J Strummer Quotes & Sayings

The toughest thing is facing yourself. Being honest with yourself, that's much tougher than beating someone up. That's what I call tough. — Joe Strummer

The future is unwritten. — Joe Strummer

I hate it when I go out and I see parents going, 'don't do that', or 'stop doing that' when some kid's just hanging off a staircase or something. There's too much of this, 'don't do that'. The whole thing baffles me. — Joe Strummer

Everyone has got to realise you can't hold onto the past if you want any future. Each second should lead to the next one. — Joe Strummer

I found that I was just hopeless at school. It was just a total bore. First, I passed in art and English, and then just art. Then I passed out. — Joe Strummer

People can change anything they want to, and that means everything in the world. — Joe Strummer

I have a weird life because I live on songwriting royalties, which are a strange income. Sometimes it rains, sometimes it doesn't. — Joe Strummer

There isn't a town in the world I haven't run amok in. — Joe Strummer

I like to just feel how I feel and not worry about it really. — Joe Strummer

I think we're going to have to forget about the radio and just go back to word of mouth. — Joe Strummer

There is nothing more common than unsuccessful men with talent. — Joe Strummer

And the pebbles fight each other as rocks/And my father bends among them/Two hands outstretching up to me/Not that I can hear. — Joe Strummer

To me, our music is like Jamaican stuff - if they can't hear it, they're not supposed to hear it. It's not for them if they can't understand it. — Joe Strummer

I just want to go back to rockin', but I'm uncertain as to what to actually do ... The truth is, I never stopped thinking about rock 'n' roll for a second that I'm on holiday. — Joe Strummer

All hippies around now just represent complete apathy. — Joe Strummer

We sing in English, not mimicking some American rock singer's accent. That's just pretending to be something you ain't. — Joe Strummer

When we played Paris, the English punks would come over, and they got to know the French punks. There was some nice scenes in the back alleys. — Joe Strummer

A lot of the time I'm semi-insane, but there is a slight bit of intelligence there. — Joe Strummer

What I like about playing America is you can be pretty sure you're not going to get hit with a full can of beer when you're singing and I really enjoy that! — Joe Strummer

With The Simpsons you can go back to work with a keen heart. — Joe Strummer

You've gotta be slightly stupid. — Joe Strummer

Don't forget you're alive. 'Cause sometimes when you walk around the city and you're in a bad mood, you can think, hey, wait a minute, we're alive! We don't know what the next second will bring and what a fantastic thing this is. This can get easily forgotten in the routine of life, and that's something I'm trying to bring to my attention at all times. Don't forget you're alive. We're not dead, you know. This is the greatest thing. — Joe Strummer

The most profound voice of any musician I have ever heard. Joe (Strummer) took his message to the world, and the world listened. He managed to influence more than one generation with his innovative and determined manner, and I am not alone in repeatedly turning to his thoughts and lyrics when searching for inspiration. The Clash was the greatest rock band. They wrote the rule book for U2. — Bono

Joe Strummer, Johnny Rotten, and Ian MacKaye were all people who really made me see things differently. — Henry Rollins

As the floods of God
Wash away sin city
They say it was written
In the page of the Lord
But I was looking
For that great jazz note
That destroyed
The walls of Jericho
The winds of fear
Whip away the sickness
The messages on the tablet
Was valium
As the planets form
That golden cross Lord
I'll see you on
The holy cross roads
After all this time
To believe in Jesus
After all those drugs
I thought I was Him
After all my lying
And a-crying
And my suffering
I ain't good enough
I ain't clean enough
To be Him
The tribal wars
Burning up the homeland
The fuel of evil
Is raining from the sky
The sea of lava
Flowing down the mountain
The time will sleep
Us sinners by
Holy rollers roll
Give generously now
Pass the hubcap please
Thank you Lord — Joe Strummer

I only saw my father twice a year. If I'd seen him all the time I'd probably have murdered him by now. He was very strict. — Joe Strummer

In fact, punk rock means exemplary manners to your fellow human beings. — Joe Strummer

Don't write slogans, write truths. — Joe Strummer

A lot of people... use a calculator! — Joe Strummer

everybody has a story to tell — Joe Strummer