Lost in the Supermarket
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| “Lost in the Supermarket” | ||
|---|---|---|
| Song by The Clash | ||
| Album | London Calling | |
| Released | 14 December 1979 | |
| Recorded | August-September 1979, November 1979 at Wessex Studios | |
| Genre | Rock | |
| Length | 3:47 | |
| Label | CBS | |
| Writer | Joe Strummer, Mick Jones | |
| Producer | Guy Stevens | |
"Lost in the Supermarket" is a 1979 song by The Clash.[1] Written by Joe Strummer and Mick Jones and produced by Guy Stevens, it is credited to the Strummer/Jones songwriting partnership. It was released on their third studio album London Calling. It is the eighth song on the track listing. Although it features Mick Jones on lead vocals, the lyrics were written by Joe Strummer.[2][3]
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[edit] Writing and recording
The song was conceived and recorded in Jones' grandmother's flat where he was living at 36 Causton Street, down by the River Thames, near Vauxhall Bridge Road in Pimlico, London, between May and August, 1979 and recorded at Wessex Studios, 106A Highbury New Park, an old converted church between Islington and Stoke Newington (nearby Clissold Park), produced by producer Guy Stevens and engineered by Bill Price on August-September 1979.[1][4]
| “ | Hearing Mick's soft voice over the studio speakers singing "Lost in a Supermarket", and its story of high-raise walls | ” |
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—Joe Strummer , [1] |
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The supermarket in question is located beneath the Jones' grandmother's flat.[1][4]
[edit] Music and lyrics
A slower song than many of the others on the album, its lyrics describe someone struggling to deal with an increasingly commercialized world and rampant consumerism. The song opens with Strummer's autobiographical memories of his parents' home in suburban Warlingham, with a hedge "over which I never could see." With lines such as "I came in here for that special offer - guaranteed personality", the protagonist bemoans the depersonalization of the world around him. The song speaks of numbers about suburban alienation, the feelings of disillusionment that come through youth in modern society.[5][6]
In the Making of 'London Calling': The Last Testament DVD, released with the 25th anniversary edition of London Calling in 2004, Strummer said he wrote the lyrics imagining Jones' life growing up in a basement with his mother and grandmother.[2][7][3]
[edit] Cover versions
The song was covered by Ben Folds for use in the movie Over the Hedge.[3] In addition, a cover performed by The Afghan Whigs was released on the tribute album Burning London; lead singer Greg Dulli sings portions of the Ben E. King song "Stand By Me" and another Clash song "Train in Vain" over the outro.
[edit] Notes
- ^ a b c d Green, Johnny; Garry Barker (2003). A Riot of Our Own: Night and Day with The Clash, p. 172.
- ^ a b Blashill, Pat (2004-10-14). "London Calling 25th Anniversary Edition Review". Rolling Stone (10). San Francisco, CA: Straight Arrow Publishers. ISSN 0035-791X. OCLC 1787396.
Related news articles:- Lost In The Supermarket by The Clash Songfacts (PHP). Songfacts. Retrieved on 2008-01-11.
- The Clash - London Calling. Super Seventies. Retrieved on 2008-01-06.
- ^ a b c Lost In The Supermarket by The Clash Songfacts (PHP). Songfacts. Retrieved on 2008-01-11.
- ^ a b London Calling. theclash.org.uk. Retrieved on 2008-01-11.
- ^ Lyrics Part 6 of 10. Clash Lyrics Page. londonsburning.org. Retrieved on 2008-01-11.
- ^ Dimery, Robert (1999). Collins Gem Classic Albums. Glasgow: Harper Collins Publishers. ISBN 0004724852. OCLC 43582584. “On "Koka Kola" and "Lost In The Supermarket" advertising is rubbished.”
Related news articles:- The Clash - London Calling. Super Seventies. Retrieved on 2008-01-06.
- ^ Clash, The. (2004-09-21). London Calling [Compact Disc, DVD Video]. New York: Epic. Retrieved on 2008-01-08. OCLC 56620494. "Compact discs accompanied by bonus DVD. Song lyrics inserted in container. 2 sound discs: digital; 4 3/4 in. + 1 videodisc (DVD, ca. 50 min.: sd., col.; 4 3/4 in.) + booklet ([36] p.: ill.; 12 cm.) + 1 lyrics sheet (2 p., folded). Contents: CD, disc 1, original LP: London Calling – Track listing. CD, disc 2, The Vanilla Tapes (previously unheard rehearsal sessions including five new songs) track listing. DVD: Last testament: The making of London Calling (30 min.) – Extras: Promos of London Calling, Train in Vain, Clampdown – Home video footage of The Clash recording London Calling at Wessex Studios."
[edit] References
- Gilbert, Pat [2004] (2005). Passion Is a Fashion: The Real Story of The Clash, 4th edition, London: Aurum Press. ISBN 1845131134. OCLC 61177239.
- Gray, Marcus [1995] (2005). The Clash: Return of the Last Gang in Town, 5th revised edition, London: Helter Skelter. ISBN 1905139101. OCLC 60668626.
- Green, Johnny; Garry Barker [1997] (2003). A Riot of Our Own: Night and Day with The Clash, 3rd edition, London: Orion, p. 172. ISBN 0752858432. OCLC 52990890.
- Gruen, Bob; Chris Salewicz [2001] (2004). The Clash, 3rd edition, London: Omnibus. ISBN 1903399343. OCLC 69241279.
- Needs, Kris (2005-01-25). Joe Strummer and the Legend of the Clash. London: Plexus. ISBN 085965348X. OCLC 53155325.
- Topping, Keith [2003] (2004). The Complete Clash, 2nd edition, Richmond: Reynolds & Hearn. ISBN 1903111706. OCLC 63129186.
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