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

Billy Bragg

At some point in your life you have to engage with the fact that you are part of a society.
BILLY BRAGG

Education Free Important Powerful
I’m just saying that we need to find a better way to manifest the broader society’s aspirations, politically.
BILLY BRAGG

Aspiration Better Just Saying Need Party Politician
Peace, bread, work, and freedom is the best we can achieve.
BILLY BRAGG

Achieve Bread Politics
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

Love Political Reportage Song Way
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

Bedroom Honesty Personality Traits Writing
Were it not for the Clash, punk would have been just a sneer, a safety pin and a pair of bondage trousers.
BILLY BRAGG

Pairs Pins Punk Safety
All the things about ‘the ugly American’ that we worry about and which the Americans see in themselves, it’s all of that. This is a politics of egotistical display.
BILLY BRAGG

About Country Display Egotistical Themselves
Part of the problem with some elements of the European debate is that they hanker for the days when we were a great power. Those days are gone, and they went a long time ago.
BILLY BRAGG

Ago Dismissed Long Part Political Problem Songwriter
A nation with their freezers full are dancing in their seats, while outside another nation is sleeping in the streets.
BILLY BRAGG

Dancing Politics Sleep
You have to believe that if the majority of people had their way, they would make a society that would be fair for everyone. If you don’t believe that, and if you think that the glass is always half empty, then you’re never going to have that sensibility.
BILLY BRAGG

Believe Empty Everyone Glass Sensibility Standard
You can have an argument with someone who’s a sceptic. When I say ‘cynic’, I mean someone who has given up, and they want you to give up too, so it makes them feel better about themselves.
BILLY BRAGG

Feel Makem Sceptic Someone Themselves
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

Art Politics Thinking Try Writing
It’s like being stung by a bee and going out and smashing up a beehive, and thinking you’ve solved the problem. There are more beehives out there; more bees will come. But they’re bees. They’re not grizzly bears.
BILLY BRAGG

Bee Problem Smashing Solved Think Unspeakables
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

Country Islands Soldier Song War
Freedom is merely privilege extended, unless enjoyed by one and all.
BILLY BRAGG

Enjoyed Freedom Privilege
What corporations fear most are consumers who ask questions. Naomi Klein offers us the arguments with which to take on the superbrands.
BILLY BRAGG

Argument Consumers Corporations

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

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

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