Washington Bullets

Basically it's a critique of American foreign policy, particularly the habit of the US government in supporting anybody who was anti-communist, including fascist regimes such as that of Pinochet in Chile. Of course, US support for the Mojahadeen in Afghanistan is part of the reason the world is in the mess it's in right now. The lyrics are remarkably prescient.

However, the genius of the song is that it doesn't just attack America, it attacks the USSR for invading Afghanistan and China for invading Tibet. Strummer was against both sides in the cold war, against all human rights abuses, whoever committed them.

The reference to a 'playboy' in the Cuba verse is of course to JFK, who ordered the Bay of Pigs fiasco.

america's crimes against humanity, committed in the name of stopping communism

Sandinista were the communist rebels on Nicuragua(dunno if thats spelt right). The afgan rebels in this song that America funded during the USSR's war in afganistan later became Al Kaeda who america now hate.

O dear God, I've just gotta correct Punker Ken on this one. Salvador Allende was a democratically elected leader of Chile whom the U.S. decided was too left wing (he was a socialist) As a consequence the U.S. gov't (as they have done many times) backes a right wing, military coup to illegally overthrow the democratically elected government of a foreign nation. This by the way, happened in 1973 - not all that long ago. Allende(once again - democratically elected) was summarily shot. Also killed by the U.S. supported military dictator, Pinochet (you may have heard of him) were Pablo Neruda, the brilliant poet and PEACE ACTIVIST and Victor Jara, a folk singer and peace activist. Jara's death id particularly sad - he was imprisoned with thousands of other men in the Santiago football stadium and when he sang and palyed to comfort his fellow prisoners, he was tortured! They broke all of his fingers, beat him for three days and then shot him ' FOR SINGING SONGS! This song is as passionate an indictment of Western foreign policy as I have ever heard. Thank god for the Clash "the only band that matterd"

Thank u very much i had assumed that the aformentioned were officers in the overthrow of batista like Che because the names sounded familiar i didnt check and the green beret killed many of the revolutionaries in that group

not sarcastic thank u for correcting me i really like this song as it points out many failings in the government and is a very good song in general thanx

Oh! Mama, Mama look there! Your children are playing in that street again Don't you know what happened down there? A youth of fourteen got shot down there The Kokane guns of Jamdown Town The killing clowns, the blood money men Are shooting those Washington bullets again

Talks about young casualties of gunfire between U.S. funded contrarevolucionaries and communist sandinist rebels (good Guys are sandinista) The contra were where the money from the iran contra affair was goin they were started after the sandinista march on somoza grounds by reagan (b@stard) and somozas second son (also b@stard) jamdown town is a big city in nicaragua coke drglords are also involved in this fight apparently

As every cell in Chile will tell The cries of the tortured men Remember Allende, and the days before, Before the army came Please remember Victor Jara, In the Santiago Stadium, Es verdad - those Washington Bullets again

not sure on allendas first name but he and jara were south american rebels helping multiple countries both assassinated by green beret snpers (more b@stards) ?the spanish dicator till lessee... '89 had multiple torture chambers but not in chille possible ref.? more later

And in the Bay of Pigs in 1961, Havana fought the playboy in the Cuban sun, For Castro is a colour, Is a redder than red, Those Washington bullets want Castro dead For Castro is the colour... ...That will earn you a spray of lead

just about the u.s. trying to kill castro pretty straightforward

For the very first time ever, When they had a revolution in Nicaragua, There was no interference from America Human rights in America

im pretty sure about the fsln revoulution in 1979 as we took some time to mess it up

Well the people fought the leader, And up he flew... With no Washington bullets what else could he do?

one of the last successful peoples revolts somoza was exiled

'N' if you can find a Afghan rebel That the Moscow bullets missed Ask him what he thinks of voting Communist... ...Ask the Dalai Lama in the hills of Tibet, How many monks did the Chinese get? In a war-torn swamp stop any mercenary, 'N' check the British bullets in his armoury Que? Sandinista!

talking about the afghani russia conflicts and the chinese dictatorship and slaughter of some practicing buddhists rest is self explanatory my favorite song thankmagpi for the corrections

This song is brilliant. Probably the best song the Clash made lyrically. One of their most underrated.

A fantastic song with as much relevence today, I only regret it took me so long to find it.

One of my favorite songs lyrically of all time. And a great tune as well. I remember picking up the Sandanista album in the used bin and seeing the title "Washington Bullets" it made me think of the Washington DC NBA basketball franchise (now the Wizards).

Incredibly powerful song, makes me wish the Bullets never changed their name so that future generations would have stumbled upon this song accidently wondering what the Clash was doing singing about the NBA, only to uncover the scary truths of American foreign policy that I learned that day.