ash ' s ▁film ▁West way ▁to ▁the ▁World . ▁" We ▁wer en ' t ▁supposed ▁to ▁do ▁something ▁like ▁that ." ▁ ▁"( White ▁Man ) ▁In ▁Hamm ers m ith ▁Pal ais " ▁starts ▁by ▁rec ount ing ▁an ▁all - night ▁reg ga e ▁" show case " ▁night ▁at ▁the ▁Hamm ers m ith ▁Pal ais ▁in ▁She ph erd ' s ▁Bush ▁Road , ▁London , ▁that ▁was ▁attended ▁by ▁Joe ▁Str um mer , ▁Don ▁Let ts ▁and ▁road ie ▁Road ent , ▁and ▁was ▁head lined ▁by ▁D ill inger , ▁L ero y ▁Sm art ▁and ▁Del roy ▁Wilson . ▁Str um mer ▁was ▁disappoint ed ▁and ▁dis ill usion ed ▁that ▁these ▁performances ▁had ▁been ▁more ▁" pop " ▁and ▁" light weight " ▁similar ▁to ▁Ken ▁Bo othe ' s ▁brand ▁of ▁reg ga e , ▁using ▁Four ▁T ops - like ▁dance ▁rout ines , ▁and ▁that ▁the ▁acts ▁had ▁been ▁" perform ances " ▁rather ▁than ▁the ▁" ro ots ▁rock ▁re bel [ l ion ]" ▁that ▁he ▁had ▁been ▁hoping ▁for . ▁ ▁The ▁song ▁then ▁moves ▁away ▁from ▁the ▁disappoint ing ▁concert ▁to ▁address ▁various ▁other ▁them es , ▁nearly ▁all ▁rel ating ▁to ▁the ▁state ▁of ▁the ▁United ▁Kingdom ▁at ▁the ▁time . ▁The ▁song ▁first ▁gives ▁an ▁anti - vi ol ence ▁message , ▁then ▁addresses ▁the ▁state ▁of ▁" wealth ▁distribution " ▁in ▁the ▁UK , ▁prom otes ▁unity ▁between ▁black ▁and ▁white ▁youth