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I’m just saying that we need to find a better way to manifest the broader society’s aspirations, politically.

Billy Bragg

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
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 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
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
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
Without accountability, there can be no freedom. I know it seems like a paradox.
BILLY BRAGG

Accountability Freedom Paradox Seem
War what is it good for? It’s good for business.
BILLY BRAGG

Business Inspirational War
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
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
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
I came into this whole business by going to see Rock Against Racism gigs with the Clash.
BILLY BRAGG

Racism Racist Rocks
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
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
Mixing pop and politics he asks me what the use is / I offer him embarrassment and my usual excuses.
BILLY BRAGG

Mixing Use Usual
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 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
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

Away Batting Party Stills Used
We’ve heard so much about the American dream: well, Trump is the American nightmare made flesh.
BILLY BRAGG

Country Dream Nightmare Ugly Worry
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
All the great political music was made at the height of political confrontations.
BILLY BRAGG

Confrontation Height Made Political
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
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
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’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
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
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

I’m just saying that we need to find a better way to manifest the broader society’s aspirations, politically.

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I’m just saying that we need to find a better way to manifest the broader society’s aspirations, politically.

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