The Clash – Career Opportunities

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The offered me the office, offered me the leadership
They said I'd better take anything they'd got
Do you want to make tea at the BBC?
Do you want to be, do you really want to be a cop?

Career opportunities are the ones that never knock
Every job they offer you is to keep you out the dock
Career opportunity, the ones that never knock

I hate the army an' I hate the R.A.F.
I don't want to go fighting in the tropical heat
I hate the civil service rules
And I won't open letter bombs for you

Bus driver....ambulance man....ticket inspector

They're gonna have to introduce conscription
They're gonna have to take away my prescription
If they want to get me making toys
If they want to get me, well, I got no choice

Careers
Careers
Careers

Ain't never gonna knock

Send "Career Opportunities" Ringtone to Cell


Lyrics submitted by aebassist

Track duration: 01:53

"Career Opportunities" as written by Joe Strummer, Mick Jones, Paul Simonon, Topper Headon

Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group

Lyrics powered by LyricFind


Career Opportunities song meanings
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17 Comments

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  • 0
    General Comment:Opportunity Knocks was very popular (crap) talent show in the '70's so I'd assume that the "...opportunities the ones that never knock" line is a play on words. I mean this most sincerely. Also my kid loves the Sandinista version, no accounting for taste of five year olds.
    Flag etontrifleon October 18, 2012   Link
  • -2
    General Comment:If you are considering a career as a freelance writer or you are currently writing. Advice from someone that has experience will always be nice achievepeak.com/…">dispute resolution. Thanks for the post. ...:)
    Flag brianachievepeakon July 20, 2012   Link
  • -1
    General Comment:Paul was reading the London Evening Standard and the header for the jobs vacant page was CAREER OPPORTUNITIES, he suggested this to Joe as a cool song title and Joe wrote the lyrics.
    Flag Conkerson November 14, 2008   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:Really Good one, a good reminder of the 1970s, nice law to force ordinary youngsters to open presumptive letter bombs...
    Flag JASGripenon October 29, 2008   Link
    • 1 Reply
  • 0
    General Comment:Oi! Oi! Oi!
    Flag RettAlexison October 13, 2008   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:Isn't it "If they wanna get me making noise?" I'm not sure about it, but that's what I thought ...
    Flag Teakettleon September 21, 2007   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:This is definately one of the Clash's best songs. Even though I love London Calling, I think this song is better than anything off of LC.
    Flag Paralesson August 20, 2007   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:Then you shouldn't playing with them
    Flag Violentpacifiston February 01, 2007   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:this is a prime example of real punk. i tried to get my band to play it, but they're all idiots...
    Flag sam_forston October 24, 2006   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:This song is just about the way shit jobs were foisted on the young during the late 70s, the line about taking away prescription is the state of the NHS which was struggling(as it is now) with lack of funding, the line about conscription is about reintroduction of civil service and the line about letter bombs is when Mick worked for a Social Services office where his job was to open letters, due to a bomb scare, Mick hated this due to the awful treatment of the Irish and Blacks at the offices
    He wrote about the staff-these people here have no rock'n roll in thier lives
    Flag cianon April 26, 2006   Link

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