exile in girlville

Songs I Probably Shouldn’t Listen To #20

Song: Train in Vain
Artist: The Clash
Album: London Calling

Key Lyric:

You must explain why this must be
Did you lie when you spoke to me?

Commentary:

I enjoy songs, but occasionally I think I enjoy the stories behind the songs even more. “Train In Vain” by The Clash is an example of a song that is overflowing with back story and intrigue.

My favorite tidbit about this song is that it was originally not listed on the track listing for London Calling. The song was written and recorded to be a promotional giveaway, but when that didn’t work out, they tacked it onto the album. Of course, the iconic album cover design was already sent to the printers, and this song is left off the track list and the lyrics are missing from the sleeve. This is by far one of their most poppy and radio friendly songs in their entire discography, but it’s still one of their most enjoyable tunes.

It’s also odd because it may be the most overt or straightforward love song written by The Clash. Here’s an interview with from Guitar World magazine about the song:

GW: You wrote love songs.
Mick Jones: (laughs) We never did any!
GW: What do you call “Train In Vain?
Mick: Oh yeah, apart from that one. (laughs).

Mick Jones wrote this song slightly after his breakup with a guitarist from The Slits. Some fans interpreted “Train in Vain” as a response to The Slits song “Typical Girls”, which mentions how some women blindly stand by their men. Of course, one of the main lyrics from “Train in Vain” is an accusation from Mick Jones to his ex-lover that she didn’t stand by him.