Growing up in arch-tory rural West Oxfordshire (David Cameron is my parents' MP) It was Billy Bragg that showed me I was not alone in hoping for something different. It was a shock to be told at University that I shouldn't like him as I was from the south- obviously my "friend" Katie's grasp of politics was as tenuous as her grasp of geography.
I remember when the line-up was annouced for Live 8 that I was really angry Billy wasn't included as he'd campaigned far more than the majority of artists on stage. I didn't watch the concert as I went to Edinburgh with Julia for the demo. And there was Billy, singing a new version of Great Leap Forward and turning his back on the corporate entertainment area in Hyde Park by playing for the demonstrators instead.
I love Billy, I love his political integrity, I love that he volunteers at his local school, I love that he never gives up and I love his songs. Anyone unmoved by Levi Stubbs' Tears must have a heart of ice.
Go to his website.
Billy is a big hero of mine too. I love the way he has evolved over the years. he got me through my late teens when i was very polically active and his songs gave voice to my feelings and concerns.
ReplyDeleteFave Billy lyric is the song about a marriage going thru a hard time and he sings "Crisis after crisis, in such intensity, this would never happen if we lived by the sea"
Love him.
I love that one too. The Boy and I often sing it to each other i=to diffuse an argument. Of course Billy does live by the sea now, lucky sod!
ReplyDeleteI know. Lyme Regis infact, good on him, lets hope the sea has helped his marriage!
ReplyDeleteSecond fave BB lyric is from that song about an enormous crush he had on a girl as a school lad...The last line goes "and then one day, it finally happened, she cut her hair and I stopped loving her!".
There was some big Billy Bragg busking event at the Southbank the other week which I am very cross to have missed. He led a mass of people with guitars to play and sing his stuff en masse.Apparantly its an annual event now.