The Magnificent Seven

The Clash

About The Magnificent Seven

"The Magnificent Seven" is a song by the English punk rock band the Clash. Released in 1981, it was the third single from the Clash's fourth album, Sandinista!. It reached number 34 on the UK Singles Chart. The song was inspired by old school hip hop acts from New York City, like the Sugarhill Gang and Grandmaster Flash & the Furious Five. Rap was still a new and emerging music genre at the time, and the band, especially Mick Jones, was very impressed with it, so much so that Jones took to carrying a boombox around and got the nickname "Whack Attack". "The Magnificent Seven" was recorded in April 1980 at Electric Lady Studios in New York City, built around a funky bass loop played by Norman Watt-Roy of the Blockheads. Joe Strummer wrote the words on the spot, a technique that was also used to create Sandinista!'s other rap track, "Lightning Strikes (Not Once But Twice)". The song represents the first attempt by a rock band to write and perform original rap music, and one of the earliest examples of hip hop records with political and social content. It is the first major white rap record, predating the recording of Blondie's "Rapture" by six months. Strummer said of the group's encounter with hip hop: 


Year:
1991
5:33
171 
#1

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The magnificent seven

Ring, ring, it's 7:00 A.M.
Move yourself to go again
Cold water in the face
Brings you back to this awful place

Knuckle merchants and your bankers too
Must get up and learn those rules
Weather man and the crazy chief
One says sun and one says sleet

A.M., the F.M. the P.M. too
Churnin' out that boogaloo
Gets you up and it gets you out
But how long can you keep it up?

Gimme Honda, gimme Sony
So cheap and real phony
Hong Kong dollar, Indian cents
English pounds and Eskimo pence

You lot, what?
Don't stop, give it all you got
You lot, what?
Don't stop, yeah

You lot, what?
Don't stop, give it all you got
You lot, what?
Don't stop, yeah

Working for a rise, better my station
Take my baby to sophistication
Seen the ads, she thinks it's nice
Better work hard, I seen the price

Never mind that it's time for the bus
We got to work and you're one of us
Clocks go slow in a place of work
Minutes drag and the hours jerk

Yeah, wave bye, bye (when can I tell 'em what I do?) 
(In a second, maan, alright Chuck)

Wave bub-bub-bub-bye to the boss
It's our profit, it's his loss
But anyway the lunch bells ring
Take one hour, do your thang
Cheeesboiger

What do we have for entertainment?
Cops kickin' gypsies on the pavement
Now the news has snapped to attention
Lunar landing of the dentist convention

Italian mobster shoots a lobster
Seafood restaurant gets out of hand
A car in the fridge, a fridge in the car
Like cowboys do in TV land

You lot, what?
Don't stop, give it all you got
You lot, what?
Don't stop, huh

You lot, what?
Don't stop, give it all you got, yeah
You lot, what?
Don't stop

So get back to work and sweat some more
The sun will sink and we'll get out the door
It's no good for man to work in cages
Hit the town, he drinks his wages

You're frettin', you're sweatin'
But did you notice, you ain't gettin'
You're frettin', you're sweatin'
But did you notice, not gettin' anywhere

Don't you ever stop, a long enough to start
Take your car outta that gear
Don't you ever stop, long enough to start
Get your car outta that gear

Karlo Marx and Frederick Engels
Came to the checkout at the 7-11
Marx was skint but he had sense
Engels lent him the necessary pence

What have we got? Yeah, ooh
What have we got? Yeah, ooh
What have we got? Magnificence
What have we got?

Luther King and Mahatma Gandhi
Went to the park to check on the game
But they was murdered by the other team
Who went on to win fifty-nil

You can be true, you can be false
You'll be given the same reward
Socrates and Milhous Nixon
Both went the same way through the kitchen

Plato the Greek or Rin Tin Tin
Who's more famous to the billion millions?
News flash, 'Vacuum cleaner sucks up budgie'
Ooh, bye-bye, bub-bye

The magnificent seven
Magnificent
Magnificent seven

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The Clash

The Clash were an English punk rock band that formed in 1976 as part of the original wave of British punk. Along with punk, their music incorporated elements of reggae, ska, dub, funk, rap, dance, and rockabilly. For most of their recording career, the Clash consisted of Joe Strummer (lead vocals, rhythm guitar), Mick Jones (lead guitar, vocals), Paul Simonon (bass guitar, vocals) and Nicky "Topper" Headon (drums, percussion). Headon left the group in 1982, and internal friction led to Jones's departure the following year. The group continued with new members, but finally disbanded in early 1986. more »

6 fans

Written by: JOE STRUMMER, MICK JONES, TOPPER HEADON

Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind


11 facts about this song

Origin and Title
"The Magnificent Seven" by The Clash was inspired and named after the western film of the same name.
Lyrics
The song's lyrics were largely improvised by frontman Joe Strummer during recording sessions, making it one of the band's most unique tracks.
Genre Fusion
"The Magnificent Seven" is often recognized as one of the first songs to fuse punk and hip hop music, showcasing the band's willingness to experiment with various genres.
Year of Release
The song was first released as a single in April 1981 and was later included in the band's fourth studio album, "Sandinista!".
Chart Success
Despite its departure from the traditional punk sound, "The Magnificent Seven" reached number 34 on the UK Singles Chart and was well received by critics.
First Rap Single
The Clash's "The Magnificent Seven" is considered to be the first rap single issued by a non-American act.
Music Video
The band filmed an eccentric music video for the song, featuring a mock-live performance in front of a dancing audience.
Cultural References
The lyrics of the song contain multiple cultural references, ranging from Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels to supermarkets, consumerism and work monotony.
Covered by Other Artists
The song has been covered by a variety of artists, showcasing its enduring appeal and influence across different musical genres.
Live Performances
During live performances, The Clash would often perform a longer version of "The Magnificent Seven" – sometimes with additional, improvised lyrics – to build audience energy and anticipation.
Influence on Rock Music
"The Magnificent Seven" was a signal of the changing sound of rock music in the 1980s, blending rock with different genres, which came to define much of the music of that decade.

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