Should I Stay Or Should I Go by The Clash

A great question to ask.

Formed in 1976, British punk band The Clash quickly gained a reputation for embedding social and political themes into their music. Their debut single, White Riot, captured the frustrations of youth with lyrics directly critiquing police violence and racial tensions. That same year, they released their self-titled debut album, The Clash, which solidified their stance as one of punk’s most outspoken bands.

The Clash consisted of Joe Strummer (vocals, rhythm guitar), Mick Jones (lead guitar, vocals), Paul Simonon (bass guitar, backing vocals), and Topper Headon (drums, percussion).

In 1978, they released Give 'Em Enough Rope, followed by London Calling in 1979, which became a defining album for the band.

I gotta know right now

Around this time, Jones met Ellen Foley, known for her duet on Meat Loaf’s Paradise by the Dashboard Light from Bat Out of Hell. They started dating in 1979.

The Clash began working on Combat Rock in late 1981, initially recording at Ear Studios in London before moving to Electric Lady Studios in New York in early 1982.

Jones’s on-and-off relationship with Foley, which ended in 1981, is said to have inspired the lyrics for Should I Stay or Should I Go.

"That's the story. I'm neither here to deny nor confirm because I never asked him. Everybody else talks about it, saying, 'That song is about you.' Yeah, it's fun to hear. It's fun to hear anything you're involved with on the radio. It's so cool, and it always will be." said Foley during an interview.

By May 1982, when the song was released, the band had already cemented their place as one of rock's most influential groups.

Though often speculated to reflect tension within the band, Should I Stay or Should I Go is primarily a love song.

In a 1991 interview, Jones stated, 'It wasn’t about anybody specific, and it wasn’t pre-empting my leaving The Clash. It was just a good rockin’ song, our attempt at writing a classic… When we were just playing, that was the kind of thing we used to like to play.'

Despite their success, relentless touring and recording took its toll. The Clash’s eventual breakup stemmed from internal tensions: Jones sought mainstream success, clashing with Strummer’s more political, punk vision. Headon’s heroin addiction led to his firing in 1982, further destabilizing the band. Simonon, caught between Strummer and Jones, grew frustrated with the band's direction, helped contribute to the split. By 1983, Jones had been fired.

Lyrically:

The opening lyric, "Oh! Hola!" can be interpreted as playful right from the start. "Hola," the Spanish word for "hello," is quickly followed by emotional uncertainty in the lines:

"Darling, you got to let me know
Should I stay, or should I go?
If you say that you are mine
I'll be here till the end of time
So you got to let me know
Should I stay, or should I go?"

These lyrics convey the urgency for a decision to be made about the status of their relationship, emphasizing the need for reassurance or, alternatively, a clear signal to move on. The now iconic line of "Should I stay, or should I go?" emphasizes continued confusion and a plea for an answer.

The lines "If you say that you are mine, I'll be here till the end of time" suggest a willingness to commit, but only if the other reciprocates.

The repetition of "So you got to let me know, Should I stay, or should I go?" heightens the urgency and emotional tension. By repeating this question, reflects continued confusion and indecision.

"It's always tease, tease, tease
You're happy when I'm on my knees
One day it's fine, and next it's black"

These lyrics depict a relationship marked by manipulation and unpredictability. The line "It's always tease, tease, tease" and "You're happy when I'm on my knees" suggest a power struggle and vulnerability, almost a feeling of begging for stability.

"So if you want me off your back
Well, come on and let me know
Should I stay, or should I go?"

The line "So if you want me off your back, well, come on and let me know" emphasizes the desire for clarity, followed by a plea to ease the uncertainty.

"If I go, there will be trouble
And if I stay, it will be double
So come on and let me know"

These lyrics reflect continued frustration and an emerging awareness that the relationship is a no-win situation. "If I go, there will be trouble" suggests that ending things won’t be easy, likely leading to some sort of conflict. Yet, "if I stay, it will be double" implies that staying may intensify the emotional toll in a never-ending loop. The phrase "come on and let me know" once again asks for a decision.

The inclusion of Spanish lyrics in the song was a spontaneous idea by Strummer. In a 1991 interview, he recalled, “On the spur of the moment, I said, ‘I’m going to do the backing vocals in Spanish’ … We needed a translator, so Eddie Garcia, the tape operator, called his mother in Brooklyn Heights and read her the lyrics over the phone, and she translated them. But Eddie and his mum are Ecuadorian, so it’s Ecuadorian Spanish that me and Ely are singing on the backing vocals.”

"This indecision's bugging me (Esta indecisión me molesta)
If you don't want me, set me free (Si no me quieres, librarme)
Exactly whom I'm supposed to be (Dígame que tengo ser)
Don't you know which clothes even fit me? (Sabes que ropa me "quedrá"?)
Come on and let me know (Me tienes que decir)
Should I cool it, or should I blow? (Me debo ir o quedarme?)
Split"

These lyrics convey ongoing frustration with the relationship’s uncertainty. “This indecision’s bugging me” shows how the lack of clarity has become a mental strain, while “If you don’t want me, set me free” captures a feeling of being trapped in a cycle of indecision.

The line “Exactly whom I’m supposed to be” suggests a loss of identity due to the relationship’s instability, and “Don’t you know which clothes even fit me?” hints at a lack of genuine understanding between them, even on a basic level.

“Should I cool it, or should I blow?” expresses the conflict between staying calm or reacting strongly, or possibly weighing whether to leave or stay in the relationship.

The shouted "split" in Should I Stay or Should I Go is widely regarded as a happy accident, kept for the authenticity it brought to the track. The moment occurred during the recording session when Strummer and guest vocalist Joe Ely startled Jones in the vocal booth.

The final lines of the chorus, "So ya gotta let me know / Should I stay, or should I go?" emphasize that the question remains unresolved, creating a lifetime of tension.

Though Should I Stay or Should I Go wasn’t an immediate hit upon release in 1982, it gained renewed popularity in the early 1990s after being featured in a Levi’s jeans commercial. This led to its re-release in 1991, when it topped the UK Singles Chart and reached the top 10 in several other countries.

In the November 2004 issue, Rolling Stone ranked "Should I Stay or Should I Go" by The Clash at number 228 on its list of the "500 Greatest Songs of All Time.”