The Clash
Bankrobber (Single, UK Import)
Label: CBS Records
Released: 1980

Joe Strummer – lead vocals, rhythm guitar
Mick Jones – lead guitar, vocals
Paul Simonon – bass guitar, backing vocals
Topper Headon – drums, percussion

1. Bankrobber
2. Rocker’s Galore

I have always loved this song. With the haunting vocals, and slowed down beat. In some ways I could relate to it. I never robbed a bank, but I understand doing what you have to do to survive, and the line “never hurt nobody.” A great song. And some great lyrics:

Bankrobber
(Strummer/Jones)

My daddy was a bankrobber
But he never hurt nobody
He just loved to live that way
And he loved to steal your money

Some is rich, and some is poor
That’s the way the world is
But I don’t believe in lying back
Sayln’ how bad your luck is

So we came to jazz it up
We never loved a shovel
Break your back to earn your pay
An’ don’t forget to grovel

The old man spoke up in a bar
Said I never been in prison
A lifetime serving one machine
Is ten times worse than prison

Imagine if all the boys in jail
Could get out now together
Whadda you think they’d want to say to us?
While we was being clever

Someday you’ll meet your rocking chair
Cos that’s where we’re spinning
There’s no point to wanna comb your hair
When it’s grey and thinning

Run rabbit run
Strike out boys, for the hills
I can find that hole in the wall
And I know that they never will

If you get the chance to get a copy of this, it’s worth a listen.

Rating: ***** Five out of five stars.

On to the story . . .

In 1979 I was enrolled in Columbus Junior High, I was thirteen or fourteen. I was enrolled in the eighth grade in the middle of the bussing situation that was sweeping through the Los Angeles Unified School District.

My Mom had just gone back to work, and they wanted to bus me to Crenshaw, and I wasn’t going to be back home until after 6:00 pm every night. So, my Mom sought out other ways to keep me closer.

One night we attended an anti-bussing rally at Pierce College. The people rallied against our lack of choices for “our children.” Really there were no solutions, mainly whining. As we were leaving there was a guy outside the Pierce football stadium passing out anti-black literature, dressed in full Nazi uniform. My jaw dropped, other than a few war movies on TV, I didn’t know that Nazis were real. Most people just ignored him, whereas, nowadays in this Jerry Springer culture – man, woman and child would’ve assaulted him.

After researching some schools my Mom found that Columbus Junior High wasn’t bussing out. They had been doing a voluntary bussing program for years, kids from downtown would be shuttled in daily in such numbers that the “white” student body was less than 10% of the whole student enrollment.

The plan was that my Family (my Mom, Brother and I) would move from Reseda to Canoga Park to live with my Mom’s friend Linda, so that we would be within Columbus’ district. Right as we prepared to make this move (even if it was just temporary) Linda’s Husband, Don, committed suicide. Don was a great guy, always good to me and my family, but he suffered from problems relating to alcohol. I believe it was the first funeral I ever attended.

I started Columbus a week or so later. Because of the turmoil at Linda’s home we stayed in our place in Reseda, but used her address, and commuted to Canoga Park everyday.

It was one rough-ass school. The racial tensions were overwhelming. Everyday during PE my name was “honky,” for a whole year. It was at this school that I learned the significance of the golf cap. Depending on how many golf club pins you had on your cap dictated which street you represented, three pins, you were from Eighty-Third Street, etc.

The two cool things about going to this school was meeting a fellow punk, Linda “Ziggy” D., and seeing a bonafide music celebrity.

One of the teachers was rockabilly legend Ray Campi. I don’t know if he was a regular teacher or a substitute, but I saw him for the bulk of the year. I think Rodney Bingenheimer used to play him sometimes. I never approached Mr. Campi, I viewed him as too much of a star (hey, I was thirteen).

Eighth grade was by far my worst school year, but as with most things, there were some good memories too.

Currently:
Reading: Factotum by Charles Bukowski
Listening: The Clash – The Clash on Broadway
Watching: Clerks directed by Kevin Smith