Billy Bragg - the so-called 'Bard of Barking' - came to widespread attention as a sort of one-man Clash, busking around Britain, with a guitar and portable amp. Having briefly joined the Army, Bragg formed a punk band, Riff Raff, but it was not until he released his first mini-LP, "Life's a Riot" on the small Utility label, that he first troubled ...
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| 1 | I think Tony Blair shocked a lot of people when he said if your heart is with Jeremy Corbyn you need a heart transplant. I'm not interested in a Labour Party that doesn't have a heart. We need politics of the heart. That to me is compassionate politics. |
| 2 | It's really a comment on the amount of information we get now; I mean, the ubiquity of the Internet of the 24-hour news cycle - it's constant information all the time, trying to make sense of it. What does it mean if they do find the Higgs Boson? I don't know, you know? They tell us it's incredibly important. Is it incredibly important? So it's really a response on that, talking about the hectoring of the hexperts you know, there's someone every night on telly telling you emphatically what their truth is, how do you weigh that up? |
| 3 | This is not a time for celebration. The death of Margaret Thatcher is nothing more than a salient reminder of how Britain got into the mess that we are in today. Of why ordinary working people are no longer able to earn enough from one job to support a family; of why there is a shortage of decent affordable housing... of why cynicism and greed became the hallmarks of our society. Raising a glass to the death of an infirm old lady changes none of this. The only real antidote to cynicism is activism. Don't celebrate - organise! |
| 4 | Now I realize I was naive to think The Clash could change the world by singing about it. But it wasn't so much their lyrics as what they stood for and the actions they took. That became really important to me. Phil Collins might write a song about the homeless, but if he doesn't have the action to go with it he's just exploiting that for a subject. I got that from The Clash, and I try to remain true to that tradition as best I can. |
| 5 | [on Levon Helm] The greatest singing drummer that ever lived. |
| 6 | The Internet allows me to write a topical song on a Friday, debut it on a Saturday, record it on a Sunday and make available for a free download on a Monday. |
| 7 | This year I think I'll be voting Liberal Democrat because they've got the best manifesto. I like what they're saying about proportional representation, I like what they're saying about Europe... if I was a floating voter I'd be floating towards them. I think Labour have taken the white working class vote for granted. I think the idea of a three party race is more interesting than a two party race. (In 2010) |
| 8 | Everything that was cool about British rock in the '60s, everything from The Beatles, The Stones (The Rolling Stones), The Who, The Small Faces, Led Zeppelin, all those guys learned to play music by playing skiffle. It was open to everyone, it was utterly democratic, it was three chords and the truth. |
| 9 | One of the great things about the 1980s was that there was a return to lyrics. Bands like the Smiths were writing more literate pop. Sometimes too much emphasis is put on hook and melody. Some bands' songs are totally vacuous. |
| 10 | It is often the songs that have less meaning that people tend to attach their meaning to. |
| 11 | The first lyrical poetry that moved me was the final verse of Mr Tambourine Man. That is such a great line of poetry. |
| 12 | "Kiss me or would you rather live in a land where the soap won't lather" (lyric) |
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| 1 | Bragg publicly opposed Paul Simon's decision to record his album Graceland in Apartheid South Africa in the 1980s. When Simon played the first of six nights at London's Royal Albert Hall on April 7 1987, Bragg joined Paul Weller and Jerry Dammers in protesting outside and delivered a letter demanding that Simon give a "complete and heartfelt apology to the UN General Assembly". |
