The Clash – Spanish Bombs

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  General Comment:Don't make anything out of the time differentials - no DC-10s or Disco Casinos. the song is not meant to be taken literally. It is a hypocatastasis for the Irish situation

  Flag rb3868on March 20, 2013   Link

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  General Comment:That DC10 -- maybe it's Joe heading to the Spanish coast on a low-cost flight to enjoy himeself, like millions of other Brits, and feeling a little guilty about the people who suffered there in the past. Joe Strummer loved Spain but didn't ignore its dark side in the old Franco days. What a great song.

  Flag Blodon May 11, 2012   Link

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  General Comment:Irishmen fought on both sides of the conflict.Eoin O Duffy,fascist,Blueshirt,co founder and first leader of the current Irish ruling party formed an Irish Brigade of 700 to fight on the Franco side.Charlie Donnelly was one of @ 300 Irishmen who fought with the International Brigade.As he crouched behind an olive tree at the Battle of Jarama he picked up a bunch and said "Even the olives are bleeding".This became a famous line and a documentary for RTE television.He is buried in Jamara with his colleagues.Is this the Irish Tomb?Because Charlie Donnelly was also a POET.

  Flag johnnycashelson December 12, 2011   Link

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  General Comment:In this song, "corazon" is a polysemic reference to Lorca's full name which was Federico del Sagrado Corazón de Jesús García Lorca. Lorca was killed as a leftist and purported homosexual. His family members were in politics and some were also executed. Lorca's death was also the subject of the Pogues song "Lorca's Novena" (which, incidentally, Strummer used on the soundtrack to Grosse Point Blank for the final showdown between the assassins).
  
  The lyrics seem to invoke the Spanish Civil War, the IRA and ETA as a common thread of revolutionary thought. The song is noted to have its genesis in a conversation that Strummer had with his future wife about ETA.
  
  Mockingbird Hill is a song made popular in the 50s by Les Paul.
  
  

  Flag MyOwnHurricaneon September 18, 2011   Link

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  General Comment:For anyone interested in the Spanish Civil War, I highly recommend "Homage to Catolonia" by George Orwell for a factual account of the conflict, and Hemimgway's "For Whom the Bell Tolls" for a fictional one. Hemingway isn't super friendly to the anarchists in his book, but it's still a great read.

  Flag TheSoberPirateon July 28, 2010   Link

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  General Comment:"But after they died it was Mockingbird Hill"
  
  Rather than refering to a place I think that this lyric is a reference to 'To Kill A Mockingbird'
  
  The 'trenches full of poets'line I think refers explicitly to the 'International Brigades' brought in by the communists to fight on the republic's side - many Socialist intellectuals from across Europe (and further abroad, such as Mexicans and Americans) fought (and died) defending Spain from the nationalists. George Orwell actually fought, and was injured, fighting in one of the Socialist (but anti-communist) POUM regiments.

  Flag sonnyjdon May 25, 2010   Link

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  General Comment:There is a lost in translation I'm seeing a lot. For the line
  "yo te quiero infinito
  yo te quiero oh mi corazon"
  
  It's saying I want you forever, I want you, oh my heart.
  You can take this as a satirical sense as I did because this line seems to incite anarchism, which Strummer wasn't.

  Flag nogodon July 28, 2009   Link

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    All right guys I believe a couple of u are realy making sense:mire(tienes razón cabrón!)and capri man and punk man are very sensefull too, cause I think the clash better attended some spanish course before writing this, but is funny actually, the bombs may refer to the bombing by franco or Eta.
    But it doesn't matter anyway cause it's about the music off course.
    
    greetz for antwerp(Belgium), "antwàààrpe t'stad en de rest is parking"de groete manne, salut mes potes rappelles-toi de mon nom quand tu visite anvers car c'est toujours la fête haha, hasta luego pendechos (y no se olvida de aprender espanñol antes de afirmar que sepas algo porque eso m'irrita, no quiero decirlo así perso es verdadera)
    
    Peace,vrede, paix, paz amigos and come to 'reggae geel' te nicest reggae festival in belgium!
    

    Flag Albanon December 24, 2009  
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  General Comment:in regards too the irish tombs line ............ there are numerous irish graves in spain , the irish joined the civil war against the Fascists so it actual means what it says

  Flag seamus81on May 19, 2009   Link

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• +1
  General Comment:It's ventana not vendanna. it would make more sense because ventana is spanish for window

  Flag deeewoohon April 27, 2009   Link

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• +1
  General Comment:number one, Basque country is in the northernmost part of Spain. Number two, yes black is an anarchist color but no it has nothing to do with the guardia civil. The Guardia Civil was alot like the German gestapo and the color of their cars had nothing to do with their politcal alignment. This song was written before ETA had really done anything. Number three, yes yo te quiero means i want you. Cuera means leather and is probably referring to the goat leather that the popular army wore in the conflict. Francisco Franco never invaded spain. He was the comandante de el ejercicio de el reino real de Espana or the commander in chief of the army of the royal kingdom of spain. The black shirt idea is irrelevant. Hitler wasnt in charge of the "blackshirts" or the SS. Blackshirts were Italian Fascists in WWII under mussolini. The red flag/black one line is referring to the fight on Mockingbird hill "La Loma de las malaguenas". And the unity that the anarchist and communist fighters displayed against the common enemy.

  Flag samlax16on March 14, 2009   Link

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