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.
Must I Paint You A Picture
Billy Bragg Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
We find a lot of things out this way
And there's you
A little black cloud in a dress
The temptation
To take the precious things we have apart
To see how they work
Must be resisted for they never fit together again
If these are tears let them fall
[Chorus:]
Must I paint you a picture
About the way that I feel
You know my love for you is strong, girl
You know my love for you is real
It took a short walk and a talk
To change the rules of engagement
While you searched frantically for reverse and them claiming
That virtue never tested is no virtue at all
And so I lost my ignorance
And now the bells across the river chime out your name
I look across to them again
All your friends said come down
It will never fly
And on that imperfect day
We threw it all away
Crisis after crisis, with such intensity
This would never happen if we lived by the sea
Most important decisions in life
Are made between two people in bed
I found that out at my expense
And when I see you
You just turn around and walk away like we never met
Oh we used to be so brave
I dreamt the world stopped turning as we climbed the hill
I dreamt impossible dreams that we were lovers still
The lyrics for "Must I Paint You A Picture" by British singer-songwriter Billy Bragg are very powerful as they speak about the issues of love, timing, and relationships. The song is about a relationship that has gone wrong and how the singer is struggling to cope with it. The first verse describes how the singer and their partner are not the best match in terms of timing, and how their partner is like a "little black cloud in a dress". The singer admits they are tempted to take the relationship apart - to see how the pieces work - but knows they will not fit back together again.
In the chorus, the singer asks if they need to paint a picture of how they feel about their lover. They then declare their love for the person and how it is real and strong. The second verse talks about how things changed quickly, how a short walk and a talk changed the rules of engagement. The singer loses their ignorance and realizes they have made a mistake. They look across a river where bells chime out the name of their lover.
The bridge speaks to the importance of timing and making decisions from a place of clarity, rather than in the heat of the moment. The singer regrets that the most important decisions in life are often made in bed between two people. The song ends with the singer longing for the love they once shared, dreaming of impossible dreams where they were still together.
Overall, the song tells a story of love, loss, and the importance of timing. The singer is struggling to come to terms with a relationship that has failed and is filled with regret for the decisions they made. It is a hauntingly emotional song that is relatable to many who have gone through a similar experience.
Line by Line Meaning
It's bad timing and me
This moment is poorly timed for me.
We find a lot of things out this way
We learn many things through experiences like this.
And there's you
You are also present in this moment.
A little black cloud in a dress
You seem unhappy or upset, despite your outward appearance.
The temptation
I am tempted by the idea of taking apart the valuable things we have to understand them better.
To take the precious things we have apart
I am tempted to dismantle the valuable things we have.
To see how they work
In order to understand how they function.
Must be resisted for they never fit together again
However, it's important to resist this temptation, since the things we take apart may never fit together again.
If this is rain let it fall on me and drown me
If this experience is difficult or painful, let it consume me entirely.
If these are tears let them fall
If my emotions are overwhelming, I will allow myself to fully feel them.
Must I paint you a picture
Do I need to explain this to you any further?
About the way that I feel
Regarding the depth of my emotions for you.
You know my love for you is strong, girl
You are aware of the intensity of my feelings for you.
You know my love for you is real
My love for you is true and authentic.
It took a short walk and a talk
Our conversation was brief.
To change the rules of engagement
But it altered the way we interact with each other.
While you searched frantically for reverse and them claiming
Meanwhile, you were desperately trying to turn back time and erase our interaction.
That virtue never tested is no virtue at all
A person's moral excellence is only truly valuable if it's put to the test.
And so I lost my ignorance
As a result of this experience, I gained understanding.
And now the bells across the river chime out your name
These days, I am often reminded of you.
I look across to them again
I often gaze in the direction of these bells.
All your friends said come down
Your friends were advising you not to give me a chance.
It will never fly
They believed that our relationship would never work out.
And on that imperfect day
Despite the unfavorable circumstances on that day.
We threw it all away
We ended our relationship abruptly.
Crisis after crisis, with such intensity
We experienced many ongoing issues, which were extremely intense.
This would never happen if we lived by the sea
Perhaps if we lived in a different environment, our relationship would have been more peaceful.
Most important decisions in life
The decisions that truly matter.
