The Clash – Stay Free

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  General Comment:The song is about Robin Banks/Crocker, one of Mick's mates from school. They initially met when they had an argument about who was better, Chuck Berry or Bo Diddley. Robin got jailed for three years, and when he came back he started writing for Zigzag with Kris Needs, a close friend of the band, as well as helping out Johnny Green and Baker on the road. According to Johnny when they were in Basing Studios recording Rope and they first heard the lyrics to this Robin had a tear in his eye, but afterwards, whenever they played it live, Johnny and Baker would always take the piss out of him. Great song

  Flag EddSimon March 13, 2013   Link

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  Memory:This is my favourite ever song of any era by any band.
  It's just about love.

  Flag redbobon January 17, 2013   Link

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  General Comment:The song is autobiographic for the lead guitarist. It mirrors other autobiographic songs from the lead singer of the same band like Drug Stabbing Time.
  
  He is a college drop out that befriended with other droped out pupils one of them being jailed for three years. He maintained letter contact with him being imprisoned and rejoiced at his freeing. The last lines hint at his achieved pop star status and patronize his ex-friend on drinking.
  
  In a way that songs reflect the reality facing unprepared working class youngster of the late seventies, moreover when they found themselves propulsed at the helm of western youth culture by global companies.

  Flag galafrinon March 03, 2012   Link

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  General Comment:By the way, "three years in Brixton" means Brixton prison, i.e. justice.gov.uk/global/contacts/noms/prison-finder/brixton/
  
  "How was Butlins" Butlins is a holiday camp, a sort of crappy resort by the sea British people used to go in huge numbers before Spanish holidays got cheap enough for the working classes. Prison=Butlins.

  Flag matthewsheffieldon January 14, 2012   Link

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  My Interpretation:This song, simply, is about nostalgia. From the beginning of the song to the "Smokin' Menthol" part is about his childhood. His friends, the good times they shared, I could go on. "I practiced daily in my room. You were down the crown planning your next move." refers to how he was thinking about the future, and what he was going to do in life, and maybe his friend was slacking off, then went to jail. "How was Butlins? Were the screws too tight?" he gets out of jail. "When you lot get out, we're gonna' hit the town, we'll burn it fuckin' down, to a cinder." "reliving" the old days I suppose. "Cause' years have passed and things have changed, I move any way i wanna' go. I'll never forget the feelin' I got when I heard that you got home. And I'll never forget the smile on my face cause' I knew where you would be, and If you're in the crown tonight, have a drink on me." He missed him, they're re-united, and life went on.

  Flag TBarson August 15, 2011   Link

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  General Comment:I read a review that said this song was overly sentimental. Screw that! This song is awesome!

  Flag STUDLYCUDDLYBUDDYon March 23, 2011   Link

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  General Comment:Yeah, but "nicking" is a term used in England for stealing. So a nicking spree means they were robbing people. When he "hit" someone he didn't literally hit him but stole from the wrong guy.
  
  One of my favorite Clash songs. What other punk band in 1978 would have come up with something so sentimental.

  Flag robsunon June 19, 2010   Link

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  My Interpretation:I always thought Mick's friend got arrested for something to do with getting in a fight, not stealing: "Hit the wrong guy/ Each of you get three years in Brixton." And no one said it was homosexual, rosalyn-1943.... The comment above you says "HETEROsexual." It's clearly about friendship anyway, don't know why anyone would arrive at that conclusion....

  Flag pittsburghgirl92on June 17, 2010   Link

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  General Comment:As someone pointed out a bit further up, this song and Springsteen's "Bobby Jean" extremely similar in many ways; I'd be willing to bet Springsteen took direct inspiration from this song, in fact, given his love for the Clash and all. Both songs are really impressive in their ability to convey this sort of poignant reality of growing up...that you may still care, and you may feel like you're the same person you were, but you're not, and that might be a good thing.
  
  Springsteen's ending lyric of "I'm just calling one last time, not to change your mind, but just to say I miss you babe, good luck, goodbye, Bobby Jean" is such a near mirror of Jones' "if you're in the Crown tonight have a drink on me, but go easy, step lightly, stay free" that it's pretty clear Bruce modeled his song after this.
  
  Two great songs from two great songwriters.

  Flag z4ckm0rrison March 30, 2009   Link

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  General Comment:It about close friends that drift apart. They are rebels in school but as time passes Mick begins going straight, focusing on his music, while the other guy keeps getting deeper and deeper into the life. He gets caught in a robbery and goes to prison in Brixton. Mick tries to keep up with him by writing, promising to see him as soon as he gets out. But one day Mick realizes he is getting out but he's playing a gig that night. So he toasts him at the end of the song, wishing him the best, and coming to terms with the fact that they'll never be the kind of friends they were before but remembering all the times they had and what it meant.

  Flag strummer_2007on November 29, 2008   Link

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    I always thought When mick said he "did his very best to write" that he meant writing songs, but I guess he could mean writing his friends in prison as well. I wonder if he meant to use the word write as a pun.

    Flag robsunon September 18, 2010  

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