What Joe Strummer Knew About People
For some reason, I’m missing the hell out of Joe Strummer today, and have adjusted my weekly playlist to include lots of late-era Mescaleros. No offense to the Clash, of course. That’s some of my favorite music ever. But sometimes, it just has to be the Mescaleros.
Maybe it’s because I’ve been thinking about this idea of humanism, of opening to the idea of whatever’s best for the greatest number of people, and how hard it is for most of us to do that. To step outside our own minds and needs. Then, out of nowhere, I played Joe’s cover of “Redemption Song,” by Bob Marley. His spoken introduction talks about people, how they can accomplish anything, since all countries have them and depend on them to function. Inspiring words, whenever you hear them.
I met Joe only briefly, by phone a few times, when I was working in the music biz. Super nice guy, very polite, and funny in an Artful Dodger kind of way. The world needs more people like this, who live their talk and inspire others to do the same. I hope in my small way to step into these very large footsteps.
Injustice can pile on. Some of my clients can’t even watch the news because it’s so scary and negative. It fucks with their heads, and leaves them despondent and alone. Can’t say I blame them. So maybe the reframe today, courtesy of Joe Strummer, is that no matter how dark things get, no matter how unfair the economy treats you, or how far you seem from your dreams today, there is redemption, and power and light. It happens inside you, and in the space between people.
I know this was the theme song from John from Cincinnati, but it just makes so much sense. Why would we screw up the very thing that makes us happy? Greed doesn’t make anyone happy. Not even the greedy.
