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 Potosí, 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.
King James Version
Billy Bragg Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
He no longer believed in
She said "I'm a teacher here
I teach the children"
And he wondered to himself
There and then all the things he could learn from her
The great mighty wonder
Called me in anger
Remember the sadness In Florence Ballard's eyes
Imagine all the melancholy you could find
In the arms of a stranger
Bred, bread of heaven
Seems like nothing goes right
In the world that we were born in
But the horizon is bright
Yonder comes the morning
Upstairs they're buying
A stairway to heaven
Down in the garden
They're changing sticks into snakes
And the jangle of religious medals would put the fear of God into an angel
Come, come all ye faithful
Their baby came home to them
An unmarried mother
They wished she would turn to a pillar of salt
But in the end compassion has to be the greatest family value
Hope, hope of the helpless
Looks like a drift to the right
For the world we were born in
But the horizon is bright
Yonder comes the morning
The lyrics of "King James Version" by Billy Bragg are open to interpretation, but the song appears to be a commentary on the struggles of living in a world where ideals and beliefs are often at odds with reality. In the song, the singer is questioning his own beliefs in the face of a changing world, and finds himself drawn to a teacher who represents a new way of thinking. The lyrics refer to metaphorical Biblical references, including the idea of "bread of heaven" and "changing sticks into snakes," as well as more recent cultural references, like the song "Stairway to Heaven." The song suggests that there is hope for the future, despite the challenges faced by those who seek to change the status quo.
The lyrics also touch on themes of family alienation, and the complications of modern life, including unmarried mothers and the struggle to find compassion in the face of judgment. Through all of these struggles, however, there is a sense of hope for a better future, symbolized by the bright horizon and the coming of morning. Overall, "King James Version" is a commentary on the difficulties of finding one's place in a changing world, and the potential for hope and connection even in the midst of struggle.
Line by Line Meaning
He was trapped in a haircut
He felt trapped in his current situation, like a bad haircut, and wanted to break free.
He no longer believed in
He had lost faith in something or someone, perhaps himself or society as a whole.
She said "I'm a teacher here / I teach the children"
She introduced herself and her role as a teacher of children.
And he wondered to himself / There and then all the things he could learn from her / The great mighty wonder
He was intrigued by the woman's profession and considered the value of learning from her.
Think of the names you once / Called me in anger
Reflect on the hurtful things you said to me when you were angry.
Remember the sadness In Florence Ballard's eyes / Imagine all the melancholy you could find / In the arms of a stranger
Consider the sadness Florence Ballard experienced, and imagine the despair one might feel seeking comfort from a stranger.
Bred, bread of heaven
This line is a reference to a religious hymn about God's providence and sustaining power.
Seems like nothing goes right / In the world that we were born in
The world is a difficult place full of hardships and struggles.
But the horizon is bright / Yonder comes the morning
Despite the difficulties of the present, there is hope for a brighter future.
Upstairs they're buying / A stairway to heaven
This line is a reference to the Led Zeppelin song of the same name, which is about the pursuit of spiritual enlightenment.
Down in the garden / They're changing sticks into snakes
This line is a biblical reference to the story of Moses and the plagues of Egypt.
And the jangle of religious medals would put the fear of God into an angel / Come, come all ye faithful
The superficial display of religious piety is not genuine faith, and this line calls for true believers to come together.
Their baby came home to them / An unmarried mother
Their child returned to them as an unwed mother, a situation that may have caused them shame or disappointment.
They wished she would turn to a pillar of salt / But in the end compassion has to be the greatest family value
They may have been angry or judgmental at first, but ultimately they prioritized compassion for their child over resentment or condemnation.
Hope, hope of the helpless
This line suggests that hope is necessary for those who are powerless or disadvantaged.
Looks like a drift to the right / For the world we were born in
The world seems to be moving in a conservative direction, away from progress and social justice.
But the horizon is bright / Yonder comes the morning
Despite the setbacks and challenges, there is hope for a better future.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: BILLY BRAGG
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind