(White Man) In Hammersmith Palais

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"(White Man) In Hammersmith Palais"
Single by The Clash
from the album The Clash (US ver.)
B-side "The Prisoner"
Released 17 June 1978 (1978-06-17)
Format 7-inch vinyl
Recorded March–April 1978, Basing Street Studios, London
Genre Punk rock, reggae rock
Length 3:59
Label CBS S CBS 6383
Writer(s) Joe Strummer and Mick Jones
Producer(s) Sandy Pearlman and The Clash
The Clash singles chronology
"Clash City Rockers"
"(White Man) In Hammersmith Palais"
"Tommy Gun"

"(White Man) In Hammersmith Palais" is a song by the English punk rock band The Clash. It was originally released as a 7-inch single, with the b-side "The Prisoner", on 17 June 1978 through CBS Records.

Produced by The Clash and engineered by Simon Humphries, the song was recorded (but not included on) for the group's second studio album, Give 'Em Enough Rope and was later featured on the American version of the band's debut studio album The Clash between the single version of "White Riot" and "London's Burning".

Inspiration and composition[edit]

The song showed considerable musical and lyrical maturity for the band at the time and is stylistically more in line with their version of Junior Murvin's "Police and Thieves" as the powerful guitar intro of "(White Man) In Hammersmith Palais" descends into a slower ska rhythm, and was disorientating to a lot of the fans who had grown used to their earlier work.[1] "We were a big fat riff group," Joe Strummer noted in The Clash's film Westway to the World. "We weren't supposed to do something like that."[2]

"(White Man) In Hammersmith Palais" starts by recounting an all-night reggae "showcase" night at the Hammersmith Palais in Shepherd's Bush Road, London, that was attended by Joe Strummer, Don Letts and roadie Rodent and was headlined by Dillinger, Leroy Smart and Delroy Wilson.[3] Strummer was disappointed and disillusioned that these performances had been more "pop" and "lightweight" similar to Ken Boothe's brand of reggae with Four Tops-like dance routines,[1] and that the acts had been "performances" rather than the "roots rock rebel[lion]" that he had been hoping for.[4]

The song then moves away from the disappointing concert to address various other themes, nearly all relating to the state of the United Kingdom at the time. The song first gives an anti-violence message, then addresses the state of 'wealth distribution' in the UK, promotes unity between black and white youths of the country before moving on to address the state of the British punk rock scene in 1978 which was becoming more mainstream.

Included is a jibe at an unnamed group who wear Burton suits, taken by many to be The Jam (though in an NME article of the time, Strummer claimed the actual target was the power pop fad hyped by journalists as the next big thing in 1978) and the lyric concludes that the new groups are in it solely to be famous and for the money.

Sample of "(White Man) In Hammersmith Palais" taken from The Essential Clash

Problems playing this file? See media help.

The final lines fret over the social decline of Britain, noting sardonically that things were getting to the point where even Adolf Hitler could expect to be sent a limousine in the unlikely event of flying into London.[1]

The single was issued in June 1978 with four different colour sleeves - in blue, green, yellow and pink.

This song was one of Joe Strummer's favourites. He continued to play it live with his new band The Mescaleros and it was played at his funeral.

Rhyme scheme[edit]

The rhyme scheme is not consistent throughout. In order by verse, it is as follows (along with line-end words):

  • 1. ABCB (man / Jamaica / Smart / operator)
  • 2. ABAB (reggae / systems / say / listen)
  • 3. AABB (night / right / treble / rebel)
  • 3A ("inter-verse"). AA (back / attack)
  • 4. ABAB (anywhere / guns / there / tons)
  • 5. ABCB (youth / solution / Robin Hood / distribution)
  • (Instrumental bridge between verses 5 and 6)
  • 6. AABB (UK / anyway / fighting / lighting)
  • 7. AABB (concerned / learned / funny / money)
  • 8. AABB (votes / overcoats / today / anyway)
  • 9. ABCB (wolf / sun / Palais / fun)


"(White Man) In Hammersmith Palais"[edit]

"The Prisoner"[edit]

Critical reception[edit]

"(White Man) In Hammersmith Palais" helped The Clash assert themselves as a more versatile band musically and politically than many of their peers and it broke the exciting but limiting punk mould that had been established by the Sex Pistols; from now on The Clash would be "the thinking man's yobs".

Robert Christgau recommended the single in his Consumer Guide, published by Village Voice, on 4 September 1978, and described the song as a must.[5] Denise Sullivan of Allmusic wrote that "(White Man) In Hammersmith Palais" may have actually been the first song to merge punk and reggae."[3]

In 2004, Rolling Stone rated the song as No. 430 in its list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time.[6][7]

The pop band Fighting Gravity covered the song on a double live album called Hello Cleveland.


Chart Peak
UK Singles Chart 32


  1. ^ a b c Begrand, Adrien. "100 FROM 1977 - 2003" (PHP). PopMatters. Retrieved 2008-04-03. 
  2. ^ Letts Don. (2001). The Clash: Westway to the World. Event occurs at 37:00.
  3. ^ a b Sullivan, Denise. "(White Man) In Hammersmith Palais" (DLL). Song Review. allmusic. Retrieved 2008-04-03. 
  4. ^ Connor, Alan (2007-03-30). "White man's blues" (STM). Smashed Hits. BBC NEWS, Magazine. Retrieved 2008-04-03. 
  5. ^ Christgau, Robert (1978-09-04). "Consumer Guide Sept. 4, 1978". Consumer Guide. Village Voice. Archived from the original (PHP) on 11 April 2008. Retrieved 2008-04-03. 
  6. ^ "The RS 500 Greatest Songs of All Time". RollingStone. 2004-12-09. Archived from the original on 21 November 2007. Retrieved 2007-11-22. 430. White Man in Hammersmith Palais, The Clash 
  7. ^ "White Man in Hammersmith Palais The Clash". The RS 500 Greatest Songs of All Time. RollingStone. 2004-12-09. Archived from the original on 26 December 2007. Retrieved 2007-11-22. 

Further reading[edit]

External links[edit]

  • Connor, Alan. (30 March 2007) White man's blues. SMASHED HITS Pop lyrics re-appraised by the Magazine. bbc.co.uk. Retrieved on 24 February 2008. "BBC article on the song and venue".