Rock the Casbah – English Lyrics

• By: The Clash

Lyrics & Translation

Learning a language through music is a powerful tool, and The Clash's 'Rock the Casbah' offers a unique opportunity to explore English through a story of cultural rebellion. The song's clear, narrative-driven lyrics make it accessible for learners, while its use of slang and culturally specific terms provides a deeper understanding of the language. The track's special blend of punk energy and danceable rhythms makes the learning process engaging and memorable.

[English]

("Rock the Casbah" by The Clash)

♪ Now the King told the boogie man ♪

♪ You have to let that raga drop ♪

♪ The oil down the desert way ♪

♪ Has been shakin' to the top ♪

♪ The Sheik he drove his Cadillac ♪

♪ He went a-cruisin' down the ville ♪

♪ The muezzin was a-standin' ♪

♪ On the radiator grille ♪

♪ Sharif don't like it ♪

♪ Rockin' the Casbah ♪

♪ Rock the Casbah ♪

♪ Sharif don't like it ♪

♪ Rockin' the Casbah ♪

♪ Rock the Casbah ♪

♪ By order of the Prophet ♪

♪ We ban that boogie sound ♪

♪ Degenerate the faithful ♪

♪ With that crazy Casbah sound ♪

♪ But the Bedouin they brought out ♪

♪ The electric camel drum ♪

♪ The local guitar picker ♪

♪ Got his guitar-pickin' thumb ♪

♪ As soon as the Sharif had cleared the square ♪

♪ They began to wail ♪

♪ Sharif don't like it ♪

♪ Rockin' the Casbah ♪

♪ Rock the Casbah ♪

♪ Sharif don't like it ♪

♪ Rockin' the Casbah ♪

♪ Rock the Casbah ♪

♪ Now over at the temple ♪

♪ Oh they really pack 'em in ♪

♪ The in-crowd say it's cool ♪

♪ To dig this chanting thing ♪

♪ But as the wind changed direction ♪

♪ And the temple band took fire ♪

♪ The crowd caught a whiff ♪

♪ Of that crazy Casbah jive ♪

♪ Sharif don't like it ♪

♪ Rockin' the Casbah ♪

♪ Rock the Casbah ♪

♪ Sharif don't like it ♪

♪ Rockin' the Casbah ♪

♪ Rock the Casbah ♪

♪ The King called up his jet fighters ♪

♪ He said you better earn your pay ♪

♪ Drop your bombs between the Minarets ♪

♪ Down the Casbah way ♪

♪ As soon as the Sharif was chauffeured outta there ♪

♪ The jet pilots tuned to the cockpit radio blare ♪

♪ As soon as the Sharif was outta their hair ♪

♪ The jet pilots wailed ♪

♪ Sharif don't like it ♪

♪ Rockin' the Casbah ♪

♪ Rock the Casbah ♪

♪ Sharif don't like it ♪

♪ Rockin' the Casbah ♪

♪ Rock the Casbah ♪

♪ Sharif don't like it ♪

♪ He thinks it's not kosher ♪

♪ Rockin' the Casbah ♪

♪ Rock the Casbah ♪

♪ Sharif don't like it ♪

♪ Fundamentally can't take it ♪

♪ Rockin' the Casbah ♪

♪ Rock the Casbah ♪

♪ Sharif don't like it ♪

♪ You know he really hates it ♪

♪ Rockin' the Casbah ♪

♪ Rock the Casbah ♪

♪ Sharif don't like it ♪

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
rock /rɒk/ A1	verb - to move gently back and forth or from side to side noun - a type of popular music with a strong beat
king /kɪŋ/ A1	noun - a male ruler of a country
drop /drɒp/ A2	verb - to let something fall noun - a small amount of liquid
desert /ˈdezərt/ A2	noun - a dry, barren area
shakin' /ˈʃeɪkɪn/ A2	verb - present participle of 'shake': to move with quick, short movements
sheik /ʃiːk/ B1	noun - an Arab leader, especially of a tribe or village
drove /droʊv/ A2	verb - past tense of 'drive': to operate a vehicle
cruisin' /ˈkruːzɪn/ B1	verb - present participle of 'cruise': to travel leisurely
muezzin /muˈɛzɪn/ C1	noun - a man who calls Muslims to prayer from the minaret of a mosque
radiator /ˈreɪdieɪtər/ B1	noun - a heating device
sharif /ʃəˈriːf/ C1	noun - a title of respect, typically given to descendants of Muhammad
prophet /ˈprɒfɪt/ B2	noun - a person regarded as an inspired teacher or proclaimer of the will of God
degenerate /dɪˈdʒenəreɪt/ C1	verb - to decline or deteriorate physically, mentally, or morally adjective - having lost the physical, mental, or moral qualities considered normal and desirable; showing evidence of decline
faithful /ˈfeɪθfʊl/ B1	adjective - loyal and steadfast noun - the believers or adherents of a particular religion
bedouin /ˈbeduɪn/ B2	noun - a nomadic Arab of the desert
electric /ɪˈlektrɪk/ A2	adjective - powered by electricity
temple /ˈtempl/ A2	noun - a building devoted to religious worship
bombs /bɒmz/ A2	noun - plural of 'bomb': a container filled with explosives verb - to attack a place with bombs.
minarets /ˌmɪnəˈrets/ C1	noun - a tall slender tower, typically part of a mosque, with a balcony from which a muezzin calls Muslims to prayer
tuned /tjuːnd/ B1	verb - adjusted (a radio, musical instrument, etc.) to the correct frequency or pitch.
cockpit /ˈkɒkpɪt/ B2	noun - the compartment where the pilot sits in an aircraft

Key Grammar Structures

• You have to let that raga drop

  ➔ Modal verb "have to" for obligation

  ➔ "Have to" expresses a strong obligation or necessity. In this context, it means the King is ordering the 'boogie man' to stop playing the 'raga'.

• The Sheik he drove his Cadillac

  ➔ Subject pronoun repetition (He)

  ➔ The repetition of "he" after "The Sheik" is grammatically unusual in formal English but is used here for emphasis or stylistic effect. It is more common in informal speech or certain dialects.

• The muezzin was a-standin'

  ➔ Archaic progressive form using "a-"

  ➔ The "a-" prefix before the verb is an archaic or dialectal way of forming the present participle. It's a shortened form of "on," indicating an ongoing action.

• By order of the Prophet, we ban that boogie sound

  ➔ Passive voice implied (that boogie sound is banned)

  ➔ While the sentence is actively phrased, it implies the passive construction: 'that boogie sound is banned'. The focus is on the action being taken against the 'boogie sound'.

• Degenerate the faithful with that crazy Casbah sound

  ➔ Imperative mood

  ➔ The verb "degenerate" is used in the imperative mood, implying a command or strong suggestion. The subject is implied (you).

• As soon as the Sharif had cleared the square

  ➔ Past perfect tense to indicate an action completed before another in the past

  ➔ "Had cleared" is past perfect. It shows that the Sharif's action of leaving the square happened before the next event (they began to wail).

• He thinks it's not kosher

  ➔ Informal use of "it's"

  ➔ "It's" is a contraction of "it is". The use here is perfectly acceptable in informal contexts, such as a song lyric.