BILLY BRAGG TO MORRISSEY: "You're a bore"

[Paulc]

Lord Bragg of Dorsetshire, the great socialist, secure in his country pile, is an irrelevance and has been for twenty years. Self appointed vizier of all things "English" and "Englishness", wheeled out so often by the liberal media as the fount of wisdom on the Empire, the flag and the spots on his own arse that he should really undergo an operation to fuse himself with a wheelbarrow to save time and effort.

A mealy mouthed, slovenly, pitiable, nauseating, repulsive, disgusting, pointless, cretinous, self loathing, hate filled filth bucket who makes George Galloway look like a statesman. The sort of person who makes the question "if you only had one bullet?" so very difficult to answer.

You would have hoped someone who made his own guitar would have electrocuted himself on stage years ago. Now there's a show of his I'd like to have seen.

just a wild stab in the dark but i am guessing you dont like him then?

 

[Augustus]

Who told you?

I thought Bragg was a breath of fresh air when he was first around on the music scene. The earnestness he brought to his early recordings was refreshing when put up against the Blow Monkeys or similar acts of the time and with Thatcher in power and a non existent opposition his voice, (and Red Wedge too) made it more relevant still, at least for a year or so.

The thing is, like socialism itself, he failed to move forward. Billy is stuck in a time warp, but regrettably still manages to bleed through into our dimension most notably with numerous whining guest appearances on the ludicrous Islingtonista luvvie fest that was once Radio Five Live. His muse, once pin sharp, now reduced to dusting off (geddit?) Woody Guthrie songs.

I can see him now in his Dorset farmstead, denim dungarees and straw hat, a latter day Tom Joad seeking solace from poverty with only his home studio and Lexus for company. The only grapes Billy ever sees are those contained within an agreeable merlot.

What do I despise about him the most? The endless negativity wrapped in an all consuming hypocrisy. Billy Bragg is the Eyore of comfortably off left and, as you can imagine, he's up against some pretty stiff opposition for that title. Billy's concern for the poor and needy appears to turn off with the "on-air" light.

 

[King Leer]

Don't know much about Bragg -- never thought his face suited anything beyond radio -- but your overview was funny and well written.

Who told you?

I thought Bragg was a breath of fresh air when he was first around on the music scene. The earnestness he brought to his early recordings was refreshing when put up against the Blow Monkeys or similar acts of the time and with Thatcher in power and a non existent opposition his voice, (and Red Wedge too) made it more relevant still, at least for a year or so.

The thing is, like socialism itself, he failed to move forward. Billy is stuck in a time warp, but regrettably still manages to bleed through into our dimension most notably with numerous whining guest appearances on the ludicrous Islingtonista luvvie fest that was once Radio Five Live. His muse, once pin sharp, now reduced to dusting off (geddit?) Woody Guthrie songs.

I can see him now in his Dorset farmstead, denim dungarees and straw hat, a latter day Tom Joad seeking solace from poverty with only his home studio and Lexus for company. The only grapes Billy ever sees are those contained within an agreeable merlot.

What do I despise about him the most? The endless negativity wrapped in an all consuming hypocrisy. Billy Bragg is the Eyore of comfortably off left and, as you can imagine, he's up against some pretty stiff opposition for that title. Billy's concern for the poor and needy appears to turn off with the "on-air" light.

 

[Worm]

Is taking joy in the cancer afflicting another person what you consider reflective of so-called left-wing compassion, kindness, and tolerance?

Jesus. Even I balked at taking the cancer thing any further but try not to be so humorless.

 

[Worm]

So, according to Billy Bragg, Morrissey should've shut up, because his statements were "inflammatory."

Are you trying to censor Billy Bragg by calling his book boring? No. And neither is Billy Bragg trying to censor Morrissey by calling him a bore. I don't see Billy going around screaming that Morrissey's comments were a crime.

 

[Worm]

Don't know much about Bragg -- never thought his face suited anything beyond radio -- but your overview was funny and well written.

Agreed, I have disagreements in certain places but there's no question his (?) posts are excellent.

 

[Not Right in the Head]

Jesus. Even I balked at taking the cancer thing any further but try not to be so humorless.

Are you calling Jesus humorless now? That certainly drags this argument down to a hole new level.

 

[Worm]

Are you calling Jesus humorless now? That certainly drags this argument down to a hole new level.

Are you kidding? Jesus was the best insult comic in Jerusalem.

"And the apostles-- don't get me started. Twelve schmucks wandering from stable to stable. I mean look, I know my Father is testing me, but did He have to send me down here two thousand years before deoderant?"

"Ladies and Gentlemen, Ladies and Gentlemen-- thank you, thank you, when I look out and see your faces I want to give blindness to the sighted".

