부산대학교 도서관

Strummer strayed from the radical road he previously set out upon, best exemplified by his stoutly held sense of socialism in the early to late 1980s. He did not become right wing, in favour of neoliberal individualism, but he did become disillusioned with the prospects for traditional left-wing politics and the collectivism used to pursue these politics. So this chapter begins by examining the predominant messages Strummer dispensed in the last years of his life, before considering his views of ‘new’ Labour, neoliberalism and the ‘new’ imperialism, along with his alternative of decentralised, small-scale, ethical capitalism. The transition from socialist to non-socialist is explained by the move in his personal disposition from certainty to uncertainty occasioning a reorientation. This leads to assessing his views on humanism, opinions, freedom and liberty, and his national identity.
Punk rocker, Joe Strummer, was the most influential left-wing musician since the 1970s. Through The Clash especially, he was said to have changed countless people’s lives. But what were his politics and what was the nature of this influence on people’s lives?The punk rock politics of Joe Strummer: Radicalism, resistance and rebellion finds he was a self-proclaimed socialist in his Clash years before this gave way to humanism. Despite that shift, he still desired social change and still used his lyrics and public platform to push for this progress.Strummer provided political inspiration and sustenance to many through the cultural medium of music. He helped many find and maintain socialist and progressive world views, and this legacy lives on through his lyrics. This becomes evident when the testimonies gathered for this study speak of the influence of the lyrics from the likes of the Sandinista! album or the song, ‘Spanish Bombs’. They encouraged listeners not only to find out more about the issues and events covered but then to go out and try to do something about them too.