Folk music
In 1965, together with Tam Harvey, Connolly started a group called the Humblebums. At their first gig, Connolly introduced them both to the audience by saying, "My name's Billy Connolly, and I'm humble. This is Tam Harvey, he's a bum." The band would later include Gerry Rafferty. Connolly sang, played banjo and guitar, and entertained the audience with his humorous introductions to the songs.
In his World Tour of Scotland, Connolly reveals that at a trailer show during the Edinburgh Festival, the Humblebums took to the stage just before the late Yehudi Menuhin.
The trio broke up in 1971, at which point Connolly went solo. His first solo album in 1972, Billy Connolly Live! on Transatlantic Records, features Connolly as a singer, songwriter, and musician.
His early albums were a mixture of comedy performances with comedic and serious musical interludes. Among his best known musical performances were "The Welly Boot Song", a comical ode to the working class which became his theme song for several years; "In the Brownies", a parody of the Village People classics "Y.M.C.A." and "In the Navy" (for which Connolly filmed a music video); "Two Little Boys in Blue", a tongue-in-cheek indictment of police brutality done to the tune of Rolf Harris' "Two Little Boys"; and the ballad "I Wish I Was in Glasgow" which Connolly would later perform on a guest appearance on the 1990s American sitcom Pearl (which starred Rhea Perlman). He also performed the occasional Humblebums-era song such as "Oh, No!" as well as straightforward covers such as a version of Dolly Parton's "Coat of Many Colors" which was included on his Riotous Assembly album.
In November 1975, his spoof of the Tammy Wynette song "D-I-V-O-R-C-E" had a one-week spell as the UK's No. 1 single. Wynette's original was about parents spelling out words of an impending marital split to avoid traumatizing their young child. Connolly's version "D.I.V.O.R.C.E.", on the other hand, played off of the fact that many dog owners use the same tactic when they do not wish their pet to become upset about an impending trip to the veterinarian. His song is about a couple whose marriage is ruined by a bad vet visit (spelling out "W.O.R.M." or "Q.U.A.R.A.N.T.I.N.E.", for example.)
His song "No Chance" was a parody of J.J. Barrie's "No Charge".
In 1985 he sang the theme song to Supergran, which was released as a single and in 1996 he performed a cover of Ralph McTell's In The Dreamtime as the theme to his World Tour of Australia. By the late 1980s, Connolly had all but dropped the music from his act, though he still records the occasional musical performance. In 1998 he covered The Beatles' "Being for the Benefit of Mr. Kite" on the George Martin tribute, In My Life and he also recorded a rewritten version of Alanis Morissette's "Hand in My Pocket" entitled "The Evil Scotsman". Most recently, he sang a song during the film Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events.
Connolly is among the artists featured on Banjoman, a tribute to American folk musician Derroll Adams, released in 2002. He plays one song, "The Rock".
Stand-up comedy
It is as a stand-up comedian that Connolly is best known. His observational comedy is idiosyncratic and often off-the-cuff. He talks about himself, who he is, where he's been, what he thinks and how he reacts to the world around him. He has outraged audiences, critics and, of course, the media with his free use of the word "fuck". He has used masturbation, blasphemy, defecation, flatulence, sex, his father's illness and his aunts' cruelty to entertain. By exploring these subjects with humour, Connolly has done much to strip away the taboos surrounding them. Yet he does not tell jokes in the conventional way. At the end of a concert the audience can be convulsed with laughter but few can remember a specific "funny" line.
One of Connolly's most famous comedy skits is "The Crucifixion", an early 1970s recording in which he likens Christ's Last Supper to a drunken night out in Glasgow. The recording was banned by many radio stations at the time. Around this same time, a joke told during a television talk show appearance (about a murderer and his bike) became a sensation that, reportedly, people still remember three decades after the appearance. (A transcript of the complete joke can be found here).
Billy Connolly also performed a sketch broadcast on TV, when talking about national anthems, and comparing the UK's slow tune to the lively ones of many other nations, Billy suggested that it should be replaced by the theme tune to The Archers.
Connolly's style has changed over the years to be less controversial and more observational. Including topics such as himself aging, stories about where he has been and other aspects of his life. He also exclaims "Oh, I must tell you!" and vocalises whatever thought occurs to him. Another feature is his ability to break off onto a tangent mid-topic and return to it later -- sometimes as long as an hour later.
Awards
Connolly was awarded an honorary Doctor of Letters degree by the University of Glasgow on 11 July, 2001. This particularly bemused his wife, who noted that she had studied for six years to obtain her Ph.D., whereas Billy merely had to turn up and collect his. 2003 saw him presented with a BAFTA Lifetime Achievement award and a CBE in the Queen's Birthday Honours List.
