Straight to Hell

The Clash

If you can play on the fiddle
How's about a British jig and reel?
Speaking King's English in quotation
As railhead towns feel the steel mills rust
Water froze
In the generation
Clear as winter ice
This is your paradise

There ain't no need for ya
There ain't no need for ya
Go straight to hell, boys, go straight to hell, boys

Wanna join in a chorus
Of the Amerasian blues?
When it's Christmas out in Ho Chi Minh City
Kiddie say papa papa papa papa pappa-san, take me home
See me got
Photo photo photograph of you and mamma mamma mamma-san
Of you and mamma mamma mamma-san
Let me tell you 'bout your blood, bamboo kid
It ain't Coca-Cola, it's rice

Straight to hell
Go straight to hell boys
Go straight to hell
Go straight to hell boys

Oh Papa-san
Please take me home
Oh Papa-san
Everybody, they wanna go home
So Mamma-san says

You want to play mind-crazed banjo
On the druggy-drag ragtime U.S.A.?
In Parkland International
Ha, junkie-dom U.S.A
Where pro-caine proves the purest rock man groove
And rat poison
The volatile Molotov says

Straight to hell

Can you really cough it up loud and strong?
The immigrants, they wanna sing all night long
It could be anywhere
Most likely could be any frontier any hemisphere
In no-man's-land
There ain't no asylum here
King Solomon he never lived 'round here

Straight to hell, boys
Go straight to hell, boys
Go straight to hell, boys
Go straight to hell, boys
Oh, papa-san, please take me home


Lyrics submitted by aebassist

Straight To Hell Lyrics as written by Mick Jones Joe Strummer

Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd., Warner Chappell Music, Inc.

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Straight to Hell song meanings
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41 Comments

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  • +3
    General Comment

    Hey all I just "discovered" this song fairly recently on Sirius, great haunting song. Came here trying to decipher meaning, found a misplaced comma that skews the meaning of the line: Let me tell you about your blood bamboo, kid

    Should be Let me tell you about your blood, bamboo kid It (blood) aint Coca Cola, its Rice

    Ok so its a small thing but changes the meaning significantly.

    musicnmeon August 24, 2009   Link

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