“Spanish Bombs” refers to two things. First, there is the Spanish Civil War. Joe Strummer is praising the anti-fascist struggle and remembering the martyrs.
It also refers to the bombing of tourist resorts by the Basque separatist E.T.A., which he compares to the I.R.A.
It’s quite a poppy song considering the subject. The chorus in particular is a particularly mangled, jaunty Spanish jingle which is meant to mean “I love you infinitely, I love you, oh my heart” but isn’t really proper Spanish. It does sound good.
The song itself is a catchy one, with a the guitar almost blending into the general wall of sound at times. It’s not complicated, but the vocals in particular have quite an interesting melody, almost happening in 2 parts.
The song is full of allusions to revolutionary history. It’s clear that Strummer was pretty well educated on the subject.
He also had a girlfriend from Andalusia (also a punk musician), which further explains the song.
“Spanish Bombs” was released in 1979 on the album London Calling.
A classic tune.