ROCK Sex says Uncle Sam don't think but we think he should.
APOCALYPSE NOW (1979) is Francis Ford Coppola's epic meditation on the insanity of the Vietnam War.
He particularly skewers military imperialism in a sequence where U.S. soldiers seize a beach just for some surfing recreation. When asked why, the off-sane Officer (Robert Duvall) scoffs that the Vietcong (called the VC, or 'Victor Charlie') are no threat because "Charlie don't surf."
Joe Strummer, who traveled the world as a child with his diplomat father, put the political consciousness into Punk music.
He used the line as the title of a song mocking American Imperialism with such lines as,
Must be something we get from birth"
THE CLASH -"Charlie Don't Surf" (1981)
A few years later, Strummer amiably approached Roland Orzabal, saying he'd nicked the title for Tears For Fears own hit, "so give us a fiver".
Roland smiled and paid up.
TEARS FOR FEARS -"Everybody Wants To Rule the World" (1985)
© Tym Stevens
See Also:
• Rolling Stones > The Clash > Garbage
• "Brand New Cadillac" - Vince Taylor > The Clash > Ziggy Stardust
• "Time Is Tight!" - Booker T > The Clash > Elvis Costello > Squeeze
• "I Fought the Law and I Won!" - The Crickets > Bobby Fuller > The Clash > Metric
• "Police and Thieves" - Junior Murvin > The Clash
• "Straight To Hell" - The Clash > Alex Cox > Lilly Allen > MIA
• "I CAN'T EXPLAIN" - The Who > David Bowie > The Clash > Fatboy Slim > The Hives
• The Real History of Rock and Soul!: The Music Player Checklist
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