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.
Rotting On Remand
Billy Bragg Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
As he refused me bail
And I knew that I would spend my time
Awaiting trial in jail
I said there is no justice
As they led me out of the door
And the judge said, "this isn't a court of justice, son
This is a court of law."
They first sent me to Windsor
And then to stoke on Trent
In a holding cell in Liverpool
Three days and nights I spent
My solicitor can't find me
And my family don't know
I keep telling them that I'm innocent
They just say, "come on son, in you go."
I was picked up on suspicion of something I haven't done
Here I sit in 'f' wing waiting for my trial to come
It's a cruel unusual punishment that society demands
Innocent till proven guilty, rotting on remand
I ended up in this jail
Built in 1882
When one man to one prison cell
Was a Victorian value
Now three of us are squeezed in here
And you can't escape the smell
Of that bucket in the corner
And we eat in here as well
They let me out of this cage
To slop that bucket out
To get my food and bring it back
And if I'm lucky, get a shower
Apart from one hour's exercise
I'm locked in here all day
You don't turn criminals into citizens
By treating them this way
Is the price of law and order the stench of wormwood scrubs
With judges quick to sentence more down from above
It's a cruel unusual punishment that society demands
Innocent till proven guilty, rotting on remand
The song “Rotting on Remand” by Billy Bragg is a protest against the British justice system and its way of treating accused individuals. The lyrics convey a melancholic tone as Billy Bragg narrates the experience of being in jail while awaiting trial. The singer, who has been accused of a crime he did not commit, illustrates how the justice system operates in favor of the affluent rather than the innocent. The song starts by describing the court rejecting his bail, which leads him to spend time in jail awaiting trial. Billy Bragg points out the irony of a court called a ‘court of law’ that practices no justice.
The song then details the miserable experience of being in jail, from being moved to different jails, separated from family and friends, to living in overcrowded cells. The lyrics describe the appalling living conditions without any access to basic facilities, such as a shower, and prisoners being treated like animals rather than human beings. Bragg criticizes the justice system's failure to rehabilitate individuals and society's demand for retribution instead of reformation.
Overall, “Rotting on Remand” is a critique of the prison-industrial complex and the justice system, which punish people before proven guilty, leaving them to rot on remand. The song appeals to everyone to fight for a justice system that promotes equity, fairness, and compassion.
Line by Line Meaning
I stood before the judge that day
The singer appeared in court before a judge.
As he refused me bail
The judge declined to release the singer on bail.
And I knew that I would spend my time
The singer was aware that they would have to wait in jail for their trial.
Awaiting trial in jail
The artist would have to stay in prison until their trial date.
I said there is no justice
The artist expressed their belief that the legal system was unfair.
As they led me out of the door
The guards escorted the singer out of the courtroom.
And the judge said, "this isn't a court of justice, son
The judge told the singer that the intention of the court was not to seek justice.
This is a court of law."
The judge explained that the purpose of the court was simply to enforce the law.
They first sent me to Windsor
The authorities transferred the artist to the Windsor prison.
And then to stoke on Trent
From Windsor, the artist was moved to Stoke on Trent prison.
In a holding cell in Liverpool
The singer spent three days and nights in a prison cell in Liverpool.
Three days and nights I spent
The artist was confined to the Liverpool cell for a total of three days and nights.
My solicitor can't find me
The singer's lawyer was unable to locate them.
And my family don't know
The singer's family was unaware of their location.
I keep telling them that I'm innocent
The singer maintained that they were not guilty of the charges against them.
They just say, "come on son, in you go."
The artist's family seems resigned to the artist's situation and tells them to accept it.
I was picked up on suspicion of something I haven't done
The artist was arrested on suspicion of a crime they did not commit.
Here I sit in 'f' wing waiting for my trial to come
The singer is presently waiting for their trial in the 'f' wing of the prison.
It's a cruel unusual punishment that society demands
The singer feels that the prison system is a form of cruel and unusual punishment.
Innocent till proven guilty, rotting on remand
The artist is considered innocent until proven guilty but must still wait in prison while their trial is pending.
I ended up in this jail
The artist is now in prison.
Built in 1882
The prison was constructed in 1882.
When one man to one prison cell
In the past, each prisoner had their own cell.
Was a Victorian value
Having individual cells for prisoners was considered a Victorian ideal.
Now three of us are squeezed in here
Currently, the singer is sharing a cell with two other prisoners.
And you can't escape the smell
The prison cell has an unpleasant odor that cannot be avoided.
Of that bucket in the corner
There is a bucket in the cell that serves as a toilet.
And we eat in here as well
The prisoners are also required to eat their meals in the cell.
They let me out of this cage
Occasionally, the artist is allowed to leave their cell.
To slop that bucket out
They are allowed to empty the bucket that serves as a toilet.
To get my food and bring it back
The singer must retrieve their meals and bring them back to the cell.
And if I'm lucky, get a shower
The artist is permitted to take a shower if they are fortunate.
Apart from one hour's exercise
The artist is only allowed one hour of exercise each day.
I'm locked in here all day
Otherwise, the artist is confined to their cell for the duration of the day.
You don't turn criminals into citizens
The singer believes that the rehabilitation of prisoners requires more than just locking them up.
By treating them this way
Locking up prisoners in the described conditions is not an effective way to reintegrate them into society.
Is the price of law and order the stench of wormwood scrubs
The singer questions whether the unpleasant conditions of the prison are an acceptable cost of maintaining law and order.
With judges quick to sentence more down from above
The singer criticizes judges for handing down harsh sentences without considering the consequences for the prisoners' wellbeing.
It's a cruel unusual punishment that society demands
The singer feels that the demands of society for justice result in cruel and unusual punishment of prisoners.
Innocent till proven guilty, rotting on remand
The artist continues to wait in prison while being presumed innocent until found guilty at trial.
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: BILLY BRAGG
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind