In 1982, the English punk rock band The Clash released a song that would become one of their most famous and influential hits: Rock the Casbah. The song, which was the second single from their fifth album Combat Rock, reached number eight on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in the US.
But what is the meaning behind the catchy and rebellious lyrics? And how did the song resonate with different audiences around the world?
The song was composed by the band's drummer Topper Headon, who recorded most of the musical instruments himself in the studio, based on a piano riff that he had been playing with. The lyrics were written by the band's lead singer Joe Strummer, who came up with the phrases "rock the casbah" and "you'll have to let that raga drop" before hearing Headon's music.
The song tells a story of a fictional Middle Eastern country where the king (the shareef) bans rock music and orders his jet fighters to bomb any place that plays it. However, the people defy his orders and continue to rock the casbah (a word that means "castle" or "fortress" in Arabic). The song also features references to other aspects of Middle Eastern culture, such as the muezzin (the person who calls for prayer), the sheik (a leader or ruler), and the electric camel drum (a type of percussion instrument).
The song was inspired by various events and influences that the band encountered during their travels and tours. One of them was the Iranian Revolution of 1979, which overthrew the Western-backed Shah and established an Islamic republic that banned Western music and culture. Another was the popularity of Algerian raï music, which blended traditional Arabic music with rock, funk, and disco elements. The band also learned about the Casbah of Algiers, a historic citadel that was a site of resistance against French colonialism.
The song was also influenced by the band's own experiences with censorship and controversy. In 1980, they were banned from performing in Iran after releasing a song called London Calling, which criticized the British government and society. In 1981, they were accused of inciting riots in Brixton, a district of London with a large Afro-Caribbean population, after releasing a song called The Guns of Brixton, which expressed solidarity with the oppressed and marginalized people.
The song became a hit not only in the US and Europe, but also in other parts of the world where people identified with its message of defiance and rebellion against authority and oppression. In Israel, the song was adopted by peace activists who opposed the Israeli invasion of Lebanon in 1982. In South Africa, the song was embraced by anti-apartheid protesters who fought against racial segregation and discrimination. In Poland, the song was played by underground radio stations that supported the Solidarity movement that challenged the communist regime.
The song also had an impact on popular culture and media. In 1983, it was featured in a comedy film called The King of Comedy, starring Robert De Niro and Jerry Lewis. In 1991, it was re-released as a single after being used in a TV commercial for jeans. In 2015, it was used as the title for a comedy film starring Bill Murray as a talent manager who discovers a singer in Afghanistan.
Rock the Casbah is a song that transcended its origins and became a global anthem for freedom and resistance.
Lyrics
Now the king told the boogie men
You have to let that raga drop
The oil down the desert way
Has been shakin' to the top
The sheik he drove his Cadillac
He went a' cruisnin' down the ville
The muezzin was a' standing
On the radiator grille
The shareef don't like it
Rockin' the Casbah
Rock the Casbah
The shareef don't like it
Rockin' the Casbah
Rock the Casbah
By order of the prophet
We ban that boogie sound
Degenerate the faithful
With that crazy Casbah sound
But the Bedouin they brought out
The electric camel drum
The local guitar picker
Got his guitar picking thumb
As soon as the shareef
Had cleared the square
They began to wail
The shareef don't like it
Rockin' the Casbah
Rock the Casbah
The shareef don't like it
Rockin' the Casbah
Rock the Casbah
Now over at the temple
Oh! They really pack 'em in
The in crowd say it's cool
To dig this chanting thing
But as the wind changed direction
The temple band took five
The crowd caught a wiff
Of that crazy Casbah jive
The shareef don't like it
Rockin' the Casbah
Rock the Casbah
The shareef don't like it
Rockin' the Casbah
Rock the Casbah
The king called up his jet fighters
He said you better earn your pay
Drop your bombs between the minarets
Down the Casbah way
As soon as the shareef was
Chauffeured outta there
The jet pilots tuned to
The cockpit radio blare
As soon as the shareef was
Outta their hair
The jet pilots wailed
The shareef don't like it
Rockin' the Casbah
Rock the Casbah
The shareef don't like it
Rockin' the Casbah
Rock the Casbah
He thinks it's not kosher
Fundamentally he can't take it.
You know he really hates it.
Tags:
behind the songs