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Plays: 52

“Way Over Yonder in the Minor Key” by Billy Bragg and Wilco
(Words/Music: Woody Guthrie and BIlly Bragg, Album: Mermaid Avenue, Elektra 1998)

There are collaborations and there are collaborations. This one features previously unrecorded music written by Woody Guthrie being arranged, performed, and recorded by folk singer/activist Billy Bragg and alt.country icons Wilco. Together, they create some of the most perfect music ever recorded.

Oh, and Natalie Merchant dropped by to do some backing vocals.

Now I have walked a long long ways
And I still look back to my Tanglewood days
I’ve led lots of girls since then to stray
Saying ain’t nobody that can sing like me
Ain’t nobody that can sing like me

Originally Posted By eltrotskysflyingcircus

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Plays: 131

eltrotskysflyingcircus:

“California Stars” - Billy Bragg & Wilco

Fact: It’s un-American to dislike this song.

(via thevinylcornerblog)

38 notes

Originally Posted By alldaymusic

Just because you’re going forwards,
doesn’t mean I’m going backwards

Billy Bragg (via alldaymusic)

(via goo22)

17 notes

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Plays: 10

“Everybody Loves You Babe” by Billy Bragg
(Words/Music: Billy Bragg, Album: William Bloke, Cooking Vinyl 1996)

For today’s song, I’ve chosen an example of why I love Billy Bragg. Sounding like a torch song and with a slightly misleading title, Bragg has composed a mock love song through a play on words. See, the chorus is actually “Everybody loves you babe…but me”. Well played, mate. Ah, that British wit.

People say that we’re a perfect match
They don’t realise that there’s a catch
They don’t have to live with you, forgive you for the things you do
There’s just no ignoring, you’re pretty but you’re boring

3 notes

Originally Posted By up--the--bracket

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Plays: 110

englandsgoingtothedogs:

A New England || Billy Bragg

I saw two shooting stars last night
I wished on them but they were only satellites
Is it wrong to wish on space hardware
I wish, I wish, I wish you’d care

(Source: up--the--bracket, via cherry-waves)

35 notes

“Waiting For the Great Leap Forwards (2011)” by Billy Bragg

Yesterday, I reblogged Billy Bragg’s version of this song from his appearance on the Henry Rollins Show from 2007. I stated that I loved the song because Billy updated the lyrics to reflect the politics of the (then) present.

Today, I hopped over to Spotify and listened to his 2011 collection of songs he had given away for free on his website over the past decade called Fight Songs. Well worth the listen.

Then I went to his website and found that he has updated “Waiting For the Great Leap Forwards” again for 2011 and posted the lyrics and a link to this video on YouTube.

Overall, it was quite a satisfying Billy Bragg odyssey and time much better spent than watching the Grammys. This guy just gets it.

It may have been Camelot for Clegg and Cameron
But on Coalition Cul-de-Sac there’s not much business going on
Youth unemployment’s rising and factories are failing,
Public servants marching, Europeans need help bailing
Things have not been this bad since the days of Margaret Thatcher
So keep calm and carry on watching X Factor

In the former Soviet Union the citizens demand
To know why they’re still the target of Strategic Air Command
And they shake their fist in anger and respectfully suggest
We take the money from Trident and spend it on the NHS

High up in the Stock Exchange they’re knocking back the champers
While Boris Johnson Boulevard has been colonized by campers
Who want to ask some questions about the way that we do business
In the twilight of the capitalist system

The world wide web is wonderful if you’ve got something to sell
But opinions often summon up a focus group from Hell
Best not to be distracted, stay focused on your goals
And take my advice – don’t feed the trolls

Jumble sales are organized and charity shops open
The Tories keep on telling us that it’s Britain that is broken
Time to get active with the activists so switch off World of Warcraft
And start working for the Great Leap Forwards

One leap forwards, two leaps back
Chuck out Berlusconi and put in a technocrat
Waiting for the Great Leap Forwards

Here comes the future and you can’t run back from it
If you’ve got a smartphone, I’ve got an app for it
Waiting for the Great Leap Forwards

In a perfect world we’d all sing in tune
But this is reality so switch off the auto-tune
Waiting for the Great Leap Forwards

It’s a mighty long way down rock’n’roll
From Top of the Pops to Strictly Come Pole Dancing
Waiting for the Great Leap Forwards

If no-one out there understands,
Start your own Occupation and cut out the middleman
Waiting for the Great Leap Forwards

So join the struggle while you may
The revolution is just a tea towel away…

6 notes

Originally Posted By varosdailylife

varosdailylife:

Billy Bragg - Waiting For the Great Leap Forwards

This is one of my absolute favorite moments in television history. Billy Bragg changes the lyrics of his “themesong” to more accurately reflect the moronity of the Bush administration. Courtesy of Henry Rollins.

(via chemicalcomfort)

7 notes

Originally Posted By smartgrrrl

smartgrrrl:

Kirsty MacColl ~ “A New England”

A great remake of one of my favorite Billy Bragg songs.

(Source: youtube.com)

6 notes

Originally Posted By strummer-blog

‘Were it not for the Clash, punk would have been just a sneer, a safety pin and a pair of bondage trousers. Instead, the incendiary lyrics of the Clash inspired 1,000 more bands on both sides of the Atlantic to spring up and challenge their elders, and the man we all looked to was Joe Stummer.

Billy Bragg (via dreams0facid)

(Source: strummer-blog, via chemicalcomfort)

76 notes

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Plays: 10

“St. Monday” by Billy Bragg
(Words/Music: Billy Bragg, Album: England, Half English, Elektra 2002)

themesong: just another manic monday

I suppose one way to avoid Monday from being manic would be to skip it all together and just begin the work week on Tuesday. Seems legit to me. And to Billy Bragg.

Monday and the afternoon,
Is baring down on me.
I’m watching the clock and,
The clock is watching me.

Nobody can say what the matter is,
I’m trying to recharge my batteries,

I’m a hard worker,
But I ain’t working on a Monday.
I’m a hard worker,
But I ain’t working on a Monday.
A hard working fellow
I ain’t working on a Monday,
St. Monday’s still the weekend to me.

Two dozen enquiries,
Are on hold for me.
My shift supervisor,
Is staring hard at me.

Don’t have to be here
But you know I can,
Don’t wanna be here
But you know that

I’m a hard worker,
But I ain’t working on a Monday.
I’m a hard worker,
But I ain’t working on a Monday.
A hard working fellow
I ain’t working on a Monday,
St. Monday’s still the weekend to me.

Somewhere out on the road,
I just wanna be free.
I don’t wanna do as I’m told,
Don’t wanna work 4, 5, 6 days
And turn around,
Want to get high on life,
But first I’ve gotta get me back home.

Nobody can say what the matter is,
I’m trying to recharge my batteries,

I’m a hard worker,
But I ain’t working on a Monday.
I’m a hard worker,
But I ain’t working on a Monday.
A hard working fellow
I ain’t working on a Monday,
A hard working fellow
I ain’t working on a Monday,
No!