written by Joe Strummer and Mick Jones

produced by Guy Stevens

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I’m making this page June 26th, 2021, the 66th birthday of Michael

Geoffrey Jones—who goes by Mick professionally—co-founder, co-

lead vocalist and lead guitarist of... right you are, The Clash. He was

also later co-founder of Big Audio Dynamite together with Don

Letts. Happy Birthday, MJ!!

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Here’s my favorite Clash song (by a landslide), “Train In Vain,” a title that is not mentioned in the lyrics, hence the adopted sub-title “Stand By Me”—not to be confused with the Ben E. King soul song of the early 1960s. In fact, this was basically why they gave it the title “Train In Vain.” Many listeners assumed the track was entitled “Stand By Me,” and that included myself the first time. I had a devil of a time trying to find it before finally hearing it again and punching the lyrics into a search engine as I heard them, thereby identifying the song and unearthing its real title. But I now understand it; the song’s rhythm is somewhat akin to the steady clickity-clack of locomotive wheels rolling along railroad tracks.

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“Train” originally closed the band’s Christmastime-1979 London Calling album, in a unique way. It started out as a song Joe and Mick wrote as a contribution to the British publication New Musical Express, for a purpose that didn’t exactly come to fruition. So at the last moment, as London Calling was being finished and close to release, they threw it on the end of the album, as a hidden bonus track, as the

sleeve and insert had already been printed. Later, deciding the song deserved more than just to be a secret album track, they put it out as a single in February ’80.

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The song missed charting in the UK, but reached as high as #23 in the US. The band’s success went on growing into the early ’80s, till they hit it particularly big with Combat Rock in ’82 (with both “Rock The Casbah” and “Should I Stay Or Should I Go”). During the making of Combat Rock, Mick encountered differences and tension with his fellow band members, and they separated not long afterwards. He got together with Don Letts and formed Big Audio Dynamite in a timely fashion, knocking out a debut BAD record by fall ’85.

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“Train In Vain” was covered by Third Eye Blind for the 1999 Sony Music Clash tribute Burning London, staying impressively faithful to the original while adding their own touch.

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Have notes to add? Let me know!

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YT:

full version

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The Clash’s official website