National Powder lyrics

[Marky Dread]

One, two, three, four...

You didn't need it up 'til now
She left a long gun in a pie
somebody sells you dirty skag

Shoot shoot you left your money in your room
In an locker wanna die
A lot of crazy people getting high

Then you stood up daddy when murdered
His brother is a gun run loader

Come in a Ford across the border
Fetch your boat out to Malta

He ain't no beauty now
When he do it Che Guevara
Girl cover your mascara
Root the toot and your battering ram
Always rocking a sahara
So you might as well say sayonara

Bad truth has dirty white powder
Spider and the shanty don't know her
Come in a Ford across the border
Fetch your boat out to Malta

There is something about being injected
Like a nipple in a trance
Though they say evil wanna be so vile
Coughing gasping shaking dying
Oh water get in my eyes
Titty walked that killer mile

So! he blew that dirty white powder
Spider and the song got louder

Come in a Ford across the border
Yeah you arrange your boat out to Malta

....Yeah!

[Inder]

Great track. Can't believe they never did this live. Probably too funky for the sound Joe and Bernie decided they wanted.

[Marky Dread]

Great track. Can't believe they never did this live. Probably too funky for the sound Joe and Bernie decided they wanted.

I think this track and Galleani showed us the direction Joe was heading in for future solo stuff.

It's a shame that Joe didn't stick with Nick and Pete for Earthquake Weather they would've been great.

[Chuck Mangione]

Fantastic job with deciphering these lyrics, Marky!

[Marky Dread]

Fantastic job with deciphering these lyrics, Marky!

Cheers Chuck.

[Marky Dread]

Updated lyrics 2023.

One, two, three, four...

He's been bleeding up 'til now
She hid the long gun in her pack
somebody's selling you dirty skag

Shoot shoot you left your money in your boot
In an locker 1-0-9
A lot of crazy people getting high

Then your sugar daddy was murdered
His price a shotgun loaded

Come in a Ford across the border
Fetch your boat out to Malta

Billy ain't no two bit clown
Then he flew with Che Guevara
Girl cover your mascara
Move the toot in your powdering bag
Whilst walking in sahara
Go to Nevada and we'll say sayonara

Can't move that dirty white powder
Spider and the shanty don't load her
Come in a Ford across the border
Fetch your boat out to Malta

There is something about being checked in
Like a pitbull in a trance
They say evil wanna be so vile
Coughing gasping shaking dying
Oh lord get him off
Kitty walked that killer mile

So! he blew that dirty white powder
Spider and the song got louder

Come in a Ford across the border
Yeah you arrange your boat out to Malta

....Yeah!

[Low Down Low]

Nice one! Am a big fan of this track too. Pete sounds like he's having a hell of a lot of fun on it.

[Marky Dread]

Nice one! Am a big fan of this track too. Pete sounds like he's having a hell of a lot of fun on it.

Agree. Some of those Lucky Eight rehearsal takes would've improved the final album no end.

[Low Down Low]

Nice one! Am a big fan of this track too. Pete sounds like he's having a hell of a lot of fun on it.

Agree. Some of those Lucky Eight rehearsal takes would've improved the final album no end.

Absolutely. I'd say it's inexpicable they were left off only this is Bernie Rhodes we're taĺking about. A part of me almost considers it a blessing they never got the full Jose Unidos treatment.

[Marky Dread]

Nice one! Am a big fan of this track too. Pete sounds like he's having a hell of a lot of fun on it.

Agree. Some of those Lucky Eight rehearsal takes would've improved the final album no end.

Absolutely. I'd say it's inexpicable they were left off only this is Bernie Rhodes we're taĺking about. A part of me almost considers it a blessing they never got the full Jose Unidos treatment.

Regards Bernie inventing some new kind of punk rock for the 80s is in it's own way very commendable. However using a tried and tested band and having a lack of skill as a producer was a huge recipe for disaster.

If we place the whole Bernie idea of a punk/hip hop mash up in 1985 then that's a bold move. If it had been a whole new venture with an unknown band and Bernie had used a known producer like Trevor Horn then you can see how it actually might've worked.

I reckon Bernie wanted a punk/rebel rock version of something akin to Frankie Goes to Hollywood. Who had huge hits with Relax 1983 and Two Tribes 1984.

The problem being Joe, Paul, Nick, Vince & Pete had worked up a set of songs recorded in a traditional punk rock way and Bernie had no use for that. Writing off some of the better songs and ideas the band had already worked up and tested live.

I'm still gutted to this day that Joe and Paul ditched Mick. But I also feel Pete, Nick & Vince got a seriously raw deal and deserved much more for their efforts. I saw the miners benefit show in Brixton and there was definitely something there to work on.

[Stefano1972]

I’ve always like this track from the first moment i listened it on the 1983 demos. Of course, Nick and Pete they was not Mick and Topper but they was excellent musicians anyway! About Pete Howard, on the film “the rise and fall of The Clash”, i remember Mick Jones speaks in a very good way about him.
Thanks Marky for the lyrics but it seems be impossibile to see your video.

