Gentle and Genuine Dynamo Joe

Gentle and Genuine Dynamo Joe by Roxanne McDonald

Joe Strummer 1952-2002

From The Clash to The Mescaleros to Latino Rockabilly War to 101ers to The Pogues….

Joe Strummer, nee John Graham Mellor, made a dynamic impact on the punk rock and rock world(s)…all the while maintaining a contained, humble, personable character that is rarely paralleled.

If you saw as I did recently the short rockumentary, “Let’s Rock Again!”, you likely agree that Joe Strummer was not only a consummate performer but a self-effacing everyman who endeared instantly.

Yes, he was outspoken, vociferous, even. But his manner of delivering his bits of wisdom never alienated, never brought to bear any kind of misdirected egomania…from what I have seen and saw.

So rather than do a bio of the gentle dynamo, here, I would like to show some of the comments Strummer has made which are almost more indicative than his background of what a great human being he was, surely must have been, for those who knew him, worked with, and loved him.

Simple

I think we’re going to have to forget about the radio and just go back to word of mouth.

And word of mouth he did go back to, along with some modest little hand-written flyers he personally distributed, for example, on tour with The Mescaleros.

Sensible

When you blame yourself, you learn from it. If you blame someone else, you don’t learn nothing, cause hey, it’s not your fault, it’s his fault, over there.

Yeah, all those things, responsibility, pressure. It’s a bit stressful. I try and come to terms with it by not thinking about it.

Authority is supposedly grounded in wisdom, but I could see from a very early age that authority was only a system of control and it didn’t have any inherent wisdom. I quickly realised [sic] that you either became a power or you were crushed.

Self-effacing

[paraphrased] I’m a hack…. First of all because 1, it’s true; 2, it keeps me from getting’ all high-falutin…; and 3, because…I’m a hack.

You’ve gotta be slightly stupid.

Anyway, it’s good to be sent back to the underground. There’s always a good side to bad things and the good side to this is that at least everyone has to go back down.

Sensitive [toward Others]

Bands must be contributing to global warming by their buses, equipment trucks and the diesel used to power the stages. Can you imagine how much CO2 the pressing and the distribution of a CD creates? What shall we do about it?

What, indeed. But rather than just give lip service, Strummer got behind his notions, according to Dr. FeelGood’s [Gabi’s] Strummer Memorial Site:

“Future Forests was ‘discovered’ by the artists community - and it started around Joe Strummer’s campfire at Glastonbury over 5 years ago. Dan Morrell responded with the idea of planting trees to re-absorb this harmful carbon dioxide. Joe then decided that he would have his own forest (in Orbost at the Isle of Skye) planted to offset the emissions from his CDs and became the world’s first CarbonNeutral artist.”

Sense of Humor

What I like about playing America is you can be pretty sure you’re not going to get hit with a full can of beer when you’re singing and I really enjoy that!

Strummer was as devoted to his fans as they were to him: as Wiki tells it, Strummer reportedly “never left a venue until everyone who had waited around got an autograph and talked with him personally, a process which often lasted for hours.”

Do not go in there; do not sign with this company, or you’ll end up like me - screwed and out on the street. And I am a living legend, you bastards!

You just KNOW he said this with a Mona Lisa smirk.
Lyricist Supreme

[paraphrased] Lyrics are like lettuce…. Too long on the shelf and they go off. That’s why I like to write lyrics as late/last minute as possible.

This Strummer said as the camera panned over several scattered piles of newly scrawled songs.

And if these few bits I could find or remember are not testament enough, consider the post-mortem comments made in tribute [the full versions of which you can and should read at Evan Davis’s Joe Strummer.org], the adjectives that defined the man who lived them:

Friend and compadre…. Mick Jones

One of the truest guys you could ever meet…. Topper Headon

A very important musician…. Bob Geldof

Passionate, principled, genius…. Martin Scorcese

The most profound voice of any musician I have ever heard…. Bono

The coolest guy with the most integrity…. He was a walking bundle of love…. I love him. If anyone was ever my role model it is him…. Flea [and mates]

A true genius, a man of class and convictions. A personal hero…. Beastie Boys’ Mike D

Joe was not just a great bloke: he was also a great musician who wasn’t afraid to take a chance and write lyrics that made a difference…. The Sex Pistols’ Glen Matlock

First, last, and only true rock and roll hero…. God bless Joe Strummer. You were not a punk. You played punk, but you were a king. As righteous an artist we’ll ever see…. Jakob Dylan

The Clash turned punk into a proper political movement, and Joe Strummer showed recently that he still had much of value to say. It is a terrible tragedy to lose him at this early age…. David Bowie

I’m very, very sad at the news of Joe’s death. I cannot pretend that we were that close but I am a great admirer of his songs and lyrics. The last time I saw Joe, we were driving through Notting Hill at 60mph in his Hot Rod VW. I think that this says a lot about him and his spirit…. Elvis Costello

He wasn’t some phony. He was a big part of the whole punk movement…. The Sex Pistols’ Steve Jones

You changed our lives… god rest your soul…. Simply Red’s Mike Hucknall

Joe provided so much light, he had such a positive force. He had such good innings while he was here…. He was the great humanitarian to come out of punk…. The Pretenders’ Chrissie Hynde

He seemed such a nice, genuine, mature bloke…. Brian May

Joe was as huge an inspiration to me now as he was in 1977. He combined cool with an uncompromising stance, infused reggae into punk and taught a whole generation of us more about politics than any number if teachers or politicians. I desperately wish news of his death was untrue…. Iggy Pop

Joe was a long-time friend, collaborator, sometimes front-man, producer, co-star, and part-time live musician with the Pogues. He was a pillar of the music industry and has influenced more than twenty-five years of music and musicians. His influence on the world will be missed…. The Pogues

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