Lost in the Supermarket

Lost is the Supermarket by The Clash
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Lyrics:
I’m all lost in the supermarket
I can no longer shop happily
I came in here for the special offer
A guaranteed personality
 
I wasn’t born so much as I fell out
Nobody seemed to notice me
We had a hedge back home in the suburbs
Over which I never could see
 
I heard the people who live on the ceiling
Scream and fight most scarily
Hearing that noise was my first ever feeling
That’s how its’ been all around me
 
I’m all tuned in, I see all the programmes
I save coupons from packets of tea
I’ve got my giant hit discotheque album
I empty a bottle I feel a bit free
 
The kids is the halls and the pipes in the walls
Make me noises for company
Long distance callers make long distance calls
And the silence makes me lonely
 
It’s not here
It disappeared
 
I’m all lost
 
I feel that the best way to kick off this section of the blog is with my favorite song of all time, Lost in the Supermarket by The Clash.
 
This song has always resonated with me. I’ve stated it’s my favorite song, and I don’t make such a claim lightly. What is a favorite song? I’ve talked to many folks about this topic and many can’t pick. Some say that is simply depends on the current mood. I agree, it’s a difficult decision. So many songs and so many emotional responses. If I’m sad, perhaps I’ll spin a melancholy tune. Angry? Let’s play something loud. In a good mood? Upbeat, but still loud. Studious? Perhaps some orchestral works. However, sometimes you just can’t skip a song no matter what your mood. This is how I figured out my favorite song.
 
When driving, I like to keep my tunes playing on random. I have a large playlist that I keep cycling through. If I’m not in a particular mood for the current song, I skip to the next. I keep going until I find the suitable song. Sometimes I know the exact song for the occasion and proceed to queuing it up. Now, one thing I have noticed throughout the years and the many road trips I’ve taken, is that no matter where I was or what mood I was in, Lost in the Supermarket was never skipped. I always stopped, noticed its tune and increased the volume.
 
I remember being on the way into an archaeological dig. A friends of mine knew that this was my favorite song. We had two cars driving to the excavation site, she in one and me driving the other. We had walkie talkies by our side, and during the drive, mine roared to life with the machinations of Mick Jones with Joe Strummer on back up. It really made my day. One funny thing about the song, and perhaps a bit shameful on my part. I had always assumed it was sung by Joe Strummer, but that is not the case. Mick Jones was lead vocals on this one. When asked about the tune, Jones is quoted to saying, “Joe wrote the lyric, but I always thought he had me in mind, that he was writing about me. What he must have thought it was like for me, living off Harrow Road (Mick Jones from The Clash on Broadway insert pg 52).”
 
I have many memories associated with this song. Like I mentioned above, I listen to it whenever it pops up on my playlist. It tends to catch me on more pensive days. I remember one day when I had first moved to New Mexico, I was on my way to the grocery store and feeling a bit down. Then, the Clash emerged through the speakers. It was good timing, since I was about to be lost in the supermarket. I postponed my trip and just drove around for another couple of minutes (I felt that I had to give the tune a second listen). Afterward, I felt I was prepared for my supermarket adventure.
 
I don’t really sit down with an albums inserts anymore. This is mostly due to the digital music outlet and a lack of inserts. I tend to collect used albums when money and space allow for it. The same friend who blasted this song across a walkie talkie channel is the one that gave me the Clash on Broadway box set, still one of my most prized possessions. One additional tidbit I found in its insert was a bit about the drumming style performed by Topper Headon. On the subject, he said:
 
“The night before we recorded that, I went to see Taj Mahal play, and his drummer played a lot of his snare drum beats on his floor tom. So when I went in the next day I thought that sounded good last night, I’ll use it on this song.” – Topper Headon from the Clash on Broadway insert pg. 52
 
I think that’s really neat behind the scenes trivia about this song in particular.
 
This is certainly my favorite song and I always look forward to it playing on random. I never know when it’ll pop up, but it usually does right when I need it to. When I'm all lost.
 
-Jorric