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.
World Turned Upside Down
Billy Bragg Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
A ragged band they called the diggers came to show the people's will
They defied the landlords
They defied the laws
They were the dispossessed reclaiming what was theirs
We come in peace they said to dig and sow
We come to work the lands in common and to make the waste grounds grow
The sin of property we do disdain
No man has any right to buy and sell the Earth for private gain
By theft and murder they took the land
Now everywhere the walls spring up at their command
They make the laws to chain us well
The clergy dazzle us with heaven or they damn us into hell
We will no worship the God they serve
The God of greed who feed the rich while poor men starve
We work we eat together
We need no swords
We will not bow to the masters or pay rent to the lords
We are free men, though we are poor
You diggers all stand up for glory stand up now
From the men of property the orders came
They sent the hired men and troopers to wipe out the diggers claim
Tear down their cottages, destroy their corn
They were dispersed but still the vision lingers on
You Poor take courage you rich take care
This Earth was made a common treasury for everyone to share
All things in common, all people one
We come in peace the orders came to cut them down
The lyrics to Billy Bragg's "The World Turned Upside Down" describe the historical event known as the Diggers' Revolt. In 1649, a group of poor farmers known as the Diggers began squatting on common land in St. George's Hill, Surrey, UK. They believed that the earth should be held in common, rather than being privately owned by the wealthy landlords who ruled over them. The Diggers' movement was a form of early socialism, and their beliefs were radical for their time.
The lyrics of the song are a call to action for the Diggers, urging them to stand up for their rights and resist the greed of the wealthy landowners. They proclaim their disdain for the sin of property and the idea that anyone has the right to buy and sell the earth for private gain. The Diggers believe that they have a right to work and cultivate the land in common, and that this will create a common treasury for all people.
The song also describes the violent opposition the Diggers faced from the men of property, who sent hired men and troopers to wipe out the Diggers' claim. Despite being dispersed, the vision of the Diggers lingers on. The song is a powerful call to all people, both rich and poor, to take courage and stand up for the common good.
Line by Line Meaning
In 1649 to St. George's Hill
The year 1649 and the location of St. George's Hill sets the time and place for the events being described.
A ragged band they called the diggers came to show the people's will
The Diggers, a group of dispossessed people, arrived to demonstrate their shared desire for land reform.
They defied the landlords
The Diggers challenged the landowners' authority.
They defied the laws
The Diggers disregarded existing laws that protected the landlords' ownership of property.
They were the dispossessed reclaiming what was theirs
The Diggers sought to reclaim land that they believed had been taken unfairly from them by the wealthy.
We come in peace they said to dig and sow
The Diggers came to the land in a non-violent manner, with the intention of cultivating it.
We come to work the lands in common and to make the waste grounds grow
The Diggers intended to share the land and make it productive, rather than allowing it to remain wasted.
This Earth divided we will make whole so it will be a common treasury for all
The Diggers wanted to unite the land and make it a shared resource for everyone to benefit from.
The sin of property we do disdain
The Diggers believed that the idea of private property was morally wrong and harmful to society.
No man has any right to buy and sell the Earth for private gain
The Diggers rejected the notion that individuals could legitimately buy and sell land for their own benefit.
By theft and murder they took the land
The Diggers believed that the wealthy acquired their land through immoral means, including violence and exploitation.
Now everywhere the walls spring up at their command
The wealthy have used their power to build walls and barriers to protect their property and keep others out.
They make the laws to chain us well
The wealthy have created laws to maintain their power over others and prevent them from challenging the status quo.
The clergy dazzle us with heaven or they damn us into hell
Religious leaders have used promises of reward or threats of punishment to maintain the existing social order and prevent dissent.
We will not worship the God they serve
The Diggers rejected the religious and social values that were used to justify the existing power structure.
The God of greed who feed the rich while poor men starve
The Diggers believed that the existing social order was based on a selfish and immoral pursuit of wealth that left others in poverty and suffering.
We work we eat together
The Diggers believed in cooperative labor and shared resources in order to create a more just society.
We need no swords
The Diggers believed in nonviolent resistance and rejected the use of force to achieve their goals.
We will not bow to the masters or pay rent to the lords
The Diggers rejected the traditional power structure in which the wealthy owned and controlled land, and sought to create a more equitable society.
We are free men, though we are poor
The Diggers believed that true freedom was not based on wealth or power, but on the ability to work together and share resources.
You diggers all stand up for glory stand up now
The song's speaker calls on the legacy of the Diggers and encourages people to stand up for their rights and the principles of the movement.
From the men of property the orders came
The wealthy and powerful issued orders to suppress the Diggers movement and maintain their control over land and resources.
They sent the hired men and troopers to wipe out the diggers claim
The powerful used force to suppress and destroy the Diggers movement and reclaim control over their land.
Tear down their cottages, destroy their corn
The wealthy used violence and destruction to punish the Diggers and prevent them from sustaining themselves on the land they had claimed.
They were dispersed but still the vision lingers on
Although the Diggers movement was ultimately defeated, its vision and principles continue to inspire people to challenge existing power structures and promote social and economic justice.
You Poor take courage you rich take care
The song's speaker encourages the poor to have hope for a more just society, and warns the wealthy to be careful and recognize the potential for the oppressed to rise up and demand change.
This Earth was made a common treasury for everyone to share
The Diggers believed that the land and its resources should be seen as a common good, rather than being owned and controlled by a small group of people for their own benefit.
All things in common, all people one
The Diggers sought to create a society in which resources and opportunities were shared equally among all people, regardless of wealth or social status.
We come in peace the orders came to cut them down
The song's speaker again emphasizes the nonviolent nature of the Diggers movement, and underscores the violent response of those who sought to maintain their control over land and resources.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA/AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@BritishBeachcomber
I grew up near Saint George's Hill, where the diggers rebelled. I eventually bought a house nearby. But not in the posh part. Just an ordinary guy trying to make an honest living from the land. Billy Bragg opened my eyes to the truth about the rich and the poor.
@andro7862
"If you don't give us what is ours,
We shan't beg, we'll take it back ourselves"
–Croatian folk song "Padaj Silo i Nepravdo"
@jd_jd_jd
Respect. I like the sound of that. Would you know a version with UK lyrics.
A singer or group name maybe.
Thanks dude✌
Edit: Two yrs old comment, maybe someone else can point me.Thanks
@Doctor_Who_Rocks
And what does the title mean?
@Doctor_Who_Rocks
@Andro & @jd_jd_jd
Well "The Internationale" has similar sentiments * and Billy Bragg's version says "Those who have taken, now they must give/".
* e.g.:
"Ere the thieves will out with their booty/And to all give a happier lot/Each at the forge must do his duty/And we'll strike the iron while it's hot!"
@The_platform763
My history teacher played this as part of my lesson, and im so glad he did. It's good to see a more progressive attitude, especially in teachers. Freedom for all! ✊🏴
@hoodiecollier5542
A majority of education is dominated by progressive or leftist ideology. This isn’t something new.
@Freedom_4_Assange
struth
@stephenbier7992
Rarely, if ever, does one find more inspiring lyrics
@wanderinggoliard
Kylie Minogue's version of locomotion must come in a close second.