Police & Thieves

from the LP The Clash, CBS Records, 1977



Though I loved both bands with all my eager, pubescent heart at one time in my life, when push came to shove, I would always fall down on this side of the Clash vs. Sex Pistols debate / rivalry, something about their unyieldingly curious nature I suppose---oh, and they could actually play their instruments. What really set them apart though, right from the beginning, was their willingness to fiddle around with different genres and influences, even as the punk scene was still trying to find its own voice; I’ve almost wondered at times whether P.I.L. was initially just Lydon trying to play catch up in the “boundless interests” game…? This peppy cover of a Junior Murvin classic was a nice respite on the Clash’s paint-peeling debut album, forging a bridge between punk rock and reggae which still exists to this very day; hell, Sting & the Police went on to work this idea into a very successful career for themselves. Even though these lyrics were informed by the mean streets of Jamaica’s ghettoes and shantytowns, they are relatable to anyone that’s felt the pig’s heat or the tendrils of violent crime, “…scaring the nation with their, guns & ammunition…”