‘Remote Control’: The Clash’s most underrated protest song

Posted On April 11, 2025April 11, 2025

Protest music has a rich and diverse history dating back centuries; for as long as there has been music, there have been musicians using it as a means of defying authority. This was never more true than during the punk boom of the 1970s, which saw a vast array of grassroots artists often calling for the destruction of authority and the state. At the forefront of the UK’s early punk scene was the rebellious voice of Joe Strummer and The Clash, who lent their distinctive brand of punk to multiple causes and protests over the years. 

Right out of the gate, The Clash let audiences know who they were and what they were about. Their stunning debut single, ‘White Riot’, acted both as a protest against the complacency of the oppressed masses in the United Kingdom and as a sonic manifesto for the band itself. In 1977, a few months after that debut single, Strummer’s gang unleashed their self-titled debut, which still stands among the greatest anti-authority albums of all time. 

In songs like ‘Career Opportunities’, the band spoke for a generation when they denounced the lack of job prospects in 1970s Britain – a key source of inspiration for the wider punk scene. In later years, anthems like ‘Guns of Brixton’, ‘(White Man) in Hammersmith Palais’, or even the legendary ‘London Calling’ continued The Clash’s defiant stance and their unique ability to hold a mirror up to the ugliest aspects of British society in the 1970s and 1980s. What’s more, the band’s endless support of organisations like Rock Against Racism added a layer of authenticity to their rebellion.

With such a flawless discography – with the admitted exception of Cut the Crap – it is easy for certain Clash tracks to fly under the radar or become overshadowed by more popular efforts. However, the band’s second single, ‘Remote Control’, remains perhaps their most underrated protest song and an underappreciated jewel within their discography. 

Opening with that kind of angular, anthemic guitar playing that typified the first age of punk, ‘Remote Control’ attacks the status quo of society, denouncing authority and giving a voice to the disenfranchised generation of kids growing up in the 1970s with no future prospects. While certainly not the most profound lyrics The Clash ever uttered, the song was essential in calling for class consciousness and direct action during a period in which a lot of the punk scene was performative.

Although punk established itself as a cultural revolution, it quickly devolved into little more than a fashion statement, and lots of early punk tracks lacked any kind of political substance. In contrast, Strummer and Jones spoke directly to their audience: “You got no money, so you got no power. They think you’re useless, and so you are, punk.”

These pioneering words reminded the band’s audience that they cannot be defeated unless they allow themselves to succumb to authority. The Clash, like many punks of that generation, were living in squats and struggling to get by, but they had the attitude, defiance, and determination to make something of themselves in spite of the state and its attitudes towards the younger generation at that time. As such, they never gave up an opportunity to open the eyes of their listeners.

That entire 1977 album was a triumph for anti-authority punk music, and the vast majority of its content still stands up today – which is either a mark of The Clash’s timeless songwriting or the fact that the political landscape of the UK has not improved in the past 45 years. However, ‘Remote Control’ remains an absolute masterpiece by Mick Jones, even though the band largely disowned the song as a result of CBS’ decision to promote it as a single.

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