| 2 | Supported the Liberal Democrats at the 2010 UK general election. |
| 3 | A founding member and a director of the Featured Artists' Coalition, a lobby group launched in 2009 with the aim of giving music artists a greater voice in big decisions in the music industry, from digital deals to copyright law. |
| 4 | Winner of the 2007 Q Classic Songwriter Award. |
| 5 | One of his albums was produced primarily to pay a large bill to British tax authorities. The album was entitled, appropriately, "Talking With The Taxman About Poetry". |
| 6 | West Ham Football club supporter. |
| Title | Year | Status | Character |
|---|
| Whatever Happened to Rock 'n' Roll? | 2015 | TV Movie performer: "Island of No Return" - uncredited |
| Paper Towns | 2015 | performer: "WALT WHITMAN'S NIECE" / writer: "WALT WHITMAN'S NIECE" |
| The Gambler | 2014/III | performer: "Don't Think Twice, It's Alright" |
| Pride | 2014/I | performer: "There Is Power in a Union" / writer: "There Is Power in a Union" |
| Trophy Wife | 2014 | TV Series performer - 1 episode |
| Bad Words | 2013 | performer: "Feed of Man" |
| Thanks for Sharing | 2012 | performer: "TENDER COMRADE" / writer: "TENDER COMRADE" |
| Drink 'Em Dry | 2012 | Documentary performer: "There Is Power in a Union" / writer: "There Is Power in a Union" |
| Fringe | 2012 | TV Series performer - 1 episode |
| Elokuu | 2011 | performer: "A New England" / writer: "A New England" |
| Love & Other Drugs | 2010 | performer: "Way Over Yonder In The Minor Key" / writer: "Way Over Yonder In The Minor Key" - as Stephen William Bragg |
| Made in Dagenham | 2010 | writer: "Made In Dagenham" |
| House M.D. | 2010 | TV Series performer - 1 episode |
| Religulous | 2008 | Documentary performer: "Christ For President" |
| The Strangers | 2008 | performer: "At My Window, Sad and Lonely" |
| War, Inc. | 2008 | performer: "Blood of the Lamb" |
| Mama's Boy | 2007 | performer: "The Busy Girl Buys Beauty", "She's Got a New Spell" / writer: "The Busy Girl Buys Beauty", "She's Got a New Spell" |
| King of California | 2007 | performer: "California Stars" |
| Half Nelson | 2006 | performer: "A New England" |
| Howard Zinn: You Can't Be Neutral on a Moving Train | 2004 | Documentary performer: "There Is Power In A Union" / writer: "There Is Power In A Union" |
| Monkey Dust | 2003 | TV Series 1 episode |
| Chelsea Walls | 2001 | performer: "When the Roses Bloom Again" |
| Gilmore Girls | 2001 | TV Series performer - 1 episode |
| Mumford | 1999 | performer: "Hoodoo Voodoo" / writer: "Hoodoo Voodoo" |
| A Room for Romeo Brass | 1999 | performer: "Everywhere" |
| Children of the Revolution | 1996 | performer: "Tender Comrade" / writer: "Tender Comrade" |
| Walking and Talking | 1996 | performer: "She's Got a New Spell", "Fourteenth of February", "Must I Paint You a Picture", "You Woke Up My Neighborhood" / writer: "She's Got a New Spell", "Fourteenth of February", "Must I Paint You a Picture", "You Woke Up My Neighborhood" |
| Mad Love | 1995 | writer: "As Long As You Hold Me" |
| From Russia with Rock | 1988 | Documentary performer: "Get Up, Stand Up" |
| Title | Year | Status | Character |
|---|
| Man in the Camo Jacket | 2016 | Documentary post-production | Himself |
| Urban Hymn | 2015 | completed | Himself |
| Whatever Happened to Rock 'n' Roll? | 2015 | TV Movie | Himself |
| Julia Zemiro's Home Delivery | 2015 | TV Series documentary | Himself |
| Glastonbury 2015 | 2015 | TV Series | Himself |
| Panorama | 2010-2015 | TV Series documentary | Himself - Panelist (Singer / Activist) / Himself |
| Call Me Lucky | 2015 | Documentary | Himself |
| Walking Through History | 2015 | TV Series documentary | Himself - Songwriter and Activist |
| The Life of Rock with Brian Pern | 2014 | TV Mini-Series | Himself |
| Newsnight | 2010-2014 | TV Series | Himself - Contributor / Himself |
| Billy Bragg Live at the Union Chapel London | 2014 | Himself |
| Question Time | 1999-2014 | TV Series | Himself |
