The punk rock politics of Joe Strumner

Joe Strummer was one of the twentieth century’s iconic rock’n’roll rebels. Frontman, spokesman and chief lyricist for The Clash, Strummer played a major role in politicising a generation through some of the most powerful protest songs of the era, songs like ‘White Riot’, ‘English Civil War’ and ‘London Calling’. At the heart of this protest was the struggle for social justice and equality. The punk rock politics of Joe Strummer examines Strummer’s beliefs on a range of issues – alienation, exploitation, multiculturalism and humanism – analysing their credibility, influence and impact, and asking where they came from and how they developed over his lifetime. Drawing on Strummer’s lyrics, various interviews and bootleg recordings, as well as interviews with friends and contemporaries like Billy Bragg, The punk rock politics of Joe Strummer takes the reader on a journey through the political influences and motivations that defined one of the UK’s greatest punk icons.