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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

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
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
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
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
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
If you’ve got a blacklist, I want to be on it.
BILLY BRAGG

Ibacklist Life Want
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
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
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
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
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
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
Whether we like it or not, we live in a post-ideological world. That’s how a Donald Trump can get through. He has no ideology at all: in that sense, he’s a bit like Mussolini.
BILLY BRAGG

Ideology Party Post Sense Thinking Whether World
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
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
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
We’ve heard so much about the American dream: well, Trump is the American nightmare made flesh.
BILLY BRAGG

Country Dream Nightmare Ugly Worry
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
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
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
The key to it has to be some sort of proportional representation, which allows there to be more parties.
BILLY BRAGG

Aspiration Key Proportional Representation Society Sort
Being spokesman for a generation is the worst job I ever had.
BILLY BRAGG

Generations Jobs Worst
You can experience a download, but you can’t download an experience.
BILLY BRAGG

Downloads Experience Feelin
Freedom is merely privilege extended, unless enjoyed by one and all.
BILLY BRAGG

Enjoyed Freedom Privilege
I was in a little punk band and we put out a few punk records that weren’t very political, at all.
BILLY BRAGG

Band Political Records
A patriot is someone who cares what happens in their country.
BILLY BRAGG

Cares Country Patriot
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’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.

Related Topics

Popular Authors

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.

Related Topics

Popular Authors

More Billy Bragg Quotes