"LONDON CALLING TO THE FAR AWAY TOWNS!"

"London Calling" is the title track off of the Clash's 1979 album of the same name. The song depicts a society on the verge of apocalypse, with references to police state, massive floods (possibly a Biblical reference), and nuclear winter. Though the song deviates from the atypical punk style, it remains an outstanding example of the punk spirit and ideal. It contains a scathing criticism of governments, which is a common characteristic of punk songs. "London Calling" charted at the number eleven spot in the U.K., and it peaked at number twenty-seven in the United States. Many years after its release, Rolling Stone magazine declared London Calling to be the eighth greatest album of all time, and in 2004, the magazine named "London Calling" the fifteenth greatest song of all time. Following writer Joe Strummer's death in 2002, Bruce Springsteen, Dave Grohl, Elvis Costello, and Miami Steve Van Zandt performed the song in tribute to Strummer at the 2003 Grammy Awards, with No Doubt's Tony Kanal and Pete Thomas playing bass guitar and drums, respectively.

For the complete lyrics, click here.