| "The Guns of Brixton" | |
|---|---|
| Song by the Clash | |
| from the album London Calling | |
| Released | 14 December 1979 |
| Recorded | August–September, November 1979 |
| Studio | Wessex, London |
| Genre | Reggae[1][2] |
| Length | 3:07 |
| Label | CBS |
| Songwriter(s) | Paul Simonon |
| Producer(s) | Guy Stevens |
"The Guns of Brixton" is a song by the English punk rock band the Clash, originally released on their 1979 album London Calling. It was written and sung by bassist Paul Simonon, who grew up in Brixton, South London. The song has a strong reggae influence, reflecting the culture of the area and the reggae gangster film The Harder They Come.
The standout reggae-inflected track on London Calling, Guns of Brixton, written by the band's bassist, Paul Simonon, alludes to the Jamaican outlaw Vincent "Ivan", or "Ivanhoe", Martin, who terrified the island's capital, Kingston, in the 1940s with his armed hold-ups, until a police manhunt left him dead.