For the month of November, I’ll be selecting songs in conjunction with the music Twitter challenge: #WelcomeToTheOccupation.

From the late seventies into the early eighties, three bands made some noise as disruptors. They achieved this distinction by experimenting with various genres, never content to stay within a single genre. They are Talking Heads, The Police and The Clash. With the latter, we heard a cross-section of different sounds and styles on the band’s previous release, London Calling. Sandinista ended up being a far greater melting pot, using a triple LP format to experiment with funk, reggae, disco, rockabilly, folk, rhythm & blues, among others. This experimental rigor on songs like “Police On My Back” is what makes The Clash a fun band to listen to.

The song was written by Eddy Grant, who showed us how it take it higher with “Electric Avenue”. While The Clash often dabbles in bigger socio-political commentary, these lyrics felt more deeply personal – and still seem like quintessential Clash. The song smacks of rebellion, recklessness and abandon. The chorus is iconic, but my favorite part is still the guitar riff that mimics a police car siren.

“I been running Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday.”