The Clash - London Calling: An anthem of its time

London Calling

This album, and in particular the title track, could be considered as the north of England's anthem during the early 1980s.

The BBC

The title in itself conjures up an image of unrest. The reason for this is that 'London calling' was used by the BBC during the Second World War when it made broadcasts to other countries; often those that were occupied by the German army.

Unrest in the early 1980s

The world was in a bit of a mess in the first years of the decade, as was Britain. When this song as written (in 1979) the Three Mile Island nuclear 'incident' had taken place and many people saw that as the 'beginning of the end' of civilization. Had we advanced to the stage that we would destroy the world?

In the UK

By 1982, Britain was at war with Argentina over the Falkland Islands. Two years later, industry was dragged almost to a standstill due to the year-long miners' strike which had a dramatic effect on the north of England in particular.

London WAS calling

During the miners' strike, the north / south divide, as it was called, still existed. And London - the south - was interfering with the north. This is one reason why the song became a somewhat anarchic 'battle cry' in the north. (See the video below).

But we survived

Hearing it today, reminds me of those times but also reminds me that we survived them. It's almost as if the song is saying 'look how good things are now. There are no longer riot police in our streets; innocent people are no longer seen as being criminals because of fighting for their rights'. It has become uplifting.

The video below is from what I consider to be the best film made about life during the miners' strike.

Hear London Calling and see what life was like in the north of England during that time.

This is not an exaggeration. This is reality.

Scroll down to see another film about the situation the miners of the north found themselves in.

You might like to watch the video from which the above video clip is taken.

London was interfering. Throughout history, the north of England had survived as a growing and thriving community. We did not need police drafted in from the capital to 'control' us.

Our local police forces were sympathetic with the miners' causes. After all, the miners were their brothers, cousins, uncles, friends.

Only in uncivilised societies do brothers and friends fight each other with any seriousness. That certainly didn't happen in the north of England. The north was generally united.

The deployment of coppers from the south of England (typified by London) was a horrifying development. We were used to a system of self-government and now outsiders - who didn't understand the situation at all - were muscling in. With powers.

The scene you see above is probably, with local variations, being repeated all over the world - a young man who is standing up for what he believes in for the sake of himself and his family - being beaten up by 'authority'.