In 1977, Bragg formed the punk rock/pub rock band Riff Raff, and toured London's pubs and clubs. The band released a series of singles, which did not receive wide exposure. He also worked in Guy Norris Records in Barking. Bragg became disillusioned with his music career, and in May 1981 joined the British Army as a recruit destined for the Queen's Royal Irish Hussars of the Royal Armoured Corps. After three months, he bought his way out of the army for Β£175 and returned home, having attended basic training but having never served in a regiment as a soldier.
Bragg began performing frequent concerts and busking around London, playing solo with an electric guitar. His roadie at the time was Andy Kershaw, who became a BBC DJ (Bragg and Kershaw later, in 1989, appeared in an episode of the BBC TV programme, Great Journeys, in which they travelled the Silver Road from PotosΓ, Bolivia, to the Pacific coast at Arica, Chile). Bragg performing at South by Southwest in 2008.
Bragg's demo tape initially got no response from the record industry, but by pretending to be a television repair man, he got into the office of Charisma Records' A&R man Peter Jenner. Jenner liked the tape, but the company was near bankruptcy and had no budget to sign new artists. Bragg got an offer to record more demos for a music publisher, so Jenner agreed to release them as a record. Life's a Riot with Spy Vs. Spy was released in July 1983 by Charisma's new imprint, Utility. Hearing DJ John Peel mention on-air that he was hungry, Bragg rushed to the BBC with a mushroom biryani, so Peel played a song from Life's a Riot with Spy Vs. Spy although at the wrong speed (since the 12" LP was, unconventionally, cut to play at 45rpm). Peel insisted he would have played the song even without the biryani and later played it at the correct speed.
Within months, Charisma had been taken over by Virgin Records and Jenner, who had been laid off, became Bragg's manager. Stiff Records' press officer Andy Macdonald β who was setting up his own record label, Go! Discs β received a copy of Life's a Riot with Spy Vs. Spy. He made Virgin an offer and the album was re-released on Go! Discs in November 1983.[citation needed] In 1984, he released Brewing Up with Billy Bragg, a mixture of political songs (e.g., "It Says Here") and songs of unrequited love (e.g., "The Saturday Boy"). The following year he released Between the Wars, an EP of political songs that included a cover version of Leon Rosselson's "The World Turned Upside Down" β the EP made the top 20 of the UK Singles Chart and earned Bragg an appearance on Top of the Pops. Bragg later collaborated with Rosselson on the song, "Ballad of the Spycatcher". In 1985, his song "A New England", with an additional verse, became a Top 10 hit in the UK for Kirsty MacColl. After MacColl's early death, Bragg always sang the extra verse in her honour. In 1984β1985 he toured North America.
In 1986, Bragg released Talking with the Taxman about Poetry, which became his first Top 10 album. Its title is taken from a poem by Vladimir Mayakovsky and a translated version of the poem was printed on the record's inner sleeve. Back to Basics is a 1987 collection of his first three releases: Life's A Riot With Spy Vs. Spy, Brewing Up with Billy Bragg, and the Between The Wars EP. Bragg released his fourth album, Workers Playtime, in September 1988. With this album, Bragg added a backing band and accompaniment.
In May 1990, Bragg released the political mini-LP, The Internationale. The songs were, in part, a return to his solo guitar style, but some songs featured more complicated arrangements and included a brass band. The album paid tribute to one of Bragg's influences with the song, "I Dreamed I Saw Phil Ochs Last Night", which is an adapted version of Earl Robinson's song, "I Dreamed I Saw Joe Hill Last Night", itself an adaptation of a poem by Alfred Hayes.
The album Don't Try This at Home was released in September 1991, and included the song, "Sexuality", which reached the UK Singles Chart. Bragg had been persuaded by Go! Discs' Andy and Juliet Macdonald to sign a four-album deal with a million pound advance, and a promise to promote the album with singles and videos.[citation needed] This gamble was not rewarded with extra sales, and the situation put the company in financial difficulty. In exchange for ending the contract early and repaying a large amount of the advance, Bragg regained all rights to his back catalogue.[citation needed] Bragg continued to promote the album with his backing band, The Red Stars, which included his Riff Raff colleague and long-time roadie, Wiggy.
