# What is Joe Strummer playing in live train in vain?

**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-joe-strummer-playing-in-live-train-in-vain/558591
**Category:** Cafe Society
**Created:** [October 27, 2010, 11:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-joe-strummer-playing-in-live-train-in-vain/558591 "2010-10-27T23:39:14Z")
**Posts on this page:** 5
**Page:** 1

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### Author: ![Quintas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/48db29/32.png) [@Quintas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quintas)
#### Post date: [October 27, 2010, 11:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-joe-strummer-playing-in-live-train-in-vain/558591/1 "2010-10-27T23:39:14Z")

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[![](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/oIx7k2gYT1I/hqdefault.jpg "THE CLASH - TRAIN IN VAIN") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oIx7k2gYT1I)

Is it just bad audio? I cant tell what he is adding based on his movements. Its a very simple song, so it seems Mick Jones is playing what you hear.  
(Joe Strummer is on left at about :53 if you are unfamiliar with the band)

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### Author: ![Snowboarder\_Bo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowboarder_bo/32/229_2.png) [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)
#### Post date: [October 28, 2010, 1:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-joe-strummer-playing-in-live-train-in-vain/558591/2 "2010-10-28T01:11:01Z")

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It looks to me like he’s hammering the shit out of the D-A-A parts of the song, the rhythm part that matches the keyboards.

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### Author: ![Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spectre_of_pithecanthropus/32/12343_2.png) [@Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spectre_of_Pithecanthropus)
#### Post date: [October 28, 2010, 4:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-joe-strummer-playing-in-live-train-in-vain/558591/3 "2010-10-28T04:52:11Z")

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I’ve moved this from IMHO to Cafe Society.

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### Author: ![Quintas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/48db29/32.png) [@Quintas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quintas)
#### Post date: [October 28, 2010, 6:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-joe-strummer-playing-in-live-train-in-vain/558591/4 "2010-10-28T06:13:25Z")

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> [@Snowboarder\_Bo](#):
>
> It looks to me like he’s hammering the shit out of the D-A-A parts of the song, the rhythm part that matches the keyboards.

Yeah. I just dont hear 2 guitars is all.

I think this was a dumb question. I guess it makes more sense to ask what is mick jones playing prior to solo.

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### Author: ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)
#### Post date: [October 28, 2010, 7:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-joe-strummer-playing-in-live-train-in-vain/558591/5 "2010-10-28T07:23:03Z")

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He’s way back in the mix, but you can clearly hear him at about 3:14. He’s basically copying the chords of the keyboard part.