391,231 plays (96,732 listeners)
“Straight to Hell” is a song by The Clash, from their album Combat Rock. It was released as a double ‘A’ side single with “
Should I Stay Or Should I Go” on September 17, 1982 in 12” and 7” vinyl format (the 7” vinyl is a picture disc).
Like those of many songs by the Clash, the lyrics of “Straight to Hell” decry injustice. The first verse refers to the shutting down of steel mills in Northern England and the alienation and racism suffered by immigrants despite their attempts to integrate into British society. The second verse concerns the abandonment of children in Vietnam who were fathered by American soldiers during the Vietnam War. The third verse contrasts the American Dream as seen through the eyes of an Amerasian child with a dystopian vision of American reality. The final verse considers the plight of immigrants throughout the world. Due to this difficult subject material, as well as the slow, aching beat, the song is one of the most downbeat tracks in the Clash’s history.
The reference to “Amerasian Blues” describes the abandonment of children fathered by American soldiers stationed in Vietnam during the Vietnam War: an Amerasian child is portrayed as presenting an absent American father, “papa-san,” with a photograph of his parents, pleading with his father to take him home to America. The child’s plea is rejected. “-san” being a Japanese rather than Vietnamese honorific that was used by US troops in Vietnam who referred to Vietnamese men and women especially older men and women and “mama-san” and “papa-san”.
Should I Stay Or Should I Go” on September 17, 1982 in 12” and 7” vinyl format (the 7” vinyl is a picture disc).Like those of many songs by the Clash, the lyrics of “Straight to Hell” decry injustice. The first verse refers to the shutting down of steel mills in Northern England and the alienation and racism suffered by immigrants despite their attempts to integrate into British society. The second verse concerns the abandonment of children in Vietnam who were fathered by American soldiers during the Vietnam War. The third verse contrasts the American Dream as seen through the eyes of an Amerasian child with a dystopian vision of American reality. The final verse considers the plight of immigrants throughout the world. Due to this difficult subject material, as well as the slow, aching beat, the song is one of the most downbeat tracks in the Clash’s history.
The reference to “Amerasian Blues” describes the abandonment of children fathered by American soldiers stationed in Vietnam during the Vietnam War: an Amerasian child is portrayed as presenting an absent American father, “papa-san,” with a photograph of his parents, pleading with his father to take him home to America. The child’s plea is rejected. “-san” being a Japanese rather than Vietnamese honorific that was used by US troops in Vietnam who referred to Vietnamese men and women especially older men and women and “mama-san” and “papa-san”.
Video
Added by seawoodbrown
Jammin' for Joe. One of my true heroes.
Share Video
See 2 more
Related Tracks
-
Red Angel Dragnet
The Clash -
Atom Tan
The Clash -
God Save The Queen
Sex Pistols -
Holiday in Cambodia
Dead Kennedys -
Pretty Vacant
Sex Pistols -
Blitzkrieg Bop
Ramones
Albums featuring this track
-
Combat Rock
The Clash Buy- Download Album
- Amazon MP3 $8.99
- 7digital $9.99
- iTunes $9.99
- Buy Album
- Amazon $4.28
- eBay Search
-
The Essential Clash (disc 2)
The Clash Buy- Download Album
- Amazon MP3 Search
- 7digital Search
- iTunes Search
- Buy Album
- Amazon Search
- eBay Search
-
The Story of the Clash, Volume 1 (disc 1)
The Clash Buy- Download Album
- Amazon MP3 Search
- 7digital Search
- iTunes Search
- Buy Album
- Amazon Search
- eBay Search
-
Kevin & Perry Go Large
Various Artists Buy- Download Album
- Amazon MP3 Search
- 7digital Search
- iTunes Search
- Buy Album
- Amazon Search
- eBay Search
Shouts
-
malkyfaeec66 wrote:
studio versions always 2nd best to live tracks clash were no diffrent
-
lv_simo wrote:
100% agree with martu12. The version on FHTE makes the Combat Rock recording obsolete.
-
TaxMonkey wrote:
"Let me tell you about your blood. It ain't Coca-Cola, it's rice."
-
martu12 wrote:
Live recordings of this absolutely destroy the Combat Rock version.
-
fuckxyeahh wrote:
Who gives a fuck is some cunt stole it? This IS classic.
-
malkyfaeec66 wrote:
aye exactly BRING BACK FLAYING .....IN PUBLIC
-
TantoTempo wrote:
How bizarre, you save one track and it somehow changes into something else..Who uploads these songs? A spotty teenage virgin ? I don't want inferior live versions of my favourite songs - I WANT THE ORIGINALS!
-
malkyfaeec66 wrote:
why do people keep goin on about M.I.A it was crap an insult to the clash end of story
-
Buttons70 wrote:
Fav Clash. It ain't Coca Cola it's rice.
-
atomicpanda325 wrote:
Favorite Clash song by far
-
lucy1379 wrote:
ღ ♫ღ ღ ♫ღ ღ ♫ღ4ever !!!
-
Pellkoppf wrote:
ღ ♫ღ ღ ♫ღ ღ ♫ღ
-
spacefaceinfurs wrote:
one of their very best
-
Jemmarghh wrote:
I like Paper Planes... but this tops it. Just because the lyrics are so much more meaningful. And you can't beat the drums.
-
joshuatxuk wrote:
I can't hate Paper Planes, which btw Diplo, not M.I.A. produced. It never will outdo this song though, there's so much more to what the Clash did musically and lyrically.
-
futuredirect wrote:
Such amazing lyrics on this song. Reminds me of listening to this while walking through the woods in the winter.
-
merrari wrote:
Brilliant.
-
seanthomas11 wrote:
"Go Straight to Hell."
-
szarburus wrote:
I love this song AND Paper Planes. It's not as if she took a whole bunch of the song, she took maybe 10 seconds of it, and I doubt that, if asked about it, she would deny that she sampled it.
-
BigGibbo wrote:
The volatile molotov says....
The Clash
Straight to Hell
full track
Listeners
-
amijic
Top Listener
-
Jomm
Top Listener
-
mujerisima
Top Listener
-
ll4m4ra0r
Top Listener
-
gabbysans
Top Listener
-
TimidTrigger
Top Listener
Recent Activity
-
theferiority, PUNKinPie34, konstantin-morg and 17 other people loved The Clash – Straight to Hell. 47 minutes ago
-
pomelosanto added Straight to Hell to the playlist Patient Boys. Saturday afternoon
-
svendlarsen, southnorth, bxp17 and 1 other person loved The Clash – Straight to Hell. Saturday afternoon
-
sugarmamajones added Straight to Hell to the playlist. Saturday morning
-
sugarmamajones, veilingofthesun and 2 other people loved The Clash – Straight to Hell. Saturday morning
-
llannall added Straight to Hell to llannall’s library. Friday afternoon
-
llannall added Straight to Hell to the playlist 3. Friday afternoon
-
DaBondzzz, unzagi and Marceloo01 loved The Clash – Straight to Hell. Friday morning
-
zoeyzali added Straight to Hell to the playlist Music, Музыка, Musik, Música. Thursday afternoon
-
mujerisima, illocon, thedocar1 and 5 other people loved The Clash – Straight to Hell. Thursday morning
Related Journals
-
life
by supersmashsteve |
3 Jun 2009 | Add comment
-
spring thing mix :-)
by nowinter12 |
4 Apr 2009 | Add comment
-
Izolator, 25.01.09 - Playlista
by mahathma |
25 Jan 2009 | Add comment
