White Punks On Hope Lyrics
Well the name is Crass not Clash
They can stuff their punk credentials
Cause it's them that take the cash
They won't change nothing with their fashionable talk
Their RAR badges and their protest walk
Thousands of white men standing in a park
Objecting to racism like a candle in the dark
So don't fool yourself you're helping with your white liberal shit
If you care to take a closer look at the way things really stand
You'd see we're all just niggers to the rulers of this land
Punk was once an answer to years of crap
A way of saying no where we'd always said yep
But the moment we found a way to be free
They invented a dividing line, street credibility
The qualifying factors are politics and class
Left wing macho street fighters willing to kick arse
They said because of racism they'd come out on the street
It was just a form of fascism for the socialist elite
Bigotry and blindness, a Marxist con another clever trick to keep us all in line
Neat little labels to keep us all apart
To keep us all divided when the troubles start
Vicious mindless violence that offers nothing new
Left wing violence, right wing violence all seems much the same
Bully boys out fighting, it's just the same old game
Boring fucking politics that'll get us all shot
Left wing, right wing, you can stuff the lot
Keep your petty prejudice, i don't see the point
Anarchy and freedom is what i want
This song basically examines the punk scene at the time of its release - there were many poser or fake punks, bascially people there for the money, social benefits and other things. Due to the popularity in punk at the time, it was inevitable really, but Crass still fight back.
the title is a pun on the Tubes' "White Punks on Dope." Crass shows their sense of humour in strange (and not that funny, more mean) ways sometimes
so let me get this straight, joeboxer. you like this song because it's a) pure b) pure fucking punk. great reasoning. but maybe you could try liking it because it's pure fucking music, regardless of its punk status. crass didn't sit down and say, "hey penny, let's write a song that's PURE FUCKING PUNK." and don't ever suggest that crass doesn't know what they were talking about, it's just an overall bad idea. if they have an opinion, it doesn't mean they don't know what they're talking about.
The jab at The Clash was over their Marxist rhetoric as well as their involvement in Rock Against Racism in 1978 which the Anarchist movement saw as attributing problems rooted in class to racism. Joe Strummer had worn a Brigate Rosse t-shirt, which was a violent Marxist terrorist organization based in Italy, which infuriated Anarcho-Punks.
Joe Strummer had worn a Brigate Rosse t-shirt to the Rock Against Racism event**
added for clarity. The song is mostly about the opinion had over The Clash's behavior and involvement with regards to the Rock Against Racism event.
I like Crass and the Clash and I think Crass was a little hasty in condemning them. They sold their records much cheaper than they were supposed to (selling double/triple LPs for the price of a single) and the Brigate Rosse shirt he wore was to raise awareness of what they were doing, not celebrate it.
dude joe wore the t shirt because he thought what they were doing was good and he want to make people relise
dude joe wore the t shirt because he thought what they were doing was good and he want to make people relise
the song title "White Punks On Hope" is in reference to The Tube's song White Punks On Dope but only to deviate from and ridicule it.
this song is about punk's divisions: political (left wing/ right wing), racial (black/ white), and class (working class/ middle class, upper class)
it strips the deception of The Clash's superficial punk integrity exposing their exploitation of punks essence as a path for profit. "punk credentials"
"if you care to take a look at the way things really stand, you'll see we're all just niggers to rulers of this land" this pretty much says that the government leaders treat everyone like shit but they have the punks distracted with the divisions and the violence that occurs because of them, while the root of these problems is the deprivation of anarchy and freedom. "another clever trick to keep up all in line"
I love his voice so much, lol. Sounds like hes fucking drunk and half dead most of the time,
lexicon devil thinks he's a bad ass because he listens to the germs......the germs are o.k., kind of slow, but they've got some good songs...any way Crass is probably one of the most political bands ever. Up there with Fugazi, Propagandhi, Nausea, etc. i enjoy the Clash, and i've acutally read the Steve Ignorant was a Clash fan, Crass was cool, because they actually talked the talk and walked the walk. Crass was not cool because to me, it seems like they think they're so much more legit(for lack of a better word) than everyone else.
Hate the stab at The Clash again.. Crass didn't know what they were talking about there. I do enjoy this song, though. PURE, pure fucking punk. I'll always love this song.