🎙️ The British 150 Podcast – Episode 2: “London Calling” by The Clash
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All playlist, podcast, blog, and learning resources are — and always will be — free on KIPT Learning
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📝 Transcript and Learning Cards
Download the full transcript and additional learning cards here:
Thank you for joining me for Episode 2 of The British 150 Podcast! This time I took on “London Calling” by The Clash[1] — a track (and indeed the whole album: London Calling) that is so rich in language, imagery and cultural meaning that it was genuinely hard to keep my rambling under control!
🎸 About the Band and Song
The Clash emerged in the late 1970s as one of the most important punk [2] (defined in transcript) bands of their era, blending political commentary with reggae [3] (also defined in transcript), rockabilly and straight-ahead rock. “London Calling” is perhaps the band’s defining anthem: a warning, a protest and a cultural statement.
📚 Suggested Further Reading and Listening
For anyone interested in diving deeper into the musical and personal context:
Read a review about the musical styles used in this song on AllMusic:
Review: “London Calling” by The Clash, written by Donald A. Guarisco [8]
For more information:
Rolling Stone: 10 Things You Didn’t Know About “London Calling” [9]
If you enjoyed this song, listen out on the British 150 Playlist for many other rock and reggae influenced artists featuring similar styles. You might also like to listen to:
🗣️ Accent and Identity
In the podcast, I mention “RP” — Received Pronunciation [4], sometimes thought of as “BBC English”[5] or “The Queen’s English.” It was once regarded as a prestige accent, especially in teaching English abroad.
But in “London Calling”, we hear Joe Strummer’s London vernacular — raw, local, authentic — a strong counterpoint to the polish of RP. This contrast itself says something about class, identity and authority in Britain. Explore more about accent and identity:
- BBC: RP and the BBC [5]
- Guardian: Accent and Class Bias in the UK [6]
- International Dialects Archive – England [7]
📻 The BBC and “London Calling”
The song’s title nods to the phrase used by the BBC World Service during World War II: “This is London Calling” [5]. Listening to these broadcasts was sometimes punishable by death in Nazi-occupied Europe, yet they carried huge influence — not least by undermining German propaganda.
🔗 Explore more about the history of the phrase “London Calling”:
- BBC World Service: “London Calling” [5]
- BBC History of “London Calling Europe”[5]
- BBC at War – Orwell Reference [5]
The BBC’s World Service has since shifted towards more local-language broadcasting, but it remains a vital English-language outlet, shaping how people worldwide hear Britain.
🛡️ The Thames Barrier
The lyric “London is drowning and I live by the river” has been linked to fears of flooding in the late 1970s, which eventually led to the construction of the Thames Barrier — a remarkable piece of engineering still protecting the capital today!
🔗 Explore more about the Thames Barrier:
- Thames Barrier (UK Government Guidance) [11]
- YouTube: How the Thames Barrier Works [11]
- Wikipedia: Thames Barrier [11]
🔥 Britain in Turmoil
“London Calling” wasn’t written in a vacuum. By the late 1970s, Britain was marked by economic decline, widespread strikes and rising unemployment.
The so-called “Winter of Discontent” (1978–79) saw rubbish piling in the streets, power cuts and public frustration boiling over. Punk [2] thrived in this atmosphere: its energy was a direct response to alienation, anger and political distrust. Note on that phrase; it comes from Shakespeare – Richard III.
When The Clash shout warnings of “war, famine, flood,” they’re not just imagining disasters — they’re echoing the sense of crisis that hangs over everyday life. The track became an anthem because it captured this tension so vividly.
🔗 Explore more:
🎓 Learn English Through Music
This song is a gift for learners of English at B2–C1 level:
🎧 Listening comprehension: Strummer’s rapid, urgent delivery helps train the ear to natural rhythm and elision.
🧠 Critical vocabulary: Political terms, environmental anxieties, and social critique.
📚 Cultural fluency: Rewards curiosity — every reference opens a door to British life and history.
