Not sure when anybody will read this But I’ll have a go.
This has always been one of my favorites from Streetcore, which is definitely some of Joe’s finest work. In the Mescalero years his lyrics show this wise and almost father-like attitude toward his listener. I think Joe saw how crazy the world was becoming and knew we had to get ready.
“London is burnin’, don’t tell the Queen”, seems like a casual self-quote - an inside joke between himself and his fans. Now that he’s older the lyrics change meaning to an idea of, “Yes, it’s still burning, and it’s only getting worse because no one’s trying to put it out.”
No one seems to know the right lyrics for the next line. I don’t believe “speak garage” means anything, so although it sounds correct I wanna find the real lyric. Right now I read the line, “Somebody tried to speak out and then they burned down Bethnal Green”
I’ve read before that the 9/11 attacks really affected Joe and I think you can sense it here. Ramshackle Day Parade talks about the event, but Burnin’ Streets is about how culture, politics, and the whole world was changing at the time. I can’t even imagine what he’d have to say about 2018.
God bless Joe Strummer.
Not sure when anybody will read this But I’ll have a go. This has always been one of my favorites from Streetcore, which is definitely some of Joe’s finest work. In the Mescalero years his lyrics show this wise and almost father-like attitude toward his listener. I think Joe saw how crazy the world was becoming and knew we had to get ready.
“London is burnin’, don’t tell the Queen”, seems like a casual self-quote - an inside joke between himself and his fans. Now that he’s older the lyrics change meaning to an idea of, “Yes, it’s still burning, and it’s only getting worse because no one’s trying to put it out.”
No one seems to know the right lyrics for the next line. I don’t believe “speak garage” means anything, so although it sounds correct I wanna find the real lyric. Right now I read the line, “Somebody tried to speak out and then they burned down Bethnal Green”
I’ve read before that the 9/11 attacks really affected Joe and I think you can sense it here. Ramshackle Day Parade talks about the event, but Burnin’ Streets is about how culture, politics, and the whole world was changing at the time. I can’t even imagine what he’d have to say about 2018. God bless Joe Strummer.