Billy Bragg

[Scarlet]

I have a quick question, my dad told me that Billy Bragg was a Comunist so I started to listen to him for inspiration but then in one of his songs he sings:


Originally posted by To Have And To Have Not Lyrics
]Just because I dress like this
Doesn't mean I'm a communist

Who do I believe? My dad says he's a commie, he says he isn't ... Help me! I don't want to listen to anything that's not communist as I fear it'll poison me.

[The Grey Blur]

He's a left-leaning dude, your dad probably thinks anyone who doesn't believe poor people are poor because they can't save money is a communist...reactionary old bastard that he is...j/k


Help me! I don't want to listen to anything that's not communist as I fear it'll poison me.
So what exactly have you been listening to? A recording of Che and an old Anti-Flag EP? - Just because a band does't preach Marxist principles doesn't mean you shouldn't listen to them...godamn...the ignorance of people...

[Bazza]

Originally posted by [email protected] 23 2005, 09:35 PM
Help me! I don't want to listen to anything that's not communist as I fear it'll poison me.
Listen to some Redskins (http://www.redskins.co.uk) then.

[Gura]

Originally posted by [email protected] 23 2005, 09:35 PM
Help me! I don't want to listen to anything that's not communist as I fear it'll poison me.
I'm hoping this is a case of "The Internet and Sarcasm: Not So Much".

[Severian]

Billy Bragg's somewhere in the left wing of the social democracy.

[Nothing Human Is Alien]

I don't listen to anything that is anti-communist, pro-exploitation (racial, sexual, etc.) no matter how "good" their music is.

[encephalon]

Admitting that one isn't a communist does not mean that one sings anti-communist songs. Those lines could also mean equally that he's an anarchist.

[tatu]

Sexuality is a very good song by Billy Bragg.

[Nothing Human Is Alien]

Most anarchists say they are communists.

We have the same ultimate goal.

[Goatse]

HOLY SHIT

WHAT HAVE I BEEN DOING? HE'S NOT A COMMUNIST?

I'm going to delete all his songs. Infact, my whole music folder. Holy shit, just incase I better wipe my harddrive, throw it out the window and burn it. Using sulphuric acid.

[Jimmie Higgins]

Originally posted by Bazza+Nov 23 2005, 10:54 PM--> (Bazza @ Nov 23 2005, 10:54 PM)
[email protected] 23 2005, 09:35 PM
Help me! I don't want to listen to anything that's not communist as I fear it'll poison me.
Listen to some Redskins (http://www.redskins.co.uk) then. [/b]
I agree that everyone should listen to the Redskins at least once in their life. But really Scariet, you should listen to what you like and not worry too much about the content unless it is really totally racist or offensive to you.

Most pop musicians just string words together so the meaning of the lyrics as a whole often just ammount to a series of images or observations. Bob Dylan or David Bowie or Beck are all examples of this and I like their lyrics even though they are not radical or even left (I really don't know or care that much where they stand politically).

Scariet, don't worry about "polluteing yourself". I would wager that you have listened to more non radical music in your lifetime than radical and yet you have still come to radical conclusions and world-view.

I probably agree with a lot of Chumbawumba's politics, but I don't like them musically, so I don't listen to them. I like the Clash because I really like the Clash; the fact that they are good politically just makes me like them more and makes me waste money buying their t-shirts.

[Punk Rocker]

I don't want to listen to anything that's not communist as I fear it'll poison me.

Haha dude.

All punk and metal music, actually pretty much all rock, is either leftist or not political. As long as you're not listening to country or shit like that you should be cool.

[The Grey Blur]

Originally posted by Punk [email protected] 24 2005, 08:23 PM

I don't want to listen to anything that's not communist as I fear it'll poison me.

Haha dude.

All punk and metal music, actually pretty much all rock, is either leftist or not political. As long as you're not listening to country or shit like that you should be cool.
Hahaha...not. - you dumbass - ever heard of Willie Nelson?

[bolshevik butcher]

Or woody gutherie but i suppose he's more folk. But yeh, i mean i like a lot of leftward leaning bands but i lsiten to a lot of stuff that isnt political as well.

[rioters bloc]

i adore billy bragg.

i don't really know or care if he's a communist or not, cos he sure ain't a right-winger/fascist:

the internationale [set to the music by pierre degeytere]

Stand up, all victims of oppression
For the tyrants fear your might
Don’t cling so hard to your possessions
For you have nothing, if you have no rights
Let racist ignorance be ended
For respect makes the empires fall
Freedom is merely privilege extended
Unless enjoyed by one and all

Chorus:
So come brothers and sisters
For the struggle carries on
The internationale
Unites the world in song
So comrades come rally
For this is the time and place
The international ideal
Unites the human race

Let no one build walls to divide us
Walls of hatred nor walls of stone
Come greet the dawn and stand beside us
We’ll live together or we’ll die alone
In our world poisoned by exploitation
Those who have taken, now they must give
And end the vanity of nations
We’ve but one earth on which to live

And so begins the final drama
In the streets and in the fields
We stand unbowed before their armour
We defy their guns and shields
When we fight, provoked by their aggression
Let us be inspired by like and love
For though they offer us concessions
Change will not come from above

