Gorillaz craft a single that examines war and soldiers, reminiscent of Jedi Mind Tricks' “Uncommon Valor” in its first-person look at the battlefield.

“Dirty Harry” was the first Gorillaz release of phase two when it appeared as a limited 12" white label vinyl promo with no band name or record label logo (catalog number KONG01).

The song revisits some of the themes of earlier single “Clint Eastwood,” like violence and masculinity (indeed, it’s named after one of Eastwood’s better-known films). The single art, too, is a cinematic reference, a parody of the poster for Stanley Kubrick’s Vietnam movie Full Metal Jacket.