I'm So Bored with the USA

Song infobox
Name = I'm So Bored with the USA


Artist = The Clash
Album = The Clash
Released = Start date|1977|4|8
track_no = 3
Recorded = March, 1977
Genre = Punk rock
Length = 2:25
Writer = Joe Strummer, Mick Jones
Label = CBS
Producer = Mikey Foote
Misc = "I'm So Bored with the USA" is a song by The Clash from their eponymous debut album.

The song began life as another track, "I'm So Bored With You",cite video
people = Letts Don; Joe Strummer, Mick Jones, Paul Simonon, Topper Headon, Terry Chimes, Rick Elgood, The Clash
year2 = 2001
title = The Clash, Westway to the World
medium = Documentary
publisher = Sony Music Entertainment; Dorismo; Uptown Films
location = New York, NY
accessdate = 2007-11-26
time = 13:40–14:46
isbn = 0738900826
oclc = 49798077
quote = ] cite journal
last=Caws
first=Matthew
authorlink=Matthew Caws
year=1995
month=12
title=Mick Jones
journal=Guitar World
volume=12
pages=
publisher=Harris Publications
location=New York
issn=1045-6295
oclc=7982091
accessdate=2007-12-06
quote=Actually, "I'm So Bored With The U.S.A." was "I'm So Bored With You" until Joe added the "S" and the "A."
Related news articles:
*cite web
url=http://londonsburning.org/art_guitar_world_12_95.html
title=Guitar World December 1995
accessdate=2007-12-06
publisher=londonsburning.org ] a love song written by Mick Jones. According to Keith Topping's "The Complete Clash" book, the song was about Jones's girlfriend, the same woman who was the topic of "Deny". [cite book
last=Topping
first=Keith
authorlink=Keith Topping
title=The Complete Clash
origyear=2003
accessdate=2007-11-20
edition=2nd ed.
year=2004
publisher=Reynolds & Hearn
location=Richmond
isbn=1903111706
oclc=63129186
pages= ] According to the story often told by the song's authors Joe Strummer and Mick Jones, including on their documentary "Westway to the World", the change came about by Strummer mishearing the song's title when Jones played him it during their first meeting at Davies Road Squad. Early recordings including on the popular live bootleg "5 Go Mad At The Roundhouse" include the song in its original form. However, by the time of the concert on 20 September 1976 at the Roundhouse, Camden the song was using its new title.

Originally demoed with slightly different lyrics during The Clash's second demo session with their soundman Mickey Foote as producer, "I'm So Bored with the USA"'s lyrics do what the title suggests, condemn America. [cite web
url=http://www.socialistworker.org/2003-1/434/434_09_StrummerObit.shtml
title=Obituary: Joe Strummer
accessdate=2007-12-06
last=Colson
first=Nicole
date=2003-01-03
format=SHTML
publisher=SOCIALISTWORKER.org
pages=9
quote=Strummer’s lyrics blended well with guitarist Mick Jones’ arrangements, and he steered the band toward a more overtly political message--as when he convinced Jones to change the song "I’m So Bored With You" (about Jones’ girlfriend) to "I’m So Bored With the USA," a scorching rant against U.S. imperialism and arrogance. ] Referring to the drugs problems in the US Army (particularly heroin), America supporting dictatorships (something that was later elaborated on with their track Washington Bullets), the surf culture and American television as well as mentioning the Watergate scandal, Starsky and Hutch and Kojak with the chorus expressing the inescapability of the USA's influence and indeed the futility of the song.

cquote |We had "I'm So Bored With You" and Joe misheard apparently, he misheard, he heard it as "I'm So Bored With The USA" and said, "oh OK, that's good. I can work with that." But that song was always misconstrued because it was not about being bored with America. It was about being bored with the Americanization of the UK in Europe. That's what we were saying. It was always misconstrued when ever we came and played in the States. They would say, "what do you mean, 'I'm so bored with the USA.'" But it wasn't meant to be that. | | |Mick Jones to MTV Rockumentary | [cite episode
title=MTV Rockumentary
credits=Interviewer: Unknown; Presenter: Kurt Loder
network=MTV
city=London, England
airdate=
began=
ended=
season=
number=
minutes=
transcripturl=http://www.londonsburning.org/art_mtv_rockumentary_1.html
Related news articles:
*cite web
url=http://www.londonsburning.org/art_mtv_rockumentary_1.html
title=MTV Rockumentary Part 1
accessdate=2007-12-06
publisher=londonsburning.org
quote=We had "I'm So Bored With You" and Joe misheard apparently, he misheard, he heard it as "I'm So Bored With The USA" and said, "oh OK, that's good. I can work with that." But that song was always misconstrued because it was not about being bored with America. It was about being bored with the Americanization of the UK in Europe. That's what we were saying. It was always misconstrued when ever we came and played in the States. They would say, "what do you mean, 'I'm so bored with the USA.'" But it wasn't meant to be that. ]

"I'm So Bored with the USA" was a mainstay in the band's set until 1978, when its appearances became less frequent, except in America where it was often used as the band's opening songFact|date=January 2008.

Prominent Canadian indie rock band The Arcade Fire often use the song's chorus as an introduction to their own 'Windowsill' at live performances.

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