Joe Strummer and the Mescaleros

I'm putting up this YouTube video because I recently discovered this song and I want to share it with everyone possible. I love Joe Strummer. He provides inspiration for me and always puts a smile on my face. He was the lead singer and rhythm guitarist for the Clash (my favorite band), but many years after they broke up he began making music again with his new band, the Mescaleros. I classify it as good ol' rock'n'roll. My dad got me the CD Global-A-Go-Go for Christmas, since I had enjoyed Streetcore, Joe's last album and a marvelous one at that, so much. I hadn't quite gotten around to it yet; I'd been so busy recently, and, it being a new CD, I had to actually sit down and focus on it alone if I was to listen to it. So I had put it off, skipping the songs when I put my music on shuffle, until yesterday. I decided, on a whim, to listen to Johnny Appleseed. I had heard Joe mention it a couple of times in interviews or documentaries, and wanted to know what it sounded like. I loved it. It is an amazing song, full of all the subtleties and surprises one expects from Joe Strummer, as well as nuggets of wisdom slipped in there almost under the radar. To top it all off, it's just a catchy song. I woke up this morning feelin' fine, there was something special on my mind, but it wasn't the new boy in the neighborhood. It was this song. I walked to my French class full of extra bounce in my step (someone already told me I'm bouncy enough to impersonate Tigger) and a broad smile on my face. Suddenly, the world didn't seem like such an awful place. The sun shone friendlier, the people were nicer, and the sky was a prettier blue than just yesterday. I agree with Hugh Grant's character in Music and Lyrics; you can take all the novels in all the world, and none of them will make you feel as good as fast as a pop song. Or in this case, a really great rock song. This particular version is Joe and his band live on Letterman (I found the music video slightly cheesey), and they do an excellent job. Also, if you're looking for another great song to lift your spirits, I recommend "Coma Girl," also by Joe Strummer and the Mescaleros, or "Looking for a Song," by Big Audio Dynamite. Cleverly crafted, both of them, they inexplicable lift the corners of your mouth and make you dance like no one's watching. I do caution against listening to them in public places, because although sometimes you dance like no one is watching, in reality, some people are, so only dance in public if you've got enough gumption. But if you come and dance by me in public, I'll join you. Maybe if more people danced, then they would be happier. . .well, here's this video. I hope you enjoy it. I certainly do.