The Right Profile - The Clash (cover)

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Description

"The Right Profile" is about actor Montgomery Clift (Red River, A Place in the Sun, The Misfits, From Here to Eternity) and his troubled life. Clift had problems with pills and alcohol. While driving home from a party at Elizabeth Taylor's house in 1956, Monty crashed his car into a tree in 1956 thereby suffering severe injuries to his handsome face. He died in 1966 of coronary occlusion, from what some considered to be the "slowest suicide" in cinema history.

Legendary London Calling album producer, Guy Stevens, had lent singer Joe Strummer a copy of Patricia Bosworth's 1978 biography of Clift, and suggested that perhaps Strummer write a song about him. With Stevens also suffering from alcohol and drug problems, Strummer perhaps saw parallels between Clift and The Clash's troubled producer. Clash Road Manager, Johnny Green, suggested that this was the case in his memoirs.

After Clift's car accident, his face was badly mangled and he required plastic surgery. He continued to make movies, but had to be shot from "The Right Profile" to look good, hence the name of the song.

Lyrics
Say, where did I see this guy? In Red River? Or A Place In The Sun?
Maybe The Misfits?, or From Here To Eternity?

An everybody say, ‘Is he all right?’ And everybody say, ‘What’s he like?’
And everybody say, ‘He sure looks funny’ That’s Montgomery Clift, honey!

New York, New York, 42nd Street, hustlers’ rustle and pimp pimp the beat
Monty Clift is recognized at dawn, he ain't got no shoes, clothes are torn

An everybody say, ‘Is he all right?’ An everybody say, ‘What’s he like?’
An' everybody say, ‘He sure look funny’ That’s that Montgomery Clift, honey!

I see a car smashed at night, cut the applause and dim the light
Monty's face is broken on a wheel, is he alive? Can he still feel?

An' everybody say, "Is he all right?" Everybody say, "Shine a light"
Everybody say, ‘It’s not funny’
That's Montgomery Clift, honey!

See his right profile

An everybody say, ‘Is he all right?’ An everybody say, ‘What’s he like?’
Everybody say, ‘He sure looks funny’ That’s Montgomery Clift, honey!

Nembutal, numbs it all, but I prefer, alcohol!

An everybody say, ‘What’s he like?’ An everybody say, ‘Is he all right?’
Everybody say, ‘He sure look funny’ That’s Montgomery Clift, honey!

He said, ‘Go out, get me my old movie stills’
‘Go out 'n' get me another roll of pills’
There I go shaking, but I ain't got the chills. Arrggghh buh buh arrrggghhhh!

An' everybody say, "What's he like?" Everybody say, "Is he all right?"
Everybody say, "He sure looks funny" I must touch Montgomery Clift, honey!