My upbringing was very straightforward suburban working class upbringing. Billy Bragg More Quotes by Billy Bragg More Quotes From Billy Bragg Certainly, the international image of the United States today is a lot less positive than 10 years ago. And that really shouldn't be, because you have been the victims of this awful terrorist attack, and I think America deserves the sympathy of the world. Billy Bragg today world thinking You have to recognise your responsibility to your community for your actions. Liberty doesn't mean that you are not held accountable. Without accountability, there can be no freedom. I know it seems like a paradox. Billy Bragg community responsibility mean If we accuse Trump of being a liar, he won't just say 'I never said that' or just ignore it and go on to the next thing. Billy Bragg liars I think if you're going to make political art, you have to engage at some level. You can't just write about politics, you have to try and be politics as well. Billy Bragg writing art thinking I'm just saying that we need to find a better way to manifest the broader society's aspirations, politically. The key to it has to be some sort of proportional representation, which allows there to be more parties. Billy Bragg just-saying aspiration party I'd like to think that in a generation or two we'll have politicians whose life experience reflects that of the people who are voting for them. Billy Bragg voting people thinking If we think we're a nation with great ideas, and a nation that wants to make the world a better place, let's commit ourselves and involve ourselves with our European partners. Billy Bragg great-idea world thinking If I can entertain people and get them to open up a little bit, then they're much more conducive to any ideas I might have, whether they're about relationships or politics. The most interesting songs, I think, are the ones where the two overlap. Billy Bragg song interesting thinking 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 fire tea men 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 shining dirty 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 come-up guy ideas 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 media real integrity 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 player opportunity believe 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 song country 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 used party stills 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 islands song war The evil lot who did that thing on September 11 did it because they wanted to create a war between America and Islam. And by invading Iraq, we gave them what they hoped for. Billy Bragg iraq war america 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-pins punk pairs All the great political music was made at the height of political confrontations. Billy Bragg height political made A nation with their freezers full are dancing in their seats, while outside another nation is sleeping in the streets. Billy Bragg politics dancing sleep
