Should I Stay or Should I Go

The story behind Should I Stay or Should I Go is as intriguing as its infectious rhythm. Although credited entirely to The Clash, the main creative spark came from Mick Jones. Its melodic structure and chord progression echo Little Latin Lupe Lu, a 1962 track popularized by Bill Medley with The Righteous Brothers and also covered by The Kingsmen and Mitch Ryder and the Detroit Wheels. The lyrics, written in 1981, are rumored to address the tense personal relationship between Jones and singer Ellen Foley, who also provided backing vocals on Meat Loaf's album Bat Out of Hell. However, Mick Jones himself clarified in 1991 that it wasn't about a specific person or a premonition of his departure from the band, but rather an attempt to create a solid, timeless rock song. The Spanish backing vocals, meanwhile, were born from a spontaneous idea by Joe Strummer. For the translation, the mother of tape engineer Eddie Garcia, who lived in Brooklyn Heights, was contacted. The result was an Ecuadorian Spanish version, sung by Strummer and Joe Ely.

The song was recorded in 1981 and originally released in 1982 as a double A-side single with Straight to Hell, achieving modest success on global charts. In the United States, it reached the Billboard Hot 100 without breaking into the top 40. However, nearly a decade later, in the 1990s, a Levi's jeans commercial revitalized its popularity. This campaign led to a 1991 reissue that propelled it to number one in the UK and the top 10 in New Zealand and several European charts. It was in 2004 that Rolling Stone included it on its list of the 500 greatest songs of all time. The band, which historically refused to license its music for advertising, left the decision to allow its use in the Levi's commercial to Mick Jones, who agreed, considering the brand was linked to rock culture. The song's duration is 3:06, and it was produced by The Clash with engineering by Bob Clearmountain and mixing by Glyn Johns. In 1991, the single reissue included Rush by Big Audio Dynamite II, Mick Jones's project.