15 December 2025

The iconic photo taken by Pennie Smith in New York, 1979

Paul Gustave Simonon was born on 15 December 1955.

Happy 70 to the cool-as-hell bass casanova of the last
band in town, The Clash.

To celebrate, here’s the first song Simonon, who grew
up in Brixton, wrote for the band. His pumping reggae
bass money-maker Guns Of Brixton, from the classic
double LP ‘London Calling‘.

When they kick at your front door
How you gonna come?
With your hands on your head
Or on the trigger of your gun

When the law break in
How you gonna go?
Shot down on the pavement
Or waiting on death row

You can crush us
You can bruise us
But you’ll have to answer to
Oh, the guns of Brixton

On top: the iconic photo taken by Pennie Smith in New York, 1979.