The Clash – Should I Stay or Should I Go

About The Song

“Should I Stay or Should I Go” is a song by English punk rock band the Clash from their album Combat Rock, written in 1981 and featuring Mick Jones on lead vocals. It was released in 1982 as a double A-sided single alongside “Straight to Hell”, performing modestly on global music charts. In the United States, “Should I Stay or Should I Go” charted on the Billboard Hot 100 without reaching the top 40. The song received greater attention nearly a decade later as the result of an early-1990s Levi’s jeans commercial, leading to the song’s 1991 re-release, which topped the UK Singles Chart and reached the top 10 in New Zealand and many European charts. The song was listed in Rolling Stone’s 500 Greatest Songs of All Time in 2004.

Though the composition was credited to the Clash, Mick Jones was its principal songwriter. Its melody and chord structure shared resemblance with “Little Latin Lupe Lu”, which was written by Bill Medley in 1962 and provided a hit for his act the Righteous Brothers the following year, as well as for The Kingsmen in 1964 and Mitch Ryder and the Detroit Wheels in 1966.

Rumours have arisen about the song’s lyrical content, such as Jones’ impending dismissal from the Clash or the tempestuous personal relationship between Jones and American singer Ellen Foley. “Should I Stay or Should I Go” was thought to be written by Jones about Foley, who sang the backing vocals on Meat Loaf’s Bat Out of Hell. However, in 1991, Jones said:

It wasn’t about anybody specific and it wasn’t pre-empting my leaving The Clash. It was just a good rockin’ song, our attempt at writing a classic … When we were just playing, that was the kind of thing we used to like to play.

The Spanish backing vocals were sung by Joe Strummer and Joe Ely. In 1991, Strummer said:

On the spur of the moment I said ‘I’m going to do the backing vocals in Spanish’…We needed a translator so Eddie Garcia, the tape operator, called his mother in Brooklyn Heights and read her the lyrics over the phone and she translated them. But Eddie and his mum are Ecuadorian, so it’s Ecuadorian Spanish that me and Joe Ely are singing on the backing vocals.

Video

Lyrics

Darlin’ you got to let me know
Should I stay or should I go?
If you say that you are mine
I’ll be here ’til the end of time
So you got to let me know
Should I stay or should I go?

It’s always tease tease tease
You’re happy when I’m on my knees
One day is fine and next is black
So if you want me off your back
Well come on and let me know
Should I stay or should I go?

Should I stay or should I go now?
Should I stay or should I go now?
If I go there will be trouble
And if I stay it will be double
So come on and let me know

This indecision’s buggin’ me (esta indecisión me molesta)
If you don’t want me, set me free (Si no me quieres, librame)
Exactly whom I’m supposed to be (Dime! ¿Qué tengo ser?)
Don’t you know which clothes even fit me? (No sabes que ropas me queda)
Come on and let me know (Pero tienes que decir)
Should I cool it or should I blow? (¿Me debo ir o quedarme?)

Split

(Doble! ¿Me frío o lo soplo?)
(Esperda)
(Rrattarrattarrattaa…)

Should I stay or should I go now? (Yo me enfrio o lo soplo)
Should I stay or should I go now? (Yo me enfrio o lo soplo)
If I go there will be trouble (Si me voy, va a haber peligro)
And if I stay it will be double (Si me quedo, es doble)
So you gotta let me know (Pero que tienes que decir)
Should I cool it or should I blow? (¿Me frío o lo soplo?)
Should I stay or should I go now? (¿Me frío o lo soplo?)
If I go there will be trouble (Si me voy, va a haber peligro)
And if I stay it will be double (Si me quedo, es doble)
So you gotta let me know (Pero que tienes que decir)
Should I stay or should I go