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

Billy Bragg

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

Cutting Middleman Reality Somemroom Struggle
Being spokesman for a generation is the worst job I ever had.
BILLY BRAGG

Generations Jobs Worst
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
A patriot is someone who cares what happens in their country.
BILLY BRAGG

Cares Country Patriot
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 Guy Idea Ideas Riffing Studio
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

Interesting Song Thinking
You have to recognise your responsibility to your community for your actions. Liberty doesn’t mean that you are not held accountable.
BILLY BRAGG

Community Mean Responsibility
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
Never trust anyone who has no doubts. And I’m not talking about scepticism either: scepticism can be a healthy thing.
BILLY BRAGG

Better Feel Giving Mean Scepticism Up
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
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
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

Grea Idea Ourselves Thinking World
That’s what I’m about — getting engaged. Too many people don’t wade in the mud with the politicians.
BILLY BRAGG

Mud People Politician Wade
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 Politician
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 Important Journalist Thinking
What happened on September 11 wasn’t the first act of war, it was the most unspeakable act of murder and terrorism. But it was construed by a very small group of people – there is no army out there in the dark waiting to take over America.
BILLY BRAGG

Army Dark Unspeakable War
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
Mixing pop and politics he asks me what the use is / I offer him embarrassment and my usual excuses.
BILLY BRAGG

Mixing Use Usual
Baptists burn more slowly.
BILLY BRAGG

Baptists Burn More Slowly
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

Answers Guilt Poetry Saddle
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

Accuse Liars never Saidm Ignore
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

Assumption Fire Men Money Tea Toast
You can be active with the activists or sleep in with the sleepers while you’re waiting for the Great Leap Forwards.
BILLY BRAGG

Activist Sleep Sleeper Waiting
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 Media Real
Britain is a great country. We can more or less say what we like, and we can walk down the street without anyone trying to kill us. I know it’s tough for some people, but generally we live in a caring society. We live in a great country, but we’re no longer a great power.
BILLY BRAGG

Caring Country Long
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
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

Country Disaster Month September War

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

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

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Popular Authors

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