All You Fascists [cover of woody guthrie]

I’m gonna tell all you fascists you may be surprised
The people in this world are getting organized
You’re bound to lose, you fascists are bound to lose

Race hatred cannot stop us this one thing I know
Your poll tax and jim crow and greed have got to go
You’re bound to lose, you fascists bound to lose

All of you fascists bound to lose
You fascists bound to lose
All of you fascists bound to lose
You fascists bound to lose
You’re bound to lose! you fascists!
Bound to lose

People of every colour marching side by side
Marching ’cross these fields where a million fascists died
You’re bound to lose, you fascists bound to lose

I’m going into this battle, and take my union gun
We’ll end this world of slavery before this battle’s won
You’re bound to lose, you fascists bound to lose

[rioters bloc]

ahhhh and i love these lines by him, i can't remember what song it's from though:

i saw two shooting stars last night, i wished on them, but they were only satellies
is it wrong to wish on space hardware?
i wish, i wish, i wish you'd care..

[Severian]

His rewrite of the Internationale is the one Billy Bragg song I really don't like.

I think his songs about love and relationships are really his best. They're about individuals. Unlike the standard pop song which is really about being in love with love, or with the myths of romantic love, not in love with an actual person.

[Bazza]

Originally posted by rioters [email protected] 24 2005, 10:47 PM
ahhhh and i love these lines by him, i can't remember what song it's from though:

i saw two shooting stars last night, i wished on them, but they were only satellies
is it wrong to wish on space hardware?
i wish, i wish, i wish you'd care..
The lyrics are from New England which was also covered by Kirsty Macoll.

[rioters bloc]

thats right

i also loved this:

'i put you on a pedestal, they put you on the pill'

[Bazza]

Originally posted by Gravedigger+Nov 24 2005, 08:09 PM--> (Gravedigger @ Nov 24 2005, 08:09 PM)
Originally posted by [email protected] 23 2005, 10:54 PM

[email protected] 23 2005, 09:35 PM
Help me! I don't want to listen to anything that's not communist as I fear it'll poison me.
Listen to some Redskins (http://www.redskins.co.uk) then.
I agree that everyone should listen to the Redskins at least once in their life. [/b]
How about the Redskins covering Billy Bragg?

Levi Stubbs Tears (http://s37.yousendit.com/d.aspx?id=1IDBNEZL1WJK70MXYQWXQO36RM)

Billy Bragg once covered the Redskins song Lean On me with the band S*M*A*S*H but I've yet to hear it.

[Punk Rocker]

Hahaha...not. - you dumbass - ever heard of Willie Nelson?

Chill man, I said pretty much all, not all.

[The Forum Idiot]

Originally posted by Punk [email protected] 24 2005, 08:18 PM

I don't want to listen to anything that's not communist as I fear it'll poison me.

Haha dude.

All punk and metal music, actually pretty much all rock, is either leftist or not political. As long as you're not listening to country or shit like that you should be cool.
Ok. Listen to yourself here, you're making a fool of yourself.

There is plenty of non-leftist punk, in fact there's quite a bit of Nazi-punk out there if you search hard enough. And there is a hell of a lot of right wing metal - black/death metal is infamous for having strong right wing/nazi ideals.

And how can you imply country is generally non-leftist? There is plenty of very, very left wing country out there. Woody Guthrie (ok, maybe he is more folk, but still), Willie Nelson and Steve Earle are good examples. In fact, I reckon there's more leftist/apolitical country out there than metal.

[farleft]

Bragg lives in south-west of England, where he is doing some work FOR the Labour Party (so I hear, a friend lives up the road from him and they have seen him do some stuff for labour there, its a conservative area).

I would say he is left leaning as well, but while he is in the labour party, I aint interested.

[Devil$tator]

Originally posted by Punk [email protected] 24 2005, 08:18 PM

I don't want to listen to anything that's not communist as I fear it'll poison me.

Haha dude.

All punk and metal music, actually pretty much all rock, is either leftist or not political. As long as you're not listening to country or shit like that you should be cool.
You idiot! a lot of metal music is fascist, no really.

Besides let's not be too anti-genre. if it's not top 40, it's ok.

[carlito]

Bob Dylan or David Bowie or Beck are all examples of this and I like their lyrics even though they are not radical or even left (I really don't know or care that much where they stand politically).

Heh, does anyone remember when bowie went through the whole 'dress up like a nazi' phase?

[Devil$tator]

Originally posted by [email protected] 11 2005, 11:16 PM

Bob Dylan or David Bowie or Beck are all examples of this and I like their lyrics even though they are not radical or even left (I really don't know or care that much where they stand politically).

Heh, does anyone remember when bowie went through the whole 'dress up like a nazi' phase?
That was probably just provocation, then again i hardly know Bowie.

Many people used the swaztika etc for shock purposes, satirically. see Laibach. Siouxsie Sioux also did the same, but this rarely reflects their views. it's just childish provocation.

As the Dead Kennedys said:

Nazi Punk Nazi Punks Nazi Punks FUCK OFF!