Bragg released the album William Bloke in 1996 after taking time off to help raise his son. Around that time, Nora Guthrie (daughter of American folk artist Woody Guthrie) asked Bragg to set some of her father's unrecorded lyrics to music. The result was a collaboration with the band Wilco and Natalie Merchant (with whom Bragg had worked previously). They released the album Mermaid Avenue in 1998, and Mermaid Avenue Vol. II in 2000. A rift with Wilco over mixing and sequencing the album led to Bragg recruiting his own band, The Blokes, to promote the album. The Blokes included keyboardist Ian McLagan, who had been a member of Bragg's boyhood heroes The Faces. The documentary film Man in the Sand depicts the roles of Nora Guthrie, Bragg, and Wilco in the creation of the Mermaid Avenue albums.
In 2004, Bragg joined Florida ska-punk band Less Than Jake to perform a version of 'The Brightest Bulb Has Burned Out' for the Rock Against Bush compilation.
At the 2005 Beautiful Days Festival in Devon, Bragg teamed up with the Levellers to perform a short set of songs by or associated with The Clash in celebration of Joe Strummer's birthday. Bragg performed guitar and lead vocals on "Police and Thieves", and performed guitar and backing vocals on "English Civil War", and "Police on my Back".
In 2007, Bragg moved closer to his English folk music roots by joining the WOMAD-inspired collective The Imagined Village, who recorded an album of updated versions of traditional English songs and dances and toured through that autumn. Bragg released his album Mr. Love & Justice in March 2008. This was the second Bragg album to be named after a book by Colin MacInnes. In 2008, during the NME Awards ceremony, Bragg sang a duet with British solo act Kate Nash. They mixed up their two greatest hits, Nash playing "Foundations", and Bragg redoing his "A New England". Bragg also collaborated with the poet and playwright, Patrick Jones, who supported Bragg's Tour.
In 2008, Bragg played a small role in Stuart Bamforth's film "A13: Road Movie". Bragg is featured alongside union reps, vicars, burger van chefs and Members of Parliament in a film that explored "the overlooked, the hidden and the disregarded."
He was involved in the play Pressure Drop at the Wellcome Collection in London in April and May 2010. The production, written by Mick Gorden, and billed as "part play, part gig, part installation", featured new songs by Bragg. He performed during the play with his band, and acted as compere.
Bragg curated the Leftfield stage at Glastonbury Festival 2010.
He took part in the Bush Theatre's 2011 project Sixty Six where he has written a piece based upon a chapter of the King James Bible.
Bragg performed a set of the Guthrie songs that he had set to music for Mermaid Avenue during the Hay Literary Festival in June 2012. Mermaid Avenue Vol. III and Mermaid Avenue: The Complete Sessions were also released in early 2012.
On 18 March 2013, Bragg released his latest studio album, five years since Mr. Love & Justice, titled Tooth And Nail. It featured 11 original songs, including one written for the Bush Theatre, and a Woody Guthrie cover. Stylistically, it continues to explore genres of Americana (music) and Alternative country, both of which he has said he has been playing and writing regularly since Mermaid Avenue (1998).
In November 2017, he released all six tracks from the mini-album Bridges Not Walls as downloads and CD through the Billy Bragg website and other sellers, followed by the single Full English Brexit through Cooking Vinyl.
Accident Waiting to Happen
Billy Bragg Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Who could sing for her supper and get breakfast as well
That's the way I am, heaven help me
He said, we don't like peace campaigners 'round here
As he nailed another one to the wall
And that's what gets me in trouble, heaven help me
Goodbye and good luck to all the promises you've broken
Your life has lost it's dignity, it's beauty and it's passion
You're an accident waiting to happen
There you are standing at the bar
And you're giving me grief about the D-D-R
And that chip on your shoulder gets bigger as you get older
One of these night you're gonna get caught,
It'll give you a pregnant pause for thought
You're a dedicated swallower of fascism
Time up and time out for all the liberties you've taken
Time up and time out for all the friends that you've forsaken
And if you choose to waste away like death is back in fashion
You're an accident waiting to happen
And my sins are so unoriginal
I have all the self-loathing of a wolf in sheep's clothing
In this carnival of carnivores,
Heaven help me
Goodbye and good luck to all the promises you've broken
Goodbye and good luck to all the rubbish that you've spoken
Your life has lost it's dignity, it's beauty and it's passion
You're an accident waiting to happen
You're an accident waiting to happen
You're a dedicated swallower of fascism
You're an accident waiting to happen
In "Accident Waiting to Happen" Billy Bragg speaks to a woman whom he admires for her ability to make a living through music, but who he also sees as a political liability. He notes the dangerous role she plays in a society where people are persecuted for their activism, citing an unnamed man who tells him that peace campaigners aren't welcome there. Bragg sings about the woman's recklessness in her politics and her personal life, warning her that the consequences of her actions will eventually catch up to her. He talks about her being confrontational and angry, claiming that she has a chip on her shoulder that grows with age. Towards the end, Bragg turns the lyrics on himself, noting his own cynicism and self-hatred.
