap, but that was a little bit groundbreaking at the time with the first real mainstream + white people rap song. The Clash members and Blondie members both visited NYC together and went to listen to the underground rap scene there and were both blown away, and both went back and wrote rap songs. They weren't well-received because no one had heard rap before, really outside of that underground scene in NYC.
The Clash: The only band that matters!
Punk music: 99% attitude. :)
the armadillo is there because they filmed the video in Austin, TX during a tour stop. Big to-do in town when it happened. I remember being in 4th grade and the whole school was talking about this....
As I got to know a Clash’s progression as as a band, I’ve come to think nobody was any better. You’ll love their body of work.
Check out the bassline on “The Magnificent Seven” by The Clash.
It’s magnificent.
good one!!😅
Check out "Train in Vain".❤
Rock the house!
Please get into the Clash. They have a great catalog of ska, punk and rock.
I saw them on this tour. They opened for the Who.
I saw the Clash in Times Square NYC in the summer of '81 (they played 18 consecutive nights, which i thought was a big deal but later realized it's probablyba lot easier than touring!) It was in dance club called Bond's International Casino.
It was pretty insane. All, open floor, no seats. You pushed your way up front until you needed to breath and retreated backward. There were some rooms in the back and balconies with sofas were people were on drug- filled hazed melted into the upholtery. There were four bands on first, none of whom we knew. Clash took the stage at about 3 AM, played a couple of hours. Political leaflets supporting anti- fascists insurgents in central and South America would periodically drop from the ceiling.
When it was over we poured out into the bizarre world of Times Square at 5 AM. This was before the Disnefication of TS when there were broadway theaters, night clubs and porn theaters mixed together and hookers and pushers plied their trades in the open. As we sat at a Chock-full-O-Nuts coffee shop getting ready for out train ride home we saw some dude, totally naked, being chased screaming down the street by sone other dude.
Wild scene!
Trying not to be political, but irrespective of decisions made during and after the 1st and 2nd World Wars, we all need to "cool our jets" and look for amicable solutions. Fact is that both Jews and Arabs have a legitimate claim to the land. Historically, "Israel" actually predates "Palestine" by more than 1000 years, but the land then became home primarily to an Arab population, again for more than a millennium.
The Israeli-Palestinian conflict has seen a myriad wrongs and brutalities on both sides. It's so, so tragic, but will it ever end? I hope it does, and I really hope it ends peacefully.
The holy Trinity of British Punk. The clash, The Damned, The Sex Pistols
Topper wrote the drum part, piano part, and bass guitar. The rest of the band was late and he recorded it alone.
Not on my top ten Clash songs but still a good one.
My fav Clash song
The video was filmed in Austin, TX.
"Should I Stay Or Should I Go" is friggin definitive Clash! 🙂
Nothing great...wimpy crappy comment@@DENVEROUTDOORMAN
'White Man in Hammersmith Palais' , 'Know Your Rights' and 'Clampdown' deserve your time as well!
That f****** Armadillo!!! 😂❤
My favorite parts of the video. 😂
This is why drummers should never do heroin. Topper Headon. He wrote 85% of this song, and was fired before the video was made.
Edit: good after-song preach.
Yep, very ironic and sad! From that moment on, The Clash were over and Cut the Crap lived up to its name.
Great song. Its a very sad world we live in now Lee.
I used to think they were saying “rock the cash bar”.🤪
lol
Plz more of the only band that matters!
🙏RIP JOE STRUMMER🙏
Armadillos are definitely Not Kosher
lmfao 😂
😂
Gotta do This Is Radio Clash
Should I Stay or Should I Go!
Rock the Casbah!
I think the oil rig in the background represents the giant cache of oil in Saudi Arabia.
As far as the armadillo, no clue. They are really only found in Texas. Perhaps we stopped oil the oil production off the Gulf of Mexico? Really good song.
Speaking of punk. I recommend anything and everything from Social Distortion.
Great song, great band. There was a parody called Lock the snack bar, about finishing work at a theatre iirc. Not Weird Al, wasn't a quality effort
Listen to Mustapha Dance by them. It's an instrumental version of Casbah. You can really groove on the drums and bass.
Video 👍☀️
"He thinks it's NOT kosher!!!
City scenes filmed here in Austin.
If you like the classic English punk, you should delve into some American punk, as well. Old School stuff. I would recommend the song Detroit by Rancid, for starters. Also, Time Bomb by Rancid. Detroit is hard driving, fast, and just incredible. The bass and drums, especially. Time Bomb is one of the reggae-based Rancid tunes. Both great. Two of my favorites from them.
clash were cool, try london calling
he did last week
Train in Vain! There is an interview of Joe and Robert Fripp who happened to cross paths at Musicians magazine. Really good discussion. Agree with you. If there is a God, he doesn’t deal in real estate
I always thought the song was referencing Casbah the rock club in London?
wow!! Maybe!?
@@scottyhotty1003 Well I could be completely wrong. Just tried looking it up and there doesn't seem to be no such club, lol.
@@johangalician620 LOL it's all good
I would love you to cover their reggae tune "Armageddon Time" I often play it for the message alone, though it is a great tune.
The only band that matters....
I was looking up definitions of Casbah and I saw what you saw the African castle but if you look at different versions of it the Arabic will say Cazba but it technically the translation means Citadel and a citadel is a strong Fortress or Tower so I guess Rocking the Casbah is The Rockin of the Fortress or Citadel of a country in this case the Middle East and again it was inspired by the Iranians whipping people for listening to rock and roll or disco albums in their country back then
That will be America if wannabe dictator Trump ever gets close to our White House again.
For pure energy - driven by drums - I’d pick ‘Tommy Gun’ .
The song is about the Ayatollah Khomeini banning western music in Iran.
BACK IN THE DAY, THEY WERE THE ONLY BAND THAT MATTERED.
Vote Trump in '24 ?