As a girl did you harbour romantic notions of married life?
I did, because I was brought up on love songs, curse them, and the first songs that ever spoke to me were Beatles songs. They wrote very nicely about women.
Next you find yourself in a relationship with The Clash’s Mick Jones, creator of Hate And War, surely something of a bizarre dichotomy.
The funny thing is, it was me that told Mick to stop writing love songs and to start writing about more political things. So the dichotomy was that I was the one wanting to break out of it and he wasn’t.
Did you retain a faith in marriage during this upheaval in attitudes?
Marriage definitely belonged to a different era. The thought of marriage made me feel nauseous and motherhood even more.
And yet, you ended up entering that very institution. Why?
I got older, I fell in love properly and I wanted a baby. I started to feel a bit sick with feminism, and started to feel positive about the other side of the story.
Eventually you wanted to be a touring musician again and the relationship folded.
I reverted back to myself and it was just too much of a strain and a risk for him.
Would you consider marriage again?
I would, because it’s great to be able to express yourself, but it’s also great to have a companion through life.