If songs like this inspire you, I can tailor online English lessons using music, storytelling, and lyrics to help learners: ➡️ Visit KIPT Homepage to find out more or get in touch at KIPT Contact
📖 English Worksheet
The British 150: Episode 2 – Worksheet
Coming soon…
🎓 About Me:
Hello! I’m Kirsty and I teach English. My primary job is supporting English as a Second/Foreign language students to achieve their goals in private (or small-group) lessons via Zoom. For more information on my personalised English learning, see KIPT Homepage. Email me: Kirsty@kipt.uk for a translated conversation or use the form on my KIPT Contact page — I can offer a free 1-hour Zoom consultation to intermediate learners and above (B1-C2).
The British 150 is a passion project of mine; I have been curating The British 150 Playlist for nearly as long as digital playlists existed!
Yes, I do use Wikipedia – as a starting point only! So, I will share those links with you, but I encourage you to check out your own resources, follow your own internet spiral and discover something amazing that you didn’t know about before. As I said in the podcast, I also encourage you to seek out, like, follow and subscribe to, the “official’’ channel for every artist; it not only helps them, but you will also hear the stories and music, the way they intended.
🔖 Share & Hashtags
When you post or talk about this episode:
#KIPTUK #British150Podcast #LearnEnglishWithMusic #TheClash #LondonCalling #EnglishLearningTips #British150Playlist #LearnwithKirsty
🔗 References & Bibliography (for all materials related to this episode)
[1] The Clash
Official Website: www.theclash.com/
Spotify Artist Page: The Clash Spotify
YouTube Channel: The Clash – YouTube
“London Calling” on Spotify: London Calling – Remastered – song and lyrics by The Clash | Spotify
“London Calling” on YouTube: The Clash – London Calling (Official Video) – YouTube
Lyrics Source: “London Calling” – Spotify (as above)
Wikipedia Entry: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Clash
[2] Punk Definition
Britannica: https://www.britannica.com/art/punk
Wikipedia Entry: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Punk_rock
[3] Reggae Definition
Cambridge: https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/reggae
Wikipedia Entry: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reggae
[4] Received Pronunciation
Cambridge Definition: https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/received-pronunciation
Cambridge Article: https://www.cambridge.org/elt/blog/2022/05/25/received-pronunciation-old-new/
[5] BBC Links
Archive: https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00d7ppb
History of the World Service: https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/p03ghl77
Radio 6 Rock: https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b0072kzb
The BBC At War: https://www.bbc.com/historyofthebbc/research/bbc-at-war
Sample #1, History of London Calling Europe: https://www.bbc.com/historyofthebbc/anniversaries/july/london-calling-europe
[6] Guardian
Accent and Class Bias in the UK: https://www.theguardian.com/law/2025/jan/17/working-class-accents-crime-uk-stereotypes
[7] International Dialects of English Archive
England: https://www.dialectsarchive.com/england
[8] All Music
Review: https://www.allmusic.com/song/london-calling-mt0047635966
[9] Rolling Stone
10 Things You Didn’t Know article: https://www.rollingstone.com/feature/clash-london-calling-album-facts-923232/
[10] The Politics and Punk Podcast
Webpage: https://www.politicsandpunkrockpodcast.com
[11] Thames Barrier
Official: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/the-thames-barrier
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jp4Y1HrRBD0
Wikipedia Entry: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thames_Barrier
[12] Morse Code
Britannica: https://www.britannica.com/topic/Morse-Code
Sample #2, YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/shorts/vPTHDQF_iaQ
[13] Tommy Steele
Wikipedia Entry: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Singing_the_Blues
[14] UK Singles Chart
Official: https://www.officialcharts.com/charts/singles-chart/19800106/7501/
Wikipedia Entry: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/UK_singles_chart
[15] Imagery Definition
[16] Three Mile Island Incident
Wikipedia Entry: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Three_Mile_Island_accident
[17] British Library
Website: https://events.bl.uk/events/punk-50-years-of-rebellion-creativity-and-raw-e
Hello followers of the British 150! Please feel free to comment on any aspect of my playlist, podcast, blog or supporting materials. Kind regards, Kirsty