In its vision of the “City of Light,” 10cc’s opus “Une Nuit A Paris” has more in common with George Orwell’s Down and Out in Paris and London and this 1999 piece from The Onion than more romantic conceptions of the city.

10cc’s Paris is sleazy, dirty, and a bit cartoonish with constant references to different Parisian locations. However, 10cc manages to pull off a trick with the song, while the lyrics are snotty and bawdy, the music itself is grand and beautiful; lush and layered, much like Paris itself…I imagine.

Since I can’t think of an equally insightful song about London, here’s a performance at the 2003 Grammy’s where Bruce Springsteen, Elvis Costello, Dave Grohl, Steven Van Zandt, Pete Thomas, and Tony Kanal of No Doubt played the song as a tribute to the late Joe Strummer. On the surface it sounds like a bit much, but by the end of the performance any award show cynicism fades away for a few minutes.

As an interesting side note, The Clash were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2003, but there are mixed reports as to whether or not they had refused to play at the high-priced ceremony. Reportedly Joe Strummer agreed to play, but bassist Paul Simonon refused. Politics were never simple with “The Only Band that Mattered.”