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Grex > Oldmusic > #125: Billy Bragg --- mixing pop & politics | |
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micklpkl
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Billy Bragg --- mixing pop & politics
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Oct 30 22:47 UTC 2002 |
Since I'm bouncy still about winning tickets to see Billy Bragg tonight
at Stubbs BBQ, I thought I'd pass on the lyrics to his
latest "broadside" --- this is one that Billy is encouraging people to
share, so go for it!
The Price Of Oil
Voices on the radio
Tell us that we're going to war
Those brave men and women in uniform
They want to know what they're fighting for
The generals want to hear the endgame
The allies want to prove the plan
But the oilmen in the White House
They just don't give a damn
Cause it's all about the price of oil
It's all about the price of oil
Don't give me no shit about blood, sweat, tears and toil
It's all about the price of oil
Now I ain't no fan of Saddam Hussein
Oh, please don't get me wrong
If it's freeing the Iraqi people you're after
Then why have we waited so long?
Why didn't we sort this out last time?
Was he less evil then than he is now?
The stock market holds the answer to
Why him, why here, why now?
Cause it's all about the price of oil
It's all about the price of oil
Don't give me no shit about blood, sweat, tears and toil
It's all about the price of oil
Saddam killed his own people
Just like General Pinochet
And once upon a time both these evil men were supported by the USA
Whisper even Bin Laden once drank from America's cup
Just like that election down in Florida
This shit doesn't all add up
It's all about the price of oil
It's all about the price of oil
Don't give me no shit about blood, sweat, tears and toil
It's all about the price of oil
Copyright Billy Bragg 2002
there's an mp3 of the song, in case you're curious, in many places on
the 'Net. Here's one URL ---
http://www.jungle.ca/ThePriceOfOil.mp3
(160Kbps ~ 5.61MB in size)
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| 5 responses total. |
mcnally
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response 1 of 5:
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Oct 30 23:26 UTC 2002 |
Billy Bragg can be entertaining as long as you don't take him too seriously.
When you're at the concert, I'd be interested in knowing whether the
guy at the soundboard is a gray-haired Englishman named Grant. Last time
I saw Bragg (at the Majestic, in Detroit, about five years ago on a
double bill with Robyn Hitchcock) his sound guy was one of the co-producers
of his album, Grant Showbiz of the Moodswings. He wasn't involved in the
last Moodswings project and I'm curious to know whether he's still working
with Bragg. When I talked to him in Detroit at that show he was very nice
and obviously very flattered that anyone in America knew who he was.
At any rate, I enjoyed his music and would like to learn what he's up to..
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other
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response 2 of 5:
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Oct 31 04:40 UTC 2002 |
I'm listening now. A little low key in tone for the message, but not
bad.
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micklpkl
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response 3 of 5:
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Oct 31 07:45 UTC 2002 |
I'm sorry that I didn't read mcnally's resp:1 before heading downtown
for the concert; I would've flattered Grant again. :) He was indeed
there at the soundboard, tonight. Billy even pointed him out, and told
a story about the two of them, going to the Ralph Nader rally in
Madison Square Garden, and watching the ASL interpreter sign "Sexual
Healing" while Ben Harper performed the song.
The concert was great, but it was a bit like other says --- low key is
a nice adjective. I was left with a pretty good feeling, anyways. There
were no "Blokes" backing up Billy tonight; only Ian McLagan on piano
and that crazy organ for about half of the time. The venue was
absolutely packed. I don't know why it was indoors; it was only cool
outside, and not wet at all. As it was, there were fans spilling out
the outside doors and even a sizeable number just listening and
watching on the monitors outside.
Austin was the last stop of this 2002 tour; he'd been touring since
February.
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mcnally
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response 4 of 5:
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Oct 31 21:00 UTC 2002 |
re #3: It's too bad you didn't see my response before the concert.
When I introduced myself after the Detroit show he seemed like a very
nice person and gave every impression that I'd made his day by knowing
who he was and enjoying his music. Plus, I scored a pile of free CDs
for my efforts -- I told him I'd really liked "Moodfood", the album he
and his musical partner JT Hood had released the year before, and he
asked me for a card with my address. A few weeks later I got a package
in the mail from England. Inside the package were half a dozen or so
CDs plus a note from his agent to the effect that Grant had asked him to
them. They included everything his band had recorded to date, including
a couple of UK-only singles for which I hadn't wanted to pay import prices.
Thereafter, every time they'd record something new I'd receive a package
in the mail about a week or so before the release date -- it was a lot
of fun. For all I know the packages are still showing up periodically at
the Ann Arbor apartment where I lived at the time, though I don't know if
he's still recording his own stuff or whether he's just working with other
musicians..
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dbratman
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response 5 of 5:
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Nov 1 23:12 UTC 2002 |
No, it's not "all about the price of oil." If that were true, the same
questions would apply. But they're damn good questions, all the same:
Now I ain't no fan of Saddam Hussein
Oh, please don't get me wrong
If it's freeing the Iraqi people you're after
Then why have we waited so long?
Why didn't we sort this out last time?
Was he less evil then than he is now?
I've been saying that ever since this matter came up, and asking this
question every time I encounter a pro-war person: why now? I've never
gotten an answer that makes any sense.
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