Billy the Bragg

Well it's 11.06am and I'm already pissed. Found a collection of songs of Billy Bragg in my lads CD collection.

Politically I think he eats shit.....but man can he write a good song!!

Any takers?

Waiting For The Great Leap Forwards Lyrics​

It may have been Camelot for Jack and Jacqueline​

But on the Che Guevara highway filling up with gasoline​

Fidel Castro's brother spies a rich lady who's crying​

Over luxury's disappointment​

So he walks over and he's trying​

To sympathise with her but he thinks that he should warn her​

That the Third World is just around the corner ​

In the Soviet Union a scientist is blinded​

By the resumption of nuclear testing and he is reminded​

That Dr Robert Oppenheimer's optimism fell​

At the first hurdle​

In the Cheese Pavilion and the only noise I hear​

Is the sound of someone stacking chairs​

And mopping up spilt beer​

And someone asking questions and basking in the light​

Of the fifteen fame filled minutes of the fanzine writer​

Mixing Pop and Politics he asks me what the use is​

I offer him embarrassment and my usual excuses​

While looking down the corridor​

Out to where the van is waiting​

I'm looking for the Great Leap Forwards​

Jumble sales are organised and pamphlets have been posted​

Even after closing time there's still parties to be hosted​

You can be active with the activists​

Or sleep in with the sleepers​

While you're waiting for the Great Leap Forwards ​

One leap forward, two leaps back​

Will politics get me the sack?​

here comes the future and you can't run from it​

If you've got a blacklist I want to be on it​

It's a mighty long way down rock 'n roll​

From Top of the Pops to drawing the dole​

If no one seems to understand​

Start your own revolution and cut out the middleman​

In a perfect world we'd all sing in tune​

But this is reality so give me some room​

So join the struggle while you may​

The Revolution is just a T-shirt away​

Waiting for the Great Leap Forwards ​

Accident Waiting To Happen​

I’ve always been impressed with a girl​

​

Who could sing for her supper and get breakfast as well​

That’s the way I am, heaven help me​

He said, we don’t like peace camapigners ’round here​

As he nailed another one to the wall​

And that’s what gets me in trouble, heaven help me​

Goodbye and good luck to all the rubbish that you’ve spoken​

Goodbye and good luck to all the promises​

You’ve broken​

Your life has lost it’s dignity, it’s beauty and it’s passion​

You’re an accident waiting to happen​

There you are standing at the bar​

And you’re giving me grief about the ddr​

And that chip on your choulder gets bigger as you​

Get older​

One of these night you’re gonna get caught,​

It’ll give you a pregnant pause for thought​

You’re a dedicated swallower of fascism​

Time up and time out​

For all the liberties you’ve taken​

Time up and time out for all the friends that​

You’ve foresaken​

If you choose to waste away like death is back in fashion​

You’re an accident waiting to happen​

And my sins are so unoriginal​

I have all the self-loathing of a wolf in sheep’s clothing​

In this carnival of carnivores,​

Heaven help me​

 

Always had a lot of time for the Braggster, saw him play live once and may get to do so again if I make it to Beautiful Days. A particular favourite of mine was always "I am the milkman of human kindness", and of course:

A13: Trunk Road to the Sea
If you ever have to go to Shoeburyness
Take the A road, the okay road that's the best
Go motorin' on the A13

If you're looking for a thrill that's new
Take in Fords, Dartford Tunnel and the river too
Go motorin' on the A13

It starts down in Wapping
There ain't no stopping
By-pass Barking and straight through Dagenham
Down to Grays Thurrock
And rather near Basildon
Pitsea, Thundersley, Hadleigh, Leigh-On-Sea,
Chalkwell, Prittlewell
Southend's the end

If you ever have to go to Shoeburyness
Take the A road, the okay road that's the best
Go motorin' on the A13

 

His music always bored me to tears. His politics were always turned me off. But I had a lot of respect for his integrity.

 

Come on Doc, when we hit 40 won't you be tapping along to 'New England' like the rest of us?

 

Always been a fan, but then I was raised in Dagenham.

I always thought the love songs were best and I agree "Accident" is wonderful, easy enough chords for guitar.

Can't wait till BD, shame about the clash with the Main stage.

There are a couple of free downloads at his site, bring yourself up to date.

 

That's where I grew up Wouldn't have said those places warranted such a positive song tho'........Have to say musically he bores me too and I can't help but cringe when he keeps promoting his website on tv........

 

I think it's irony dear

He can write a great song ... his songs are often lyrically inventive, witty and self aware. His songs about ordinary life are better than the more overtly political ones. When it's just him and his electric guitar he has quite a unique and sometimes jarring sound - love it or hate it I suppose. Personally I love it.

I'm in two minds about his political campaigning, but my instinct is that it's not a bad thing to have someone on the right side of the fence talking about issues that matter in mainstream political debate.

 

He sang a song called "The George Bush Blues" with Emmylou Harris, Steve Earle, Joan Baez and Chrissie Hynde for an anti-landmines tour which had pretty funny lyrics as you can imagine..

I think his politics are pretty spot on and his taste in music is too doing 2 cover albums of Woody Guthrie songs with Wilco (who were at glasto last year and were amazing!), And he is a self-confessed MASSIVE bruce springsteen fan which i think says it all

oh and I liked the song he sang with Bill Bailey last year at glasto called Unisex Chip Shop

 

I listen to Billy Bragg & Wilco, the Mermaid Avenue CDs. They're pretty cool, since they're doing a bunch of songs that were written by Woody Guthrie & never recorded. Check it out!

 

Can't believe Billy came out backing Oona King in the elections, ahh well, can't wait to hear him at Beautiful Days. If I manage to get backstage again I'll quiz him on it, after chatting to my mate Mark of course

 

Nobody respects restraining orders these days

 

Yeah, I heard they are stepping up security at Beautiful Days..Not because of the liberal use of illegal drugs at the festival, but because Mark fears for his life after being stalked throughout the year by 'unnamed' mad Cambridge student!

 

That's a scurrilous exaggeration! It's only his bottom that he fears for