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(White Man) In Hammersmith Palais Lyrics
Midnight to six man
For the first time from Jamaica
Dillinger and Leroy Smart
Delroy Wilson, your cool operator
Ken Boothe for UK pop reggae
With backing bands, sound systems
And if they've got anything to say
There's many black ears here to listen
But it was Four Tops all night with encores from stage right
Charging from the bass knives to the treble
But onstage they ain't got no roots, rock rebel
Onstage they ain't got no roots, rock rebel
Dress back, jump back, this is a bluebeat attack
Because it won't get you anywhere
Fooling with your guns
The British Army is waiting out there
And it weighs fifteen hundred tons
White youth, black youth
Better find another solution
Why not phone up Robin Hood
And ask him for some wealth distribution
Punk rockers in the UK
They won't notice anyway
They're all too busy fighting
For a good place under the lighting
The new groups are not concerned
With what there is to be learned
They got Burton suits, ha, you think it's funny
Turning rebellion into money
All over people changing their votes
Along with their overcoats
If Adolf Hitler flew in today
They'd send a limousine anyway
I'm the all night drug-prowling wolf
Who looks so sick in the sun
I'm the white man in the Palais
Just looking for fun
I'm only
Looking for fun
For the first time from Jamaica
Dillinger and Leroy Smart
Delroy Wilson, your cool operator
With backing bands, sound systems
And if they've got anything to say
There's many black ears here to listen
Charging from the bass knives to the treble
But onstage they ain't got no roots, rock rebel
Onstage they ain't got no roots, rock rebel
Because it won't get you anywhere
Fooling with your guns
The British Army is waiting out there
And it weighs fifteen hundred tons
Better find another solution
Why not phone up Robin Hood
And ask him for some wealth distribution
They won't notice anyway
They're all too busy fighting
For a good place under the lighting
With what there is to be learned
They got Burton suits, ha, you think it's funny
Turning rebellion into money
Along with their overcoats
If Adolf Hitler flew in today
They'd send a limousine anyway
Who looks so sick in the sun
I'm the white man in the Palais
Just looking for fun
Looking for fun
Song Info
Copyright
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Writer
Joe Strummer, Mick Jones, Paul Simonon, Topper Headon
Duration
4:00
Submitted by
aebassist On Jan 04, 2002
Add your song meanings, interpretations, facts, memories & more to the community.
So Joe Strummer is in the Palais with the black kids to see some reggae, and he hopes it'll be like black punk, radical and political, really really good. But it turns out to be just pop music and the groups are more bothered about getting a good spot than actually saying anything. Which he thinks is a shame, because lots of black people who would be receptive to a political message and there, and the opportunity to radicalise them is lost, a chance to change the world has not been seized. Rather than rebellion, it's rebellion packaged for capitalist means, which ironically is pretty much the definition of mass market rock and roll. The song ends with Strummer, ironically, stating that he's just looking for fun, when actually he's been looking for an awful lot more. He attacks apolitical bands, conservatives, fascists and racists. What more can you want in four minutes of music?
I think you just nailed it!
I think you just nailed it!
I think Strummer actually liked what he listened to. What he criticizes is the attitude that the black youth have when their living conditions are so bellow the white youth. He is amazed by their ability to focus on music when they are the opressed underdogs while white punk rock bands are too busy trying to make money ignoring whats happening around them. Alongside with this,there's also an attack to the english racial policy,and the segregation of the black/foreigners,aka the apartheid.
I think Strummer actually liked what he listened to. What he criticizes is the attitude that the black youth have when their living conditions are so bellow the white youth. He is amazed by their ability to focus on music when they are the opressed underdogs while white punk rock bands are too busy trying to make money ignoring whats happening around them. Alongside with this,there's also an attack to the english racial policy,and the segregation of the black/foreigners,aka the apartheid.
@twintails but then how do you explain "White Riot" where I feel like he says white youth should adapt the mobility of black youth and riot too, if like you said he was criticizing the attitude of black youth?
@twintails but then how do you explain "White Riot" where I feel like he says white youth should adapt the mobility of black youth and riot too, if like you said he was criticizing the attitude of black youth?
@ntwjones @twintails You have to consider, they also wrote a song that says “if you wanna survive you better learn how to lie” and another “deny, you’re such a liar” on the same album.
@ntwjones @twintails You have to consider, they also wrote a song that says “if you wanna survive you better learn how to lie” and another “deny, you’re such a liar” on the same album.
Gotta take each song as its own separate experience
Gotta take each song as its own separate experience
@ntwjones White Riot was written in 76, Hammersmith Palais in late 77, Both songs were based on different experiences that led him to different conclusions. Anyway, although it's patronising in places Hammersmith is also critical of white bands - the "new groups" wearing "Burton suits" is generally taken to be about The Jam who the Clash had fallen out with.
@ntwjones White Riot was written in 76, Hammersmith Palais in late 77, Both songs were based on different experiences that led him to different conclusions. Anyway, although it's patronising in places Hammersmith is also critical of white bands - the "new groups" wearing "Burton suits" is generally taken to be about The Jam who the Clash had fallen out with.
Brilliant, brilliant song. The Clash are just having a moan at everyone who isn't as sincere as they are - the sell-out ex-punks, stupid violence junkies, idealistic socialists, Conservative voters and of course people who aren't really into reggae.
This song was about them going along to see some reggae bands at Hammersmith and being dissappointed by their apparant selling out.
The first part was written by Joe Strummer after he went to a reggae concert featurin "Dillinger, Leroy Smart, Delroy Wilson..." He expected the concert to be really political, but it sounded like commercial pop, so he was upset. Then the song goes on to talk about wealth distribution in the UK, and mentions Hitler, referring to the rise of facism in England. Basically, this song is talking about alot of the problems in England at that time. (In Strummers opinion). This was also one of Strummers favourite songs by the Clash, and was played at his funeral.
One of my favs, its incredible! The reggae instrumentals rock while it has some nice guitar accion, but for me the best of it are the lyrics, talking about the superficial and comercial bands of the late 70's. Its utterly true and the sound is really good. The next station is Hammersmith, change here for the hammersmith & City lines, please mind the gap between the train and the station. Mind the gap, mind the gap, mind the gap, mind The Clash!
phenomenal, fucking phenomenal
BoHo: Your version doesn't make sense. How do newsgroups turn success into money.
The way it's written now is so PERFECT because he's criticising the punk scene when it's only been alive for about 2-3 years.
And oddly enough, it makes even more sense today! Which is why, when 311 covered it (while I have mixed feelings about that cover) they can simply change it to "Punk rockers in LA" instead of "Punk rockers in the UK".
I actually work that section into a performance piece I do, and simply change it to "Punk rockers in this modern day" and it still works. Okay, so I change a few other things too, but it would still work with just that slight change.
ntwjones is right, this is in no way about petty bickering (ironically it is, but there is an edge against it: it is not the message in itself).
favourite song of all time! just above desolation row and waterloo sunset, digs at the jam, english society in general, young ignorant bands(like sham 69?), people selling out, which joe never did, he kept it real, throuout hiswhole life, a true hardworker, even cut the crap is...er, forgiveable...kinda, i first heard the clash about 2 weeks before he died, and already understood fully why my mum was distraught
The new groups are not concerned With what there is to be learned They got Burton suits, ha you think it's funny Turning rebellion into money
one of my favorite lines in a song ever
@Jake_L
@Jake_L
Saw a video on the Jam. It actually is a dig at the Jam's bass player , Bruce Foxton, who always wore Burton suits.
Saw a video on the Jam. It actually is a dig at the Jam's bass player , Bruce Foxton, who always wore Burton suits.