On 4 July 2006, Connolly was awarded an honorary doctorate by Glasgow's Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama (RSAMD) for his service to performing arts [5].
Trivia
* While being interviewed with his wife on the Irish Late Late Show, Connolly proved how easily he forgets many great lines that other comedians could only hope to think of. The presenter was trying to get Connolly to reproduce a funny line he had read in "Bravemouth" about Connolly knowing of an organism that lives on a human eyelid that has two penises. He asked Connolly "What was it called?" to which Connolly replied "Some latin name that I can't remember". His wife then interrupted "But the translation means lucky bastard, right", to which Connolly broke down in a fit of laughter. When he complemented his wife on the line, she had to remind him that it was his own original line which he had forgotten.
* Connolly is a lifelong supporter of Glasgow football team, Celtic, and is often seen at their home games.
* Connolly came second in The Glasgow Herald's poll, "The Most Scottish Person In The World". Number one was Wee Jimmy Krankie (see The Krankies), while third place went to Russ Abbott's impersonation of a Scotsman.
Blood And Glory
Billy Connolly Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Don't you feel like sayin' to a man who's fed up prayin' that you're mine
We fought a lot of battles from Nebraska to Seattle, I'm so tired
We hid in lonely places and we never seen the faces ‘til they fired.
Well hear me talkin' (blood and glory)
I'm fed up walkin' (blood and glory)
I'll tell a story (blood and glory)
When we threw away our sabers and we joined with Preston's Raiders for a while
We looted and we plundered while the Yankee cannons thundered, we just smiled
But now back home in Kentucky, and I know I've been lucky to survive
I never want to see another cannon aimed at me while I'm alive.
Well hear me talkin' (blood and glory)
I'm fed up walkin' (blood and glory)
I'll tell a story (blood and glory)
About blood and glory.
The lyrics of Billy Connolly's song "Blood and Glory" depict the weariness and trauma of a soldier who has fought through the American Civil War. The song begins by painting a picture of a tired and defeated soldier who wants someone to talk to. He has been walking and fighting for a long time and is fed up with it all. He seeks solace from the person he's singing to, asking if they feel like talking to someone who's been through it all.
The song continues to describe the bloodshed and violence that the soldier has witnessed as a soldier in the war. He speaks of battles fought from Nebraska to Seattle and of hiding in lonely places, never seeing the faces of his enemies until they fired. The soldier has also been a part of a group of Raiders who looted and plundered while the Yankee cannons thundered, but he makes it clear that he doesn't want to see another cannon aimed at him again.
The overall theme of "Blood and Glory" is one of war, the trauma it causes, and the weariness of those who have fought in it. The song's lyrics evoke a sense of both desperation and resignation, reflecting the soldier's exhaustion and his desire for peace.
Line by Line Meaning
Don't you feel like talkin' to a man who's fed up walkin' all the time
Do you have the desire to engage in a conversation with an individual who is tired of constantly walking?
Don't you feel like sayin' to a man who's fed up prayin' that you're mine
Do you have the urge to express to an individual who is exhausted from hoping that you belong to them?
We fought a lot of battles from Nebraska to Seattle, I'm so tired
We have engaged in many wars, ranging from Nebraska to Seattle, and I am drained.
We hid in lonely places and we never seen the faces ‘til they fired.
We have concealed ourselves in solitary locations and had not become familiar with our foe until they attacked.
Well hear me talkin' (blood and glory)
Kindly pay attention to what I am about to say (which relates to fighting and triumph).
I'm fed up walkin' (blood and glory)
I am tired of walking and desire to engage in something more meaningful (such as combat and victory).
I'll tell a story (blood and glory)
I am going to narrate an account (that relates to battle and triumph).
About blood and glory.
This chronicle I am about to recount is concerning violence and triumph.
When we threw away our sabers and we joined with Preston's Raiders for a while
There was a time when we abandoned our swords and allied ourselves with Preston's Raiders for a period.
We looted and we plundered while the Yankee cannons thundered, we just smiled
While the Yankee artillery roared, we pillaged and stole with contentment.
But now back home in Kentucky, and I know I've been lucky to survive
However, currently residing in Kentucky, I acknowledge that I am fortunate to be alive.
I never want to see another cannon aimed at me while I'm alive.
I have no interest in ever seeing a cannon directed towards me again while I am still living.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: GERRY RAFFERTY
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Shardric
on The evil Scotsman
It's not Billy Connolly.
It's actually called "Trouble"
It was written by George Allen and Garry Desmond and perormed by The Rockin' Jock.