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"Police on My Back" was written by Eddy Grant and recorded by his band The Equals for their second studio album Explosion in December 1967.

In 1980, the Clash recorded a cover version of the song for their album Sandinista!, and turned "the mid-paced soul-pop song into a charged-up, full-powered rocker". Their version featured guitarist Mick Jones on lead vocals. Their version of the song was only released in Australia, and was described as a "punk anthem at a time of political and social repression", and as their "most full-throated rock song since I Fought The Law."

The song was also covered by Billie Joe Armstrong of Green Day in 2020, during the coronavirus lockdown.

The song was described as being: "an expression of Jamaican rude boy culture". The song has been covered a number of times over the years, including Zebda in 2003, Asian Dub Foundation, Lethal Bizzle in 2007, and more recently, Culture Abuse in 2018.

Personnel

The Equals

• Derv Gordon – lead vocals
• Eddy Grant – lead guitar
• Pat Lloyd – rhythm guitar
• Lincoln Gordon – rhythm guitar, bass
• John Hall – drums

The Clash

• Joe Strummer – lead and backing vocals, guitar, keyboards
• Mick Jones – guitar, keyboards, lead and backing vocals
• Paul Simonon – bass guitar, backing vocals, lead vocals on "The Crooked Beat"
• Topper Headon – drums, lead vocals on "Ivan Meets G.I. Joe" and backing vocals in "The Sound of Sinners"

References

1. "The Equals - Equals Explosion (1967, Vinyl)".
2. "Police on My Back by The Clash - Track Info | AllMusic". AllMusic. Retrieved 2024-02-12.
3. "Daily Dose of Protest: Police On My Back – The Equals". The Ongoing History of Protest Music. 2018-02-04. Retrieved 2024-02-14.
4. Swanson, Dave (2014-08-06). "Under Cover: The Clash Have the Police on Their Backs, Thanks to the Equals". Diffuser.fm. Retrieved 2024-02-14.
5. Interviews, Clash Magazine Music News, Reviews &; Murray, Robin (2018-10-09). "Culture Abuse Tackle 'Police On My Back'". Clash Magazine Music News, Reviews & Interviews. Retrieved 2024-02-14.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
6. Connelly, Jim (2015-06-25). "Certain Songs #232: The Clash - "Police on My Back"". Medialoper. Retrieved 2024-02-14.
7. Neale, Matthew (2020-07-19). "Listen to Green Day's Billie Joe Armstrong cover The Equals' 'Police On My Back'". NME. Retrieved 2024-02-14.
8. Stratton, Jon (September 2013). "'Police On My Back' and the postcolonial experience". Social Identities. 19 (5): 536–551. doi:10.1080/13504630.2013.796882. hdl:20.500.11937/30636. ISSN 1350-4630.
9. ^ Becker, Jordan. ""Police on My Back" and the postcolonial experience" (PDF). Retrieved 14 February 2024.
10. "Culture Abuse Release Cover Of Police On My Back". Kerrang!. 2018-10-10. Retrieved 2024-02-14.

• 1967 songs
• Songs written by Eddy Grant
• The Equals songs
• The Clash songs