Death or Glory

This song is about Clash frontman, the late Joe Strummer, looking back at his life, acknowledging the complications and responsibilities of adulthood. Kind of odd to read ripped-and-tough lyrics like these and think that the cynical punk rocker was an avid tree-hugger. In fact, Strummer founded The Carbon Neutral Company (originally called "Future Forests"), dedicated to planting trees all over the world in order to combat global warming. Strummer was also the first artist to record, press and distribute records while remaining carbon neutral.

"Death or Glory" is the motto of The Royal Lancers, an armored cavalry regiment in the British 1st Armored Infantry Brigade. It's one of the best known mottoes in England. Joe and the lads were cocking a snook at the myth of the noble, honorable military in this song.

The song is also about refusing to conform to authority, and the difficulties of not "selling out" to the "man" - something on The Clash's mind very much in terms of a growing up as people standpoint as well as the perspective of being a popular rock band trying to stay true to their roots as they sold more and more records. The amusing lyric, "he who f--ks nuns will later join the church" is a metaphor for teenagers who rebel against authority growing up and becoming authority figures themselves, becoming all that they fought against before. Journalist Lester Bangs believed the lyric about a "gimmick-hungry yob" related specifically to Sham 69 lead singer Jimmy Pursey, although as The Clash were friends with Pursey and the band this unlikely and is more likely a generic reference to bands trying to make a quick buck out of rock music.