Billy Bragg famous quotes

I try and write honestly about what I see around me now.
-- Billy Bragg

#Writing #Trying #Honestly

Freedom is merely privilege extended, unless enjoyed by one and all.
-- Billy Bragg

#Privilege

By the time I was 19, punk had occurred. It had a completely different cultural dynamic to it which rejected everything and started again from the year zero.
-- Billy Bragg

#Zero #Years #Different

That's what I'm about -- getting engaged. Too many people don't wade in the mud with the politicians.
-- Billy Bragg

#People #Wade #Mud

So, in some ways, the political songs tend to be a bit more like reportage, whereas the love songs tend to be like novels, you can pick them up off the shelf and go into them any time.
-- Billy Bragg

#Song #Political #Way

At some point in your life you have to engage with the fact that you are part of a society. Yeah the individual is the most important facet in society but unless every individual is the recipient of free health care, free education decent affordable housing and a proper pension then only the rich and powerful will be individuals and the rest of us will be exploited by them.
-- Billy Bragg

#Powerful #Important #Affordable Housing

You can experience a download, but you can't download an experience.
-- Billy Bragg

#Downloads

Mixing pop and politics he asks me what the use is / I offer him embarrassment and my usual excuses.
-- Billy Bragg

#Mixing #Usual #Use

Money maketh man a tory, don't fire that assumption at me, I like toast as much as anyone but not for breakfast, dinner and tea
-- Billy Bragg

#Men #Fire #Tea

I'm still batting away on my politics for the Labour Party. I'm much further to the left of them than I used to be, but that's because they've moved, not me.
-- Billy Bragg

#Party #Used #Stills

It would shine a torch into the dirty little corner where the BNP defecate on our democracy, and that would be much more powerful than duffing them up in the street - which Im also in favour of.
-- Billy Bragg

#Powerful #Dirty #Shining

I've had songs written during the Falklands war, and during the first Gulf war I got letters from soldiers saying they were listening to these songs, like Island of no return.
-- Billy Bragg

#Song #War #Islands

If you thought the army was here protecting people like yourself, I've some news for you, we're here to defend wealth.
-- Billy Bragg

#Army #People #News

Were it not for the Clash, punk would have been just a sneer, a safety pin and a pair of bondage trousers.
-- Billy Bragg

#Safety #Pairs #Punk

If there is a single trait in our character that has historically set us apart from other nations, it is our determination to limit the authority of those who rule over us.
-- Billy Bragg

#Determination #Character #History

I was in a little punk band and we put out a few punk records that weren't very political, at all.
-- Billy Bragg

#Political #Band #Records

I came into this whole business by going to see Rock Against Racism gigs with the Clash.
-- Billy Bragg

#Rocks #Racism #Racist

Even with politics, stuff comes around again. Woody Guthrie would recognize America today.
-- Billy Bragg

#America #Stuff #Today

I never met a politician who didn't want to be a guitar player in a rock band. I've got the opportunity to say what I believe in.
-- Billy Bragg

#Believe #Opportunity #Player

A virtue never tested is no virtue at all.
-- Billy Bragg

#Virtue

All musicians start out with ideals but hanging on to them in the face of media scrutiny takes real integrity. Tougher still is to live up to the ideals of your dedicated fans.
-- Billy Bragg

#Integrity #Real #Media

I'm celebrating my love for you with a pint of beer and a new tattoo
-- Billy Bragg

#Tattoo #Beer #My Love For You

A patriot is someone who cares what happens in their country.
-- Billy Bragg

#Country #Who Cares #Care

Start your own revolution, 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
-- Billy Bragg

#Struggle #Cutting #Reality

Being spokesman for a generation is the worst job I ever had.
-- Billy Bragg

#Jobs #Generations #Worst

Just because you're gay, I won't turn you away. If you stick around, I'm sure we can find some common ground.
-- Billy Bragg

#Gay #Sticks #Common

I enjoyed so much working with the guys from Wilco, and riffing off of them, and having someone come up to me with ideas, because normally in the studio it's me who has to come up with all the ideas.
-- Billy Bragg

#Ideas #Guy #Come Up

War what is it good for? It's good for business.
-- Billy Bragg

#Inspirational #War

Peace, bread, work, and freedom is the best we can achieve.
-- Billy Bragg

#Politics #Bread #Achieve

A nation with their freezers full are dancing in their seats, while outside another nation is sleeping in the streets.
-- Billy Bragg

#Sleep #Dancing #Politics

Don't saddle me with your ideals, and spare me all your guilt. For a poet with all the answers, has never yet been built.
-- Billy Bragg

#Poetry #Guilt #Answers

There are quite a few honest songwriters out there writing about relationships and their own personality traits. But for some reason, once they step out of the bedroom, their honesty doesn't seem to come with them.
-- Billy Bragg

#Honesty #Writing #Personality

The most important thing for anyone, I think, is to be engaged, whether you're an artist or a journalist is to be engaged in the process at some level.
-- Billy Bragg

#Artist #Thinking #Important

But, in the end, even a song that's as politically bland as Blowin in the Wind, you probably wouldn't get up and sing that now, whereas some of Bob Dylan's love songs that were contemporary with that, like say Girl from the North Country, you can still get up an play now.
-- Billy Bragg

#Girl #Country #Song

An isolationist America is no bloody use to anyone.
-- Billy Bragg

#America #Use #Bloody