2:59

I’m Adam. I’m an editor, writer and reviewer at Punknews.org and a co-owner of Punknews Records. I’m based out of Niagara Falls, Ontario where I work in the IT field.

2:59?

It’s an obscure Clash reference. Kosmo Vinyl, a member of the band’s inner circle, had a theory that all great singles should be 2 minutes and 58 seconds long. When recording “Armagideon Time” (the B side of the “London Calling” single) Joe Strummer told Vinyl to stop them when they hit that mark. While tracking the song the band was of course completely oblivious to the time, so Vinyl came onto the intercom and spoke right over the live tracking to tell them to wrap it up. Strummer responded with “Okay okay don’t push us when we’re hot,” all of which you can still hear in the released version of the track.

The reference appeared on the Sandinista! triple album as well in the song “Hitsville UK” as the lyric “The band went in, ‘n knocked ‘em dead, in 2 min. 59.” There’s not a lot to say about that, other than to note that there’s an added second. That difference might not matter, and was probably just a lyrical decision, but it could very well symbolize going just a slight bit overboard. I’ll leave that to you.