Should I Stay or Should I Go

The song's harmonic distinctiveness comes from the use of the bIII chord (F major) in a D major context. This borrowing from the parallel minor scale is a hallmark of rock and roll and blues, giving the song a 'tougher' sound than a standard I-IV-V progression. The structure mimics a 12-bar blues in its movement from the tonic to the subdominant, but replaces the standard V chord transitions with high-energy rhythmic stabs and modal borrowing.

Written primarily by Mick Jones, the song features a call-and-response style with Spanish backing vocals. During the recording, Joe Strummer suggested the Spanish lyrics; Joe Ely and Eddie Garcia (the studio's tape operator) helped with the translation and vocal delivery. While often rumored to be about Jones' relationship with Ellen Foley, Jones has remained ambiguous, suggesting it was just a good rock song and not about anyone specifically.

The standout hit from 'Combat Rock', this track blends classic garage rock with pop accessibility, featuring Mick Jones on lead vocals. It remains the band's most commercially successful song and a definitive staple of early 80s alternative rock history.