All of us have bands or tracks that we used to like, but which now seem a little embarrassing. I have a copy of “Billy Don’t Be A Hero” by Paper Lace somewhere in the Garage. Just awful. In my defence, Is was only 13 when I bought it, and later that year I did go on to buy “Dark Side Of The Moon”, by Pink Floyd and “Autobahn” by Kraftwerk. It was the worst of times, it was the best of times.
But it’s always a shock when someone you dislike ends up liking a band that you love. When Johnny Marr found out that David Cameron liked The Smiths he said:
“David Cameron, stop saying that you like The Smiths, no you don’t. I forbid you to like it.”
No comment from Morrissey on that at the time, but then again his views are appalling right-wing these days, so he may have been happy.
Now we find out that Boris Johnson likes The Clash. Really? Did you listen to the lyrics?
Did you really sing along to “Daddy was a Bank Robber” when your Pappa was at the World Bank?
Did you listen to “I Fought The Law” and thought…. actually I have ways to avoid all that?
Will you ever listen to “Should I Stay Or Should I Go?” and think OK, I’ll bugger off then?
What would Joe Strummer think of this revelation? I doubt he’d be happy.
When Joe was asked what he favourite lyric was he “Vacuum Cleaner Sucks Up Budgie” (from “The Magnificent Seven”) probably because it’s the least political and because he was being playful.
Well Boris, I don’t believe you like The Clash. I think its all spin. This vacuum cleaner sucks up Bullshit!
“We will teach our twisted speech
To the young believers
We will train our blue-eyed men
To be young believers”
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