“Should I Stay or Should I Go” by The Clash

The Clash is one of those types of music acts who appear to have been more appreciated in hindsight than when it was actually extant. And that likely has something to do with the fact that the band only managed to stay together for a decade. And even a few years prior to that the group began to disintegrate, such as when one of its co-founders and core members, Mick Jones, was unceremoniously sacked in 1983.

Meanwhile, the song came out the year prior to his forced departure. As such, with Mick also being one of this track’s co-writers, many people have speculated that such is what these lyrics speak to, i.e. friction between himself and The Clash at the time. 

Whereas there was in fact beef percolating during the recording of this track, Jones has clarified that such is not what the lyrics are based on. Rather the goal was to put together a classic rock song which, judging by the accolades this piece went on to achieve, they succeeded at doing.

Lyrics of “Should I Stay or Should I Go” are Fictional

The reason the above is being pointed out now is to once again clarify that this song is not based on any real life events or anything like that. And even though the lyrics can theoretically be applied to a number of different types of relationships, the first two verses especially read like they center on a romance. For instance, in the first, the addressee is referred to as “darling”. Furthermore, the vocalist is also pondering if she is truly his and “here ’til the end of time”, which doesn’t sound like the type of jargon he would use in a discussion with, say his employer.

By the looks of things, this situation is what some of us would deem a toxic romance. Or more specifically, in the second verse the addressee is presented as being somewhat of a toxic partner. For instance, the vocalist is under the impression that she’s “happy” when he’s suffering on “on his knees”, as he puts it. 

Moreover, it’s like she’s loving him one day and then hating on him the next. And some of the wording in the third verse can even be potentially interpreted as pointing to the idea of her cheating. 

But that established, it ain’t like the vocalist himself is contemplating bouncing. Instead what he is looking for is a definitive answer from the addressee. He wants to know whether or not she actually wants him.

Or as further revealed in the third verse, now he has reached a point where her lack of consistency is driving him bonkers, and he’d rather just quit than being regularly treated as if he’s not wanted. 

Takeaway

Most of us reading this would probably say the writing’s on the wall, like you need to go your way, Mick. But with that in mind, perhaps this piece can most accurately be deemed a love song. And that’s because the vocalist’s insistence, if you will, to stick around despite being mistreated is ultimately the thesis sentiment.

Also, at the end of the day, it would be hard to imagine that this song is about Mick Jones’ relationship with the rest of The Clash. The vocalist in this case definitely comes off as if he’s willing to endure abuse in the name of perpetuating his relationship with the addressee. But in reality, it seems that Jones was a lot more confrontational than this.

Facts about “Should I Stay or Should I Go”

This song came out during May of 1982, originally via Epic Records and later CBS Records, as part of “Combat Rock”, which was The Clash’s fifth-studio album. 

At that time, The Clash, a rock band from London, consisted of the following:

• drummer Topper Headon
• bassist Paul Simonon
• guitarist Mick Jones
• vocalist Joe Strummer (1952-2002)

The latter two are the authors of “Should I Stay or Should I Go”. 

To note, despite Strummer being the key vocalist of The Clash, it was Mick who actually served as the lead vocalist on this track.

Upon intimal release this song proved to be a mild hit, making it onto the Billboard Hot 100 and such. However, it went viral in 1991 after being featured on a Levi’s jeans’ commercial and re-released, that time around experienced much greater success, such as topping the UK Single Chart and charting in approximately 20 countries, over three times as many as the first time. 

Additionally this song eventually went on to be certified double-platinum in Italy and platinum in the UK. Furthermore, at the beginning of the 21^st century, it was named one of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time as compiled by Rolling Stone, scoring within the top half of the ranking (though it was completely removed from the list in 2021).

As far as the Spanish-rendered backup vocals go, Joe Strummer was assisted in that regard by American singer Joe Ely. And to note, the Spanish lyrics are a translation of the English words.

This song made it onto the Marvel Cinematic Universe, i.e. being featured on 2010’s Iron Man 2 (though not a part of its official soundtrack). And it also made a very noteworthy appearance on the Netflix show Stranger Things.