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Complete Control Lyrics
They said, "Release 'Remote Control'"
But we didn't want it on the label
They said, "Fly to Amsterdam"
The people laughed but the press went mad
Oh, oh, oh, someone's really smart
Oh, oh, oh, complete control, that's a laugh
On the last tour my mates couldn't get in
I'd open up the back door but they'd get run out again
At every hotel we was met by the Law
Come for the party, come to make sure!
Oh, oh, oh, have we done something wrong?
Oh, oh, oh, complete control, even over this song
They said we'd be artistically free
When we signed that bit of paper
They meant, "Let's make lots of money
And worry about it later"
Oh, oh, oh, I'll never understand
Oh, oh, oh, complete control, let me see your other hand!
All over the news spread fast
They're dirty, they're filthy
They ain't going to last!
This is Joe Public speaking
I'm controlled in the body, controlled in the mind
Total
C-O-N control
That means you!
But we didn't want it on the label
They said, "Fly to Amsterdam"
The people laughed but the press went mad
Oh, oh, oh, complete control, that's a laugh
I'd open up the back door but they'd get run out again
At every hotel we was met by the Law
Come for the party, come to make sure!
Oh, oh, oh, complete control, even over this song
When we signed that bit of paper
They meant, "Let's make lots of money
And worry about it later"
Oh, oh, oh, complete control, let me see your other hand!
They're dirty, they're filthy
They ain't going to last!
I'm controlled in the body, controlled in the mind
C-O-N control
That means you!
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do i have to do everything? no one wrote about this song. Well, anyway, it's a pretty important one b/c it was their reaction to CBS releasing "remote control" without their permission. "They said we'd be artistically free When we signed that bit of paper They meant let's make a lotsa mon-ee An' worry about it later
this is my favorite clash song. the best off their first album, in my opinion. great song talking about dealing with record labels and the control they have over the artists on the label.
the most punk song ever written.
All over the news spread fast They're dirty, they're filthy They ain't going to last!
As predicted, with file sharing the record labels are losing their control over music. God bless Pirate Bay! And God bless The Clash, happy birthday Mick
after the second verse, does Joe say "You're my guitar hero!"? If so why isnt it in the lyrics?
@benmuzz He does say "your my guitar hero" on one of the live versions. But this is not an original/archived lyric
@benmuzz He does say "your my guitar hero" on one of the live versions. But this is not an original/archived lyric
@benmuzz I think it wasprobably an ad lib in the studio
@benmuzz I think it wasprobably an ad lib in the studio
doesnt joe say "i dont trust you, so why do you trust me?" right before the last verse?
have you heard the son named lean like a cholo
"This is punk rockers, we're controlled in the price of the hard drugs we can find" "Parent Controoooolll " "You gotta blegheamraagaaernanaeaaainaraarad.. that means you!" "kick it, (?) fight it (?) xhjdjkdfakfldsowe" "I gotta xcsdsklkdoooow" I love Joe's adlibs
@cornersoul I used to have ‘The Clash Songbook’ (1978) (wish I still did) which, in addition to the lyrics (sometimes handwritten) and chords to all the first album plus early singles, had a question and answer section with Joe. So the book seemed to have the band’s input and you might expect - or at least - the content to be correct.\r\nFrom memory it had:\r\n“This is Joe Public speaking. I’m controlled in the body and controlled in the mind. This is punk rockers, we’re controlled by the price of the next drugs that we find”.\r\nIf you can actually hear...
@cornersoul I used to have ‘The Clash Songbook’ (1978) (wish I still did) which, in addition to the lyrics (sometimes handwritten) and chords to all the first album plus early singles, had a question and answer section with Joe. So the book seemed to have the band’s input and you might expect - or at least - the content to be correct.\r\nFrom memory it had:\r\n“This is Joe Public speaking. I’m controlled in the body and controlled in the mind. This is punk rockers, we’re controlled by the price of the next drugs that we find”.\r\nIf you can actually hear Joe deliver those last four words then you’re probably having an auditory hallucination. I suspect it was Joe’s little joke around the band’s (and producer Scatch Perry’s considerable weed intake) and was deliberately kept inaudible so as not to invite trouble for the band or jeopardise the single’s chances of exposure. Punk/punk rockers were already getting so much adverse press in the tabloids with the Clash also claiming police harassment: “at every hotel we’d be met by the law”.\r\nBy the time the book came out ‘Complete Control’ had been and gone and things had moved on, so the lyrics didn’t matter any more. Publish!
and also, the C-o-n bit can mean two different things CON control (con, like a scam) or c-o-n "see you in" control..
Mick's a genius. Fucking awesome lyrics!
Woooohooooo I cant understand the words without the lyrics in front of me ... but i love it