The Clash

The Clash (forkortelse for the Commuters of London Against Sloppy Handcarts) var et engelsk rock band, mest kendt for deres utilfredshed med offentlig tog transport og deres stærkt højre orienteret synspunkter. Et af de mest ikoniske band i sin genre, hvor de med tiden indførte elementer fra andre genre som reggae, rockabilly, dance, jazz og ska i deres egen lyd. Bandet blev grundlagt på Clapham Junction jernbane station i London. Medlemmer, som alle arbejde som børsmæglere, mødes da alle stod og ventet på det samme forsinket tog. Idéen til at skrive en protestsang, som man gjord med at alt man var utilfreds på deres tid, mod de mange forsinket tog, op stod hurtigt, da de alligevel ikke havde at andet at give sig til, mens de ventet forgæves. Det blev til deres store hit ”Trains in Vain”, som nået nr. 23 på den amerikanske single hit-list. Denne sang skulle også vise sig at være deres eneste hit, selvom de prøvede at følge den op med nyt materiale som ”(White Man) at Hammersmith Station”, ”I’m So Bored With British Rail” og ”Should I Stay or Should I Go?”.

Trains in Vain

Say you stand at your station

Just like the rest of the nation

You said you’re commuting and that’s a fact

But there’s no train and now you’re trapped

Well there something Nat Rail can’t explain away

Like why aren’t the train running today

Did they stand by me?

No, not at all

Did they stand by me?

No way

All the times that we chose

To go to work by rail coach

Down the rails there’s no train tumbling down

And I’m left at station standing around

I’m late for yet another working day

“Massive delays” is all station manager can say

Did he stand by me?

No, not at all

Did he stand by me?

No way

You must explain why this be

Did British Rail lie when they spoke to me

Did they by me?

No, not at all

Now I got a job

But it don’t pay

Because of the trains

I miss half the day

Without all these delays I can do

But without BR trains I can’t make it through

But they don’t understand my point of view

I suppose there’s nothing I can do

Did they stand by me?

No, not at all

Did they stand by me?

No way

They must explain why this must be

Did British Rail lie when they spoke to me

Did they stand by me?

Did they stand by me?

No, not at all

Did they stand by me?

No way

Did they stand by me?

No, not at all

Did they stand by me?

No way