Going Underground by The Jam

“Going Underground” was a 1980 career peak for The Jam, one of England’s greatest and most popular bands. Formed in the late-‘70’s punk wave, The Jam were more roots-minded than the Sex Pistols and their ilk. The Jam wore sharp Mod clothes and made no secret of their love for The Who and The Kinks; both of whom were covered on their early albums.

Only 19 at the time of their debut, Paul Weller got pegged as a generational spokesman and The Jam grew up fast, their fourth album Setting Sons was a semi-concept album about three friends growing up and apart in modern-day England.

“Going Underground” was a stand-alone single a few months after that album and became the first song in seven years to enter the British charts at Number One. The previous champion from 1973 was a considerably less political song: “Merry Xmas Everybody” by Slade.

Before getting successful, The Jam once played a guerrilla gig outside a record store in Soho. The members of The Clash watched while eating their breakfast at a nearby café.

Don’t be fooled by the song’s “warmup” status. Be sure to stretch and warm up if you’re playing drums; the strong hand is pretty fast and unrelenting. The parts are also pretty inconsistent so stay on your toes! On guitar, watch for some tempo changes after the 16th notes.

The Jam broke up in 1982; Paul Weller then formed the Style Council and later went solo (the other two members, Bruce Foxton and Rick Buckler now have a band called From the Jam). Despite many rumors over the years, The Jam have never reunited; but everyone from Blur and Oasis to the Arctic Monkeys have claimed them as an influence. These days Weller is known to his fans as “the Modfather.”