The song speaks to the larger political and cultural atmosphere of the 1980s, a time of political and social upheaval in the UK. The references to fascism and political persecution tie into issues of censorship and free speech struggles that were defining the cultural landscape at the time. Bragg's lyrics are also heavily influenced by punk and protest music, reflecting the DIY spirit and anarchic social critique that were hallmarks of those genres.
Line by Line Meaning
I've always been impressed with a girl
I have an admiration for a girl who can make a living off of her singing talent
Who could sing for her supper and get breakfast as well
She can get a free breakfast as well as dinner from the people she has impressed with her singing
That's the way I am, heaven help me
My values and lifestyle have led me into certain situations which may be problematic
He said, we don't like peace campaigners 'round here
Someone expressed their prejudiced and intolerant views to me when they found out about my passion for peace campaigning
As he nailed another one to the wall
He proceeded to publicly post a written statement indicating disapproval of peace campaigners
And that's what gets me in trouble, heaven help me
My beliefs and behavior have gotten me in trouble in the past and may cause issues in the future
Goodbye and good luck to all the promises you've broken
You've betrayed people's trust by breaking your commitments, and now you must face the consequences of that recklessness
Goodbye and good luck to all the rubbish that you've spoken
You've said many foolish things in the past that are now catching up to you, so goodbye and good luck with the fallout
Your life has lost it's dignity, it's beauty and it's passion
Your life has become empty and meaningless due to the mistakes and regrettable choices that you have made
You're an accident waiting to happen
Your carelessness and bad decisions are leading you down a path of inevitable disaster
There you are standing at the bar
I see you standing at the bar
And you're giving me grief about the D-D-R
You're giving me a hard time and being critical of my political beliefs about East Germany
And that chip on your shoulder gets bigger as you get older
Your bitterness and resentment toward certain people or things only grows stronger as you age
One of these nights you're gonna get caught,
You will eventually reap the consequences of your irresponsible actions
It'll give you a pregnant pause for thought
This harsh reality check will make you stop and think about the direction your life is headed
You're a dedicated swallower of fascism
You wholeheartedly support fascist ideals and openly show your allegiance to them
Time up and time out for all the liberties you've taken
It's time for you to be held accountable for all the freedoms and privileges you have abused
Time up and time out for all the friends that you've forsaken
You've turned your back on your friends and betrayed their trust, and now it's time for that to come to an end
And if you choose to waste away like death is back in fashion
If you continue down this path of self-destruction and self-sabotage, you'll end up losing everything you hold dear
You're an accident waiting to happen
Your careless and reckless behavior will eventually lead to disastrous consequences that you could have avoided
And my sins are so unoriginal
I feel like I have committed the same mistakes that countless people have made before me
I have all the self-loathing of a wolf in sheep's clothing
I pretend to be something I'm not and harbor a deep self-hatred because of it
In this carnival of carnivores, heaven help me
In this world where everyone is out for themselves and no one can be trusted, I feel completely lost and helpless
You're an accident waiting to happen
Your thoughtless actions will inevitably lead to chaos and calamity
Lyrics Β© O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: BILLY BRAGG
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@angiejukes7373
One of the best lines in a song ever - dedicated swallower of fascism!
@nineteenfortyeight6762
It's Dylan
@frangarcia7774
Great song! Love this whole album so much.
I wish Billy would work again with Johnny Maar
@gareththompson5653
You gave an angry young man a social conscience, thirty years later I'm still angry. Thank you β€
@Apym289
Loving the drip feed of classics for free.
@fregward
An ode to the Presidency since the end of Jimmy Carter's term! Poignant as ever in the modern day, Billy. <3
@amarcadiacastillo
Thanks for uploading this great great song that I love the most. We must fight our internal fascism all the time ππΎππΎππΎ. π€π€π€ Great video, funny and profound, I never watched it before π
@jimmyzbike
love this one! Business Bolke Billy is great hehe
@clivesnowden4348
Wow! Excellent. Have never seen this video before. Loved the Red Stars!
@monkeezorg
Thanks for the uploads - keep them coming.