This is a hauntingly beautiful song about introspection, specifically about looking back at a relationship that started bad and ended so poorly, that the narrator wants to go back to the very beginning and tell himself to not even travel down that road. I believe that the relationship started poorly because of the lines:
"Take me back to the night we met:When the night was full of terrors: And your eyes were filled with tears: When you had not touched me yet"
So, the first night was not a great start, but the narrator pursued the relationship and eventually both overcame the rough start to fall in love with each other:
"I had all and then most of you"
Like many relationships that turn sour, it was not a quick decline, but a gradual one where the narrator and their partner fall out of love and gradually grow apart
"Some and now none of you"
Losing someone who was once everything in your world, who you could confide in, tell your secrets to, share all the most intimate parts of your life, to being strangers with that person is probably one of the most painful experiences a person can go through. So Painful, the narrator wants to go back in time and tell himself to not even pursue the relationship.
This was the perfect song for "13 Reasons Why"
(One, two, three, four)
White riot, I want to riot
White riot, a riot of our own
White riot, I want to riot
White riot, a riot of our own
Black man gotta lotta problems
But they don't mind throwing a brick
White people go to school
Where they teach you how to be thick
And everybody's doing
Just what they're told to
And nobody wants
To go to jail
White riot, I want to riot
White riot, a riot of our own
White riot, I want to riot
White riot, a riot of our own
All the power's in the hands
Of people rich enough to buy it
While we walk the street
Too chicken to even try it
And everybody's doing
Just what they're told to
And nobody wants
To go to jail
White riot, I want to riot
White riot, a riot of our own
White riot, I want to riot
White riot, a riot of our own
Hey, you, standing in line
Are we gonna sign an agreement?
White riot, I want to riot
White riot, a riot of our own
White riot, I want to riot
White riot, a riot of our own
White riot, I want to riot
White riot, a riot of our own
White riot, I want to riot
White riot, a riot of our own
Black man gotta lotta problems
But they don't mind throwing a brick
White people go to school
Where they teach you how to be thick
And everybody's doing
Just what they're told to
And nobody wants
To go to jail
White riot, I want to riot
White riot, a riot of our own
White riot, I want to riot
White riot, a riot of our own
All the power's in the hands
Of people rich enough to buy it
While we walk the street
Too chicken to even try it
And everybody's doing
Just what they're told to
And nobody wants
To go to jail
White riot, I want to riot
White riot, a riot of our own
White riot, I want to riot
White riot, a riot of our own
Hey, you, standing in line
Are we gonna sign an agreement?
White riot, I want to riot
White riot, a riot of our own
White riot, I want to riot
White riot, a riot of our own
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I read on article on this song, and basically the song is about Strummer's participation in a riot at the Notting Hill carnival in 1976. The blacks were rioting at police oppression and Strummer was rebelling against authority. He realised during the carnage that he was wrong to join in "their" battle.
The Sex Pistols thought that clash was racists just because of the words "WHITE riot" But the song isn't any racist song, it's just about that they were the only white men in a riot! So if anyone of you are that dumb that you think clash are racists you should think again!
I don't think the Pistols ever said this. John Lydon criticised the Clash for doing a reggae cover because he thought this was patronising to Jamaican reggae artists(a whole other debate!), but there wasn't an issue over this song. I think one student union banned the Clash from playing because they thought White riot was racist, but most people understood the point of the song.
The Clash are simply commenting on how only black people are willing to fight the cops and resist tyrranny.
Only when you have nothing to lose, can you give yourself completely.
White people had a lot to lose by fighting back.
it says people are too frightened to fight after the education they've received?
anyway...
Nonetheless, it's an awesome song.
rawrr
The song urged young white men to take political action, just as their black counterparts were doing.
Nothing racist, just telling 'em to get of their arses.
I think Joe was trying to say (this is england 76 remmebr) White have to Riot Also to cause change And they did while under the Iron Lady. She was a rough rider.
People thin the clash was racist? This song, along with White Man in Hammersmith Palais, are anti-racist. The Clash was very anti raceism and played in many concerts raising attention to it...
I had the US/Canada released album/cd not the import.
It included the great lines:
Are you taking orders or are you taking over? Are you going backward or are you going forward?
Strummer really knew how to hit the political themes and stir up rebellion