The U2 song inspired by Joe Strummer and The Clash
In 2003, one year on from the death of The Clash co-founder and frontman Joe Strummer, Elton John and Bono came together to chat about his legacy. On reflection, the interview combination seems a somewhat surprising one. The Clash’s influence, though widespread, was largely found in the garage, new wave and punk scenes, while their music drew from genres like reggae and ska. Pop legend Elton John and Irish alt-rocker Bono seem an unlikely duo to discuss the musical influences of Strummer, then.
But, in an interview coordinated by Epitaph, the U2 vocalist shared his admiration for Strummer and The Clash and noted their influence on his own work. Elton John quotes Bono as previously saying that “were it not for The Clash there would never had been a U2″. Bono replies that “without exaggeration”, The Clash were the first rock and roll band they saw live: “It was in 1977, in Dublin, on The Clash’s Get Out of Control Tour,” he said.
Bono continues: “I was 17 at the time, and I remember being frightened because there was a lot of aggression at the gate. But I was also elated. I was in awe at the sight of their clothes – they were wearing militant guerilla style, art-attack gear-and there was an atmosphere in the crowd that felt like something was going to happen, like somebody could die or a revolution could start. It was one of those nights that just turn your world upside down.”
The performance was to turn Bono’s world upside down in more ways than one. U2 went on to write a song titled ‘Out Of Control’ after the tour name, which featured as the A-side to their debut EP release Three. Beginning a new rock legacy, the early U2 track would pave the way for them to become one of the biggest rock bands in the world.
‘Out Of Control’ is a sonically optimistic track with soaring guitars and vocals. Lyrically, it charts the growing pains of turning 18, the realisation of the uncontrollable nature of the passing of time and the inevitability of death. The song was rerecorded for U2’s debut album Boy, released in 1980.
Bono also fondly reflects on being able to meet Strummer a few times, stating: “He was very nice to me, and nice about me, though it must have been irritating for him – we were a really young, gauche, unsauced group when we started off”.
The Clash and Joe Strummer’s legacy persists not just in punk and garage but across rock and even further afield. Not only in their sound but in their ethos – as Bono concludes: “With U2, I always felt like we had a lot going wrong, but ultimately, we had something special. Lots of bands around us were much better looking, better players, better songwriters-they had everything. But we had the ‘it’-whatever ‘it’ might be-and we built around that. That idea comes from The Clash – that you could come out of the audience, get up on stage, grab the microphone, and if you had something to say, then you have a valid reason for being there. That idea changed my life: it’s the reason U2 exists today.”
