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.
My Thirty Thousand
Billy Bragg Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
That faced the Ku Klux Klan
On hollow grove's golfing ground
His words come sounding
And all around him there
To jump and clap and cheer
I sent the best I had, the best I had
The Klansman leader said
That Paul would lose his head
When thirty five thousand vets
Broke up that concert
But less than four thousand came
To side with the Klan
But around Paul's lonesome oak
My thirty thousand
A beersoaked brassy band
Did snortle round the grounds
Four hundred noblest souls
Westchester's manhood
And they looked exactly like
The fleas on a tiger's back
Lost fish in the waters of
My thirty thousand
When Paul had sung and gone
And the kids and babies home
Cops came with guns and clubs
And they clubbed and beat 'em
Well, I'd hate to be a cop
Caught with a bloody stick
'Cause you can't bash the brains
Out of thirty thousand
Each eye you tried to gouge
Each skull you tried to crack
Has a thousand, thousand friends
Around this green grass
If you furnish the skull someday
I'll pass out the clubs and guns
To the billion hands that love
My thirty thousand
Each wrinkle on your face
I know it at a glance
You cannot run and hide
Nor duck nor dodge them
And your carcass and your deeds
Will fertilize the seeds
Of the men that stood to guard
My thirty thousand
Of the men that stood to guard
My thirty thousand
"My Thirty Thousand" is a song by Billy Bragg and Wilco that contemplates the life and works of famed scholar and activist Paul Robeson. The song alludes to his works in the civil rights movement and the efforts he made in advocating for the rights of African Americans. Paul Robeson became a symbol of aspiration for black people around the world because of his incredible musical talent, intelligence, and dedication to standing up against injustice. Robeson's musical genius spoke to people, challenging them to be better versions of themselves while making a difference in the world.
The song, "My Thirty Thousand," begins by describing how Robeson faced the Ku Klux Klan on a golfing ground during one of his speeches. The chorus, which emphasizes the phrase "My Thirty Thousand," is used to indicate that he had a substantial crowd present to hear him speak that day. The song expresses that the Klan expected thirty-five thousand veterans to come and halt the concert, but only four thousand came to support them. In contrast, Robeson had an army of thirty thousand supporters surrounding him, cheering and clapping along to his words. Additionally, the lyrics reference a feeling of solidarity between Robeson and his supporters. Billy Bragg and Wilco wrote, "Around Paul's lonesome oak, My thirty thousand—where the Klansman leader watched in disdain."
Moving on to the second verse of "My Thirty Thousand," the song alludes to the post-concert events of that fateful day. Despite efforts to break up the concert, Paul persisted and sang until he had finished his message. However, when the concert ended, the police arrived with guns and clubs in hand, and they began to use them against the peaceful crowd that had gathered to listen to Robeson's speech. The song then ends by encouraging the people who had witnessed the events of that day to act as guardians to Robeson's message and teachings.
Line by Line Meaning
Paul Robeson, he's the man
Paul Robeson is a man worth mentioning
That faced the Ku Klux Klan
He stood up against the Ku Klux Klan
On hollow grove's golfing ground
Specifically, he faced them on a golf course in Hollow Grove
His words come sounding
His message was powerful and resonated with people
And all around him there
People gathered around him
To jump and clap and cheer
They were enthusiastic and supportive
I sent the best I had, the best I had
The person speaking did everything in their power to support Paul
My thirty thousand
Refers to the large number of people who supported Paul
The Klansman leader said
The leader of the Ku Klux Klan made a statement
That Paul would lose his head
He threatened violence against Paul
When thirty five thousand vets
When 35,000 veterans
Broke up that concert
Attempted to prevent Paul's concert from happening
But less than four thousand came
Far fewer veterans actually showed up than the Klan claimed
To side with the Klan
Those who did come were supporting the Klan
But around Paul's lonesome oak
Others were standing with Paul
My thirty thousand
The same group of supporters mentioned earlier
A beersoaked brassy band
A band that had been drinking a lot
Did snortle round the grounds
They were making noise and being rowdy
Four hundred noblest souls
A group of honorable people
Westchester's manhood
Possibly a reference to a specific location in New York
And they looked exactly like
They appeared highly distinctive or memorable
The fleas on a tiger's back
A vivid descriptor of their appearance
Lost fish in the waters of
They could have been seen as confused or out-of-place
My thirty thousand
Paul's supporters
When Paul had sung and gone
After Paul performed and left the stage
And the kids and babies home
The concert attendees went home, including families with young children
Cops came with guns and clubs
The police arrived with weapons
And they clubbed and beat 'em
They physically attacked people
Well, I'd hate to be a cop
The artist suggests that such behavior is shameful
Caught with a bloody stick
If caught in the act of violence
Cause you can't bash the brains
You can't harm or kill innocent people
Out of thirty thousand
That many people will be powerful enough to resist unjust violence
Each eye you tried to gouge
Police brutality will not go unpunished, even if only after the fact
Each skull you tried to crack
The artist is vowing to seek justice for anyone who is hurt
Has a thousand, thousand friends
A large network of support exists
Around this green grass
In this area
If you furnish the skull someday
The singer is willing to fight for justice
I'll pass out the clubs and guns
They are willing to take action and fight back
To the billion hands that love
A metaphor for the huge number of people who support justice and equality
My thirty thousand
Those people who will stand up for what's right
Each wrinkle on your face
Age will not protect those who use violence to hurt others
I know it at a glance
The singer can recognize them and their actions
You cannot run and hide
They will be held accountable for their actions
Nor duck nor dodge them
They can't get away with their misdeeds
And your carcass and your deeds
Their physical body and their actions
Will fertilize the seeds
Their actions will have consequences
Of the men that stood to guard
The people who worked to protect others
My thirty thousand
The people who will support and fight for each other
Of the men that stood to guard
A reiteration of the previous line
My thirty thousand
Those who are dedicated to seeking justice and equality
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: BILLY BRAGG, WOODY GUTHRIE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind