The Guns Off Brixton

The Guns Off Brixton (" firearms of Brixton ") is one of the song most known of the Clash, published in 1979 on their third album London Calling . Written and composed by the bass player of the group, Paul Simonon she revet for him an particular importance, being itself a native of Brixton, a locality of the southern suburbs of London to the strong reggae influences. The text of the song refers in particular to the film The Harder They Like (film) and, with the base line, takes a threatening air, in spite of the rate/rhythm slightly reggae of the piece. A version somewhat heavier and more rapid that which one finds on London Calling appears on the live compilation of 1999: From Young stag to Eternity: Live.

The Guns Of Brixton evokes the tensions between police force and immigrants in this district of London. In 1981, many racial riots occurred there, following the violences repeated on behalf of the police force. The song underlines the seizure of the criminal bands of Brixton on the local population, and the pitiless character of these bands (" You know it means No mercy"), which does not hesitate to steal and kill (" The money feels good/And your life you like it well/Goal surely your time will come" , " They caught him with has gun Goodbye to the Brixton sun"). The refrain refers to the confrontations with the police force (" You edge crash landing custom/You edge bruise us"). Paul Simonon goes until describing the life of the inhabitants of Brixton like a fight for survival (" You see He feels like Ivan/Born under the Brixton sun/His range is called survivin'").

Recoveries

The song was taken again by many groups with the passing of years such as Arcade Fire, Dropkick Murphys, Jeff Klein, The Bandits, New wave, Calexico, Optimus Rhyme, My Red Hot Nightmare, the Tufts Kretiennes but also by Inner terrestrials, originating in Brixton, by the group of punk German Die Toten Hosen, the group of punk Street Polish The Analogs, the group of punk hardcore German The Deadstock, like by the Argentinian group Los Fabulosos Cadillacs. The base line was also samplée in " Dub Be Good to Me" the Happy International one (1990) and in " What' S Your Number? " cypress Hill (2004, by Bolchoï.

Random links: