Time again for the song of the week from my iPod. This week I am letting Mikey pick the song. Mikey is a huge fan of punk and loves The Ramones and The Clash.

The Clash
The Clash was the greatest and most talented punk rock group ever. The Clash consisted of Joe Strummer (lead vocals, rhythm guitar), Mick Jones (lead guitar, vocals), Paul Simonon (bass, backing vocals, occasional lead vocals) and Nicky “Topper” Headon (drums, percussion). Joe Strummer died in 2002 from an undiagnosed congenital heart defect. The group lasted 10 years, from 1976 until 1986 but their prime years were from 1977 until 1983 when they released the albums London Calling, Sandinista!, and Combat Rock. Their music was a brilliant combination of punk rock, reggae, ska, dub, funk, rap and rockabilly.

The “Only Band That Matters” was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2003. Rolling Stone ranked The Clash number 30 on their list of the 100 Greatest Artists of All Time. They ranked “London Calling” at number 15 on the list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time.

The song, Should I Stay or Should I Go was from the album Combat Rock which was released in 1982. The album spent 61 weeks on the Billboard charts reaching #7 and was certified platinum. The song is the only song by The Clash to reach #1 on the charts. It became #1 almost ten years after it was originally released when it was re-released in combination with an ad for Levi jeans. The backing vocals are in Ecuadorean Spanish because at the last minute Joe Strummer decided to sing the backing vocals in Spanish and the translator was the mother of one of the technicians who happened to be from Ecuador.

Michel and I (and Michel’s brother Jimmy) saw The Clash at Shea Stadium in NYC in October of 1982 (I told you I am old) in what was possibly the greatest concert of all time. The Clash were the warm up group for The Who that night and they put on an amazing concert. 26 years later, a live CD of The Clash’s performance from that night has been released. Click on the album cover above to get it from Amazon.

whoticket

Should I Stay or Should I Go
Darling you gotta let me know
Should I stay or should I go?
If you say that you are mine
Ill be here til the end of time
So you got to let know
Should I stay or should I go?

Always tease tease tease
Siempre – coqetiando y enganyando
Youre happy when I’m on my knees
Me arrodilla y estas feliz
One day is fine, next is black
Un dias bien el otro negro
So if you want me off your back
Al rededar en tu espalda
Well come on and let me know
Me tienes que desir
Should I stay or should I go?
Me debo ir o que darme

Should I stay or should I go now?
Should I stay or should I go now?
If I go there will be trouble
An if I stay it will be double
So come on and let me know

This indecisions bugging me
Esta undecision me molesta
If you dont want me, set me free
Si no me quieres, librame
Exactly whom Im supposed to be
Diga me que tengo ser
Dont you know which clothes even fit me?
saves que robas me querda?
Come on and let me know
Me tienes que desir
Should I cool it or should I blow?
me debo ir o quedarme?

Should I stay or should I go now?
yo me frio o lo sophlo?
If I go there will be trouble
Si me voi – va ver peligro
And if I stay it will be double
Si me quedo es doble
So you gotta let me know
Me tienes que decir
Should I stay or should I go?
yo me frio o lo sophlo?