[Marky Dread]

I’ve always like this track from the first moment i listened it on the 1983 demos. Of course, Nick and Pete they was not Mick and Topper but they was excellent musicians anyway! About Pete Howard, on the film “the rise and fall of The Clash”, i remember Mick Jones speaks in a very good way about him.
Thanks Marky for the lyrics but it seems be impossibile to see your video.

It's not my video it's just the same old one from YouTube.

[Low Down Low]

Nice one! Am a big fan of this track too. Pete sounds like he's having a hell of a lot of fun on it.

Agree. Some of those Lucky Eight rehearsal takes would've improved the final album no end.

Absolutely. I'd say it's inexpicable they were left off only this is Bernie Rhodes we're taĺking about. A part of me almost considers it a blessing they never got the full Jose Unidos treatment.

Regards Bernie inventing some new kind of punk rock for the 80s is in it's own way very commendable. However using a tried and tested band and having a lack of skill as a producer was a huge recipe for disaster.

If we place the whole Bernie idea of a punk/hip hop mash up in 1985 then that's a bold move. If it had been a whole new venture with an unknown band and Bernie had used a known producer like Trevor Horn then you can see how it actually might've worked.

I reckon Bernie wanted a punk/rebel rock version of something akin to Frankie Goes to Hollywood. Who had huge hits with Relax 1983 and Two Tribes 1984.

The problem being Joe, Paul, Nick, Vince & Pete had worked up a set of songs recorded in a traditional punk rock way and Bernie had no use for that. Writing off some of the better songs and ideas the band had already worked up and tested live.

I'm still gutted to this day that Joe and Paul ditched Mick. But I also feel Pete, Nick & Vince got a seriously raw deal and deserved much more for their efforts. I saw the miners benefit show in Brixton and there was definitely something there to work on.

To give him his fair due, Bernie did come up with some good ideas. I think even his sternest critics would concede that. Did McLaren getting there before him with the Duck Rock thing have any bearing on it? Bernie was odd in that he seemed to want to be influential and get credit for it yet at the same time remain largely anonymous in the background, hence the false name etc. But i can't help wondering whether Malcolm's new direction pushed Bernie into thinking i can do better than that. In his own inimitable fashion, of course.

I'd have given anything to have seen the Clash in their full glory with Mick, but i got the next best thing seeing them in '84, and it was a grand adventure for a 16 year old from the sticks, bunking off school for 2 days to head to the big city with no place to stay and barely a fiver in my pocket. Incredibly fond memories of a special night and they rocked it true and hard.

[Marky Dread]

Nice one! Am a big fan of this track too. Pete sounds like he's having a hell of a lot of fun on it.

Agree. Some of those Lucky Eight rehearsal takes would've improved the final album no end.

Absolutely. I'd say it's inexpicable they were left off only this is Bernie Rhodes we're taĺking about. A part of me almost considers it a blessing they never got the full Jose Unidos treatment.

Regards Bernie inventing some new kind of punk rock for the 80s is in it's own way very commendable. However using a tried and tested band and having a lack of skill as a producer was a huge recipe for disaster.

If we place the whole Bernie idea of a punk/hip hop mash up in 1985 then that's a bold move. If it had been a whole new venture with an unknown band and Bernie had used a known producer like Trevor Horn then you can see how it actually might've worked.

I reckon Bernie wanted a punk/rebel rock version of something akin to Frankie Goes to Hollywood. Who had huge hits with Relax 1983 and Two Tribes 1984.

The problem being Joe, Paul, Nick, Vince & Pete had worked up a set of songs recorded in a traditional punk rock way and Bernie had no use for that. Writing off some of the better songs and ideas the band had already worked up and tested live.

I'm still gutted to this day that Joe and Paul ditched Mick. But I also feel Pete, Nick & Vince got a seriously raw deal and deserved much more for their efforts. I saw the miners benefit show in Brixton and there was definitely something there to work on.

To give him his fair due, Bernie did come up with some good ideas. I think even his sternest critics would concede that. Did McLaren getting there before him with the Duck Rock thing have any bearing on it? Bernie was odd in that he seemed to want to be influential and get credit for it yet at the same time remain largely anonymous in the background, hence the false name etc. But i can't help wondering whether Malcolm's new direction pushed Bernie into thinking i can do better than that. In his own inimitable fashion, of course.

I'd have given anything to have seen the Clash in their full glory with Mick, but i got the next best thing seeing them in '84, and it was a grand adventure for a 16 year old from the sticks, bunking off school for 2 days to head to the big city with no place to stay and barely a fiver in my pocket. Incredibly fond memories of a special night and they rocked it true and hard.

I think Malcolm had more personality than Bernie and the Duck Rock album is fun and the political stuff like Soweto was secondary to the pop structure. Bernie wanted a similar mash up of punk rock/politics/hip hop etc. But how ever much Bernie believed in being the man in charge he could never of carried it off in the way Malcolm did.
Malcolm had already sung on the Swindle soundtrack and was happy at being a figure of fun crossed with his Fagin persona. When you see Malcolm prancing around in those Duck Rock tracks videos you sense the fun he's having. Can't for a second see serious Bernie doing that.

[Silent Majority]

Deadly Serious Rhodes. His lack of a sense of humour is a real undoing.