Are made between two people in bed
Are often made in the context of an intimate relationship.
I found that out at my expense
I learned this lesson the hard way.
And when I see you
When I encounter you.
You just turn around and walk away like we never met
You act as if we have never crossed paths before.
Oh we used to be so brave
We were once much more brave and bold in love.
I dreamt the world stopped turning as we climbed the hill
I had a dream where the world came to a halt, while we were rising above everything else.
I dreamt impossible dreams that we were lovers still
In this dream, we were still together as lovers, despite everything else that had happened.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: BILLY BRAGG
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@theslimjim104
It's bad timing and me
We find a lot of things out this way
And there's you
A little black cloud in a dress
The temptation
To take the precious things we have apart
To see how they work
Must be resisted for they never fit together again
If this is rain let it fall on me and drown me
If these are tears let them fall
Must I paint you a picture
About the way that I feel?
You know my love for you is strong, girl
You know my love for you is real
It took a short walk and a talk
To change the rules of engagement
While you searched frantically for reverse
And them claiming
That virtue never tested is no virtue at all
And so I lost my ignorance
And now the bells across the river chime out your name
I look across to them again
Must I paint you a picture
About the way that I feel?
You know my love for you is strong, girl
You know my love for you is real
All your friends said come down
It will never fly
And on that imperfect day
We threw it all away
Crisis after crisis
With such intensity
This would never happen if we lived by the sea
Most important decisions in life
Are made between two people in bed
I found that out at my expense
And when I see you
You just turn around and walk away like we never met
Oh we used to be so brave
I dreamt the world stopped turning as we climbed the hill
I dreamt impossible dreams that we were lovers still
Must I paint you a picture
About the way that I feel?
You know my love for you is strong, girl
You know my love for you is real [Repeat]
@JoeTheGrunt
I was introduced to Billy's music in Germany when I was in the U.S. Army back in the mid 80s. I even got to see him in a small joint in Nashville TN and he kept giving me stares and smiles as I was the only one there that had ever heard his music and would scream titles of his songs to play. As an American, I thank Billy for his work on putting old lyrics recently found by the "Guthrie" family of Woodie's to music. Only a musician of his caliber could ever do it.
@SuperChrisDub
"The temptation to take the precious things we have apart must be resisted..." - is the some of the best relationship advice ever. This album is the sound of man who was in love deep for the first time but then it all turned to sh*t and now he is in in pain. You can hear it in his voice, completely authentic.
@theslimjim104
It's bad timing and me
We find a lot of things out this way
And there's you
A little black cloud in a dress
The temptation
To take the precious things we have apart
To see how they work
Must be resisted for they never fit together again
If this is rain let it fall on me and drown me
If these are tears let them fall
Must I paint you a picture
About the way that I feel?
You know my love for you is strong, girl
You know my love for you is real
It took a short walk and a talk
To change the rules of engagement
While you searched frantically for reverse
And them claiming
That virtue never tested is no virtue at all
And so I lost my ignorance
And now the bells across the river chime out your name
I look across to them again
Must I paint you a picture
About the way that I feel?
You know my love for you is strong, girl
You know my love for you is real
All your friends said come down
It will never fly
And on that imperfect day
We threw it all away
Crisis after crisis
With such intensity
This would never happen if we lived by the sea
Most important decisions in life
Are made between two people in bed
I found that out at my expense
And when I see you
You just turn around and walk away like we never met
Oh we used to be so brave
I dreamt the world stopped turning as we climbed the hill
I dreamt impossible dreams that we were lovers still
Must I paint you a picture
About the way that I feel?
You know my love for you is strong, girl
You know my love for you is real [Repeat]
@PWood-gh5cq
This is one of the really special musicians. The impact he has on people is profound.
@vicpur
Billy must of truly been in love when he wrote this. Its a classic.
@sharonnaylar4463
He was, I heard him talk about it in a radio interview with Jo Wiley. Really moving
@judithmurphy4133
'Walking & Talking' is one of my favourite films & this song features in the closing scenes. So beautiful! Love it! 💖
@americouhima8629
Me too
@djsi38t
When the female vocalist comes in I always start to well up in my eyes. Absolutely stinkin beautiful.
@weatheranddarkness
Who is she?