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 £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 PotosÃ, 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 – who was setting up his own record label, Go! Discs – 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" – 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 1984–1985 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.
Honey I'm A Big Boy Now
Billy Bragg Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
From the road where I park my bike
But it's dark there as it often is these days
And the gloomy living room
Really needs a dust and broom
But I can't brush your memory away
Her father was an admiral
And she had seen the world before I met her
She would wash and cook and clean
And all the other things between
And Like a fool I just sat there and let her
Now I can feed, and dress, and wash myself
And sleep without the light on
Honey I'm a big boy now
I don't know what she does
With all the money that I sent her
She's running round the town with the young pretender
I haven't touched the garden
Since the day she walked away
From a love affair that bore on me bitter fruit
She took everything she wanted
Which is why she left me here
With the pots and pans and my old wedding suits
A letter came one morning
That she would not let me see
And from that day I began to realize
That she would one day break
The home we try to make
For sinners cannot live in paradise
Now I can feed and dress and wash myself
And sleep without the light on
Honey I'm a big boy now
I don't know what she does
With all the money that I sent her
She's running round the town with the young pretender
I don't know what she does
With all the money that I sent her
She's running round the town with the young pretender
The song "Honey I'm A Big Boy Now" by Billy Bragg follows the story of a man who has been left behind by his partner. The lyrics paint a bleak picture of his surroundings, with a gloomy and neglected living room and an untouched garden that serves as a reminder of the bitter fruit of their love affair. The man reflects on his previous dependence on his partner as she took care of everything, from cooking and cleaning to managing their finances. However, now that she is gone, he has learned to take care of himself and be independent.
The title "Honey I'm A Big Boy Now" suggests a sense of maturity and growth, but the lyrics also reveal a sense of loss and bitterness. The man acknowledges his own foolishness for not appreciating his partner's contributions and recognizes that she has moved on with someone else. The song seems to be a reflection on past mistakes and missed opportunities. The last line, "sinners cannot live in paradise," hints at a sense of regret and the realization that their relationship could never have been perfect.
Line by Line Meaning
I can see the kitchen light
I can still see the remnants of our past that we once shared, but now it's just a memory
From the road where I park my bike
Even from a distance, I am still reminded of the love and affection we once had
But it's dark there as it often is these days
Now the love and light of our past is gone, and darkness dominates our future
And the gloomy living room
Our home is now just a shell of what it used to be, cold and lifeless
Really needs a dust and broom
Even the physical space we once shared together is now in need of care and attention
But I can't brush your memory away
Despite all of this, the memory of our love still haunts me and I can't seem to let it go
Her father was an admiral
She came from a life of privilege and power
In someone else's navy
Her success came at the expense of others, and she was just a pawn in a bigger game
And she had seen the world before I met her
She was worldly and experienced, which made me feel inferior and small
She would wash and cook and clean
She was a caretaker and nurturer, fulfilling traditional gender roles
And all the other things between
She took care of everything else that needed to be done, without complaint
And Like a fool I just sat there and let her
I took her for granted, and didn't fully appreciate or reciprocate her efforts
Now I can feed, and dress, and wash yourself
I've learned to take care of myself, and don't need her like I used to
And sleep without the light on
I don't need her comfort to be able to sleep at night anymore
Honey I'm a big boy now
I've grown up, and no longer need her to take care of me
I don't know what she does
I'm not sure what she's up to, now that she's left me
With all the money that I sent her
I supported her for so long, but now I'm not sure if it was worth it
She's running round the town with the young pretender
She's moved on with somebody else, and I'm just a distant memory to her now
I haven't touched the garden
Everything feels frozen in time, including my neglected garden
Since the day she walked away
Her departure has left a permanent mark on me, and I haven't been able to move on
From a love affair that bore on me bitter fruit
Our love didn't end well, and it's left a bitter taste in my mouth
She took everything she wanted
She left without a trace, taking everything that mattered to me with her
Which is why she left me here
I realize now that I was just a means to an end, and not truly loved by her
With the pots and pans and my old wedding suits
All that's left are the remnants of our life together, but it's just an empty shell
A letter came one morning
A letter brought me startling news
That she would not let me see
She had secrets that she kept from me, and I was clueless
And from that day I began to realize
These revelations shook me to my core, and made me see things clearly for the first time
That she would one day break
I knew deep down that our relationship was not meant to last, and that she would leave me someday
The home we try to make
Our house was more than just a building, it symbolized the life we were trying to build together
For sinners cannot live in paradise
We were flawed people who were never meant to have a perfect life together
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: BILLY BRAGG
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
seancyril70
I'm remember seeing Billy perform this live on The Tube back in the day accompanied by a piano player. Would love to see it again
O'Boogie
Beautiful. Memories of living in a squat in Oxford playing in an Irish folk band, broken hearted because the woman I was besotted with turned out to be less than I thought she was. Thank you.
Matt Quinn
One of my all-time favourite Billy Bragg songs and that piano accompaniment really adds something. I'm wondering if there are any other songs of heartbreak that warn of the perils of not pulling your weight on with the domestic chores, or is this a one-of-a-kind...? Anyone?
lakmeister
Just fabulous....magic track
Titch Thomas
A true American legend. What he's done for pop music and the pathways he has paved for the boy bands of today is a true inspiration. R.I.P. William Braggs (1950-2000)
John David Arundell
he's a britt - still alive
Adrienne Walker
....yeah, the bard of Barking (England) and well known political activist .....😎
PirateCommander
@Adrienne Walker The one who Woody Guthrie's family gave his unfinished works to 'finish' in preference to others considered 'obvious'.
[See 'Mermaid Avenue']
I will argue Billy is becoming an American Legend, gradually, but he sure ain't dead yet.
Sarah Farr
Let the poet sing!
Simon T
I first listened to the great Billy Bragg on this album 28 years ago. I have to be a bit quiet because of lockdown etc don't want to disturb the neighbours with their small children here in Hungary, but I will sing along as best I can but quietly
A letter came one morning, that she would not let me see... oh when I bought it ÃBill said "Pay No More than 7.99". cannot do pound sign on my Hungarian keyboard....