| Austin City Limits | 1999-2013 | TV Series documentary | Himself |
| Loose Women | 2013 | TV Series | Himself |
| Q&A | 2012 | TV Series | Himself - Panelist |
| Let Fury Have the Hour | 2012 | Documentary | Himself |
| Last Shop Standing | 2012 | Documentary | Himself |
| Democracy Now! | 2011-2012 | TV Series | Himself |
| Punk Britannia | 2012 | TV Series documentary | Himself |
| Evidently... John Cooper Clarke | 2012 | Documentary | Himself - Singer / Songwriter |
| 10 O'Clock Live | 2012 | TV Series | Himself - Musician |
| This Week | 2010-2011 | TV Series | Himself |
| Way of the Morris | 2011 | Documentary | Himself |
| Phil Ochs: There But for Fortune | 2010 | Documentary | Musician / Activist |
| Dispatches | 2010 | TV Series documentary | Himself |
| Alan Davies' Teenage Revolution | 2010 | TV Mini-Series documentary | Himself |
| I'm in a Rock 'n' Roll Band | 2010 | TV Series | Himself |
| Strummerville | 2010 | Documentary | Himself |
| The Review Show | 2010 | TV Series | Himself - Panelist / Performer |
| The Topp Twins: Untouchable Girls | 2009 | Documentary | Himself |
| Breaking Rocks | 2009 | Documentary |
| The One Show | 2009 | TV Series | Himself |
| The Wright Stuff | 2007-2008 | TV Series | Himself - Guest Panelist |
| Fossil Detectives | 2008 | TV Series documentary | Himself |
| The Interface | 2008 | TV Series |
| The Andrew Marr Show | 2008 | TV Series | Himself - Musician |
| Late Night with Conan O'Brien | 2002-2008 | TV Series | Himself |
| Q with Jian Ghomeshi | 2008 | TV Series | Himself - Guest |
| British Film Forever | 2007 | TV Mini-Series documentary | Himself |
| The Sunday Programme | 2007 | TV Series | Himself |
| The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson | 2006-2007 | TV Series | Himself - Guest / Himself - Musical Guest |
| Canada A.M. | 2006 | TV Series | Himself |
| Folk Britannia | 2006 | TV Series documentary | Himself |
| Glastonbury | 2006 | Documentary | Himself |
| Breakfast | 2005 | TV Series | Himself |
| If I Were Prime Minister | 2005 | TV Short | Himself |
| This Machine Kills Fascists | 2005 | Video documentary | Narrator |
| Channel 4 News | 2004 | TV Series | Himself |
| Get Up, Stand Up | 2003 | TV Series documentary | Himself - Interviewee |
| Enough Rope with Andrew Denton | 2003 | TV Series | Himself |
| Never Mind the Buzzcocks | 1996-2002 | TV Series | Himself |
| The Punk Years | 2002 | TV Series documentary | Himself |
| Jonathan Dimbleby | 1997-2002 | TV Series | Himself / Himself - Audience Member |
| Top of the Pops | 1985-2002 | TV Series | Himself |
| Hazel Dickens: It's Hard to Tell the Singer from the Song | 2002 | Documentary | Himself |
| Freedom Highway: Songs that Shaped a Century | 2001 | Documentary | Himself |
| Vote 2001 | 2001 | TV Movie | Himself |
| The Life and Lyrics of Kirsty MacColl | 2001 | TV Special documentary | Himself |
| The Internationale | 2000 | Documentary short | Himself |
| Late Show with David Letterman | 1998-2000 | TV Series | Himself |
| Man in the Sand | 1999 | Video documentary | Himself |
| Unzipped | 1999 | TV Series documentary | Himself |
| The Panel | 1999 | TV Series | Himself |
| The Great Hunger: The Life and Songs of Shane MacGowan | 1997 | TV Movie documentary | Himself |
| The Radio One Story | 1997 | TV Movie documentary | Himself |
| Sessions at West 54th | 1997 | TV Series documentary | Himself |
| Harry Hill | 1997 | TV Series | Himself |
| The Jack Docherty Show | 1997 | TV Series | Himself - Guest |
| TFI Friday | 1997 | TV Series | Himself |
| Later with Jools Holland | 1996 | TV Series | Himself |
| Garbage | 1996 | Documentary | Himself |
| Without Walls | 1994 | TV Series documentary | Himself |
| The All New Alexei Sayle Show | 1994 | TV Series | Himself |
| Time Capsule | 1990 | Video documentary | Himself |
| Great Journeys: Silver Tracks | 1989 | Documentary | Himself - Presenter |
| Scoff | 1988 | TV Series | Himself |
| Which Side Are You on Billy Bragg? | 1988 | Video documentary | Himself |
| Turn It Up: Days Like These | 1986 | Himself |
| TV Eye | 1986 | TV Series | Himself |
