Explosive. That's how this track's often described. One hit on the drum and then the song dives straight in fast and direct. It was released in 1978 as the opening track of The Clash's second album Give 'Em Enough Rope. I was 14. I saw someone say: "It's one of the greatest album opening tracks ever recorded. It's like a punch in the face".
When Give 'Em Enough Rope came out it was seen by the ever-purist punks of the time as a bit too poppy, melodic, and slickly produced. It was, compared to their previous first album. I must admit I was a bit sceptical about it for such reasons but grew to love it.
Only listening impressionistically to the (not that easy to make out) lyrics, at first I read the song as about the privilege and smugness of people living in the Global North. On closer listening it's about Joe and Mick going to Jamaica and standing out and being shocked by the crime. If you were uncharitable you could see it as racist disparaging of Jamaica. But The Clash were firmly left-wing and anti-racist (less nihilist and more rebellious than other punks) so I don't think so. Jamaica had high crime rates and you can see that two white punk guys could have felt they stood out. It's also pretty disparaging (the way I hear it) about safe European homes. It's really just about their experiences visiting Jamaica which were maybe just less rosy than they may have expected. As such, the lyrics don't have a very strong connection for me which usually would dampen my enthusiasm for the song (although they are interesting). But the music is so powerful and The Clash is such a central band for me.
The song has a nice little reggae-ish step-aside towards the end before the punk thrashing fades back in. In the early days of punk, there were punk and skinhead bands who were far-right Nazis. I always worried at the time that some punk band I heard and liked may be one of these. But bands like The Clash and The Ruts (who are also in my top 100 tracks) were political and left-wing and would have nothing to do with racism. They dabbled in reggae and sometimes dub. With The Ruts, it was songs like Jah War. For the Clash, as well as this semi-reggae insert into Safe European Home, it was in songs like Police and Thieves. After the reggae bit in Safe European Home and the fade back in, the song ends as suddenly as it started.
My daughter was a barmaid at a local pub about 15-20 years ago, where I also drank, and she wore a Clash T-shirt one night when working there. It was quite fashionable at the time for young people to wear T-shirts with 'The Ramones' or 'The Clash' on them, music from their dads' and mums' era. One night an old geezer at the bar said to her scornfully 'You don't even know who the Clash are'. My daughter proceeded to list the songs from the Clash's first album one by one in the correct order. Then she moved on to the second album. And listed the tracks in order again. The guy sighed and said 'Alright, Alright, you've made your point'. I was even prouder of her then than when she spoke at the Labour Party conference years later.
For my 45th birthday in 2009, I went to an exhibition of Mick Jones' stuff under the Westway in London. My parents came and my (grown-up) kids. It was near Portobello Road, a trendy and posh (in places) part of London. But it was very Clash and gritty at this spot and the Westway has links with the band. It's an elevated dual carriageway and the exhibition was (if I remember right) beneath (or at least very close to) the flyover in a venue that felt like a large lockup garage. My parents didn't know anything about the Clash and were quickly bored. My kids knew though. And for me, it was one of the most memorable days of my life.
Right after the visit, my son told me he had a special birthday present for me. His international model girlfriend sang in a band that Mick Jones played guitar in. My son said he could arrange, as a birthday treat, for me to meet Jones at one of the band's rehearsals. I was gobsmacked. The chance to meet this legend. In the end, tragedy struck in the band and it didn't happen. But if it had I would probably have been a gibbering wreck. So maybe it was for the best.
The components of Safe European Home are all amazing - drums, bass, guitar, and singing. Here's the song being played live.
The Lyrics
Well, I just got back an I wish I never leave now
(Where'd ya' go?)
Who that Martian arrival at the airport, yeah?
(Where'd ya' go?)
How many local dollars for a local anaesthetic?
(Where'd ya' go?)
The Johnny on the corner wasn't very sympathetic
(Where'd ya' go?)
I went to the place where every white face
Is an invitation to robbery
An' sitting here in my safe European home
Don't wanna go back there again
Wasn't I lucky, wouldn't it be lovely?
(Where'd ya' go?)
Send us all cards and have a lay in on a Sunday
(Where'd ya' go?)
I was there for two weeks, so how come I never tell now?
(Where'd ya' go?)
That natty dread drinks at the Sheraton Hotel, yeah?
(Where'd ya' go?)
I went to the place where every white face
Is an invitation to robbery
An' sitting here in my safe European home
Don't wanna go back there again
They got the sun and they got the palm trees
(Where'd ya' go?)
They got the weed and they got the taxis
(Where'd ya' go?)
Whoa, "The Harder They Come" and the home of ol' Bluebeat
(Where'd ya' go?)
I'd stay and be a tourist but I can't take the gun play
(Where'd ya' go?)
I went to the place where every white face
Is an invitation to robbery
An' sitting here in my safe European home
Don't wanna go back there again
What?
Rudie come from Jamaica, Rudie can't fail
Rudie come from Jamaica, Rudie can't fail
Rudie come from Jamaica, 'cause Rudie can't fail
(Our European home)
Rudie come from Jamaica, Rudie can't fail
(Grey European home)
Rudie, Rudie, Rudie, Rudie, Rudie, Rudie can't fail
(Dull European home)
Rudie, Rudie, Rudie, Rudie, Rudie, Rudie can't fail
(Dutty European home)
Rudie loots and Rudie shoots and Rudie gun man don't back down
(Instant European home)
Rudie, Rudie, Rudie, Rudie, Rudie, guns are comin'
(Credits European home)
Rudie, Rudie, Rudie, Rudie, Rudie, Rudie can't fail
(The big lights European home)
Rudie, Rudie, Rudie, Rudie, Rudie, Rudie he can't fail
(Nice guy European home)
Rudie come up from Jamaica, 'cause Rudie can't fail
(Explosive European home)
Rudie come up from Jamaica, 'cause Rudie can't fail
(Twenty-four Track European home)
Rudie, Rudie, Rudie, Rudie, Rudie loots and Rudie shoots
Elder come and the Rudie go but no one knows where police must go
See also: My Top Tracks: Introduction