"The other day Mark comes to me, says to me, 'Jesus, my wife has entered into the bloom of fertility and I pray that God bestows upon me the gift of a son'. I says to him, Mark, have you seen your wife lately? Pray to God he grants you an Immaculate Conception and leave it a that".

 

[Not Right in the Head]

"Ladies and Gentlemen, Ladies and Gentlemen-- thank you, thank you, when I look out and see your faces I want to give blindness to the sighted".

*wipes tear from eye* But better stop now before you get branded with the stigma of being irreverent.

 

[little stripey socks]

Bragg bugs me sometimes- he's so bloody worthy; like when he had that spat with the manics- who cares if they bring their own toilets to Glastonbury?!

apart from that, I'm think he's a bloody nice bloke. I just find him politically a bit annoying. Plus I owe him- I learned the guitar with 'play in a day the Billy Bragg way'!

shame he's chosen to have a pop at Mozz, when all around are losing theirs... (shurely shome mishtake- Ed)

 

[Worm]

*wipes tear from eye* But better stop now before you get branded with the stigma of being irreverent.

That's the fun part about Jesus. His teachings fit the bill whether you're a crazy right- or left-winger. (The common denominator being "crazy".)

"Everywhere I go, people say, 'Oh Jesus, Jesus, do that thing where you speak to us in parables!' Look folks, you want parables? Grow a pair yourself and get off my back, I've got the sins of the world to wash away, it's not like I'm busy here you ignorant goatherders."

"Whoa! Look at this woman. Can we-- Paul, can we get a torch over here? Yeah. Wow. She has a boil on her nose would choke a camel. Lady, you got a face that's beyond redemption, and believe me, I know whereof I speak."

"Sir, how long have you been married to this fine lady? Twelve years. With that planetary tukas of hers? Wow. Mazel tov. Sir, I congratulate you. You're the most reverent man on Earth. You're the only man around who leaves Mass and goes home to even more mass."

"Whoa! Whoa! What's that smell? Is that-- is that you, sir? Phew! I said the meek shall inherit the Earth. The meek, not the reek. I haven't smelled anything that gamy since I gave Lazarus a welcome-back hug."

"Brother Morrissey was complaining to me the other day. 'Jesus, I was walking around Rome and you can't even hear a Latin accent on the Palatine anymore! It's all gobbledy-gook!' I said, Mozzer, you schmoe, if I saw a crusty old grimace like yours I'd be speaking in tongues too."

 

[speedfreaks ball]

billy dont be a zero!

 

[Theo]

Johnny Ramone never cared what people like Billy Bragg or Tim Jonze thought of him.

Who're y'all's favorite Republicans?

Here are Johnny's:

1. Ronald Reagan
2. Richard Nixon
3. Charlton Heston
4. Vincent Gallo
5. Ted Nugent

 

[Worm]

Who're y'all's favorite Republicans?

Here are Johnny's:

1. Ronald Reagan
2. Richard Nixon
3. Charlton Heston
4. Vincent Gallo
5. Ted Nugent

1. Abraham Lincoln
2. Johnny Ramone
3. Vincent Gallo
4. Vincent Gallo's C***-Shaped Surplus Ego
5. Eazy E

 

[nugz]

That's the fun part about Jesus. His teachings fit the bill whether you're a crazy right- or left-winger. (The common denominator being "crazy".)

"Everywhere I go, people say, 'Oh Jesus, Jesus, do that thing where you speak to us in parables!' Look folks, you want parables? Grow a pair yourself and get off my back, I've got the sins of the world to wash away, it's not like I'm busy here you ignorant goatherders."

"Whoa! Look at this woman. Can we-- Paul, can we get a torch over here? Yeah. Wow. She has a boil on her nose would choke a camel. Lady, you got a face that's beyond redemption, and believe me, I know whereof I speak."

"Sir, how long have you been married to this fine lady? Twelve years. With that planetary tukas of hers? Wow. Mazel tov. Sir, I congratulate you. You're the most reverent man on Earth. You're the only man around who leaves Mass and goes home to even more mass."

"Whoa! Whoa! What's that smell? Is that-- is that you, sir? Phew! I said the meek shall inherit the Earth. The meek, not the reek. I haven't smelled anything that gamy since I gave Lazarus a welcome-back hug."

"Brother Morrissey was complaining to me the other day. 'Jesus, I was walking around Rome and you can't even hear a Latin accent on the Palatine anymore! It's all gobbledy-gook!' I said, Mozzer, you schmoe, if I saw a crusty old grimace like yours I'd be speaking in tongues too."

EL. OH. EL.

 

[Not Right in the Head]

"Brother Morrissey was complaining to me the other day. 'Jesus, I was walking around Rome and you can't even hear a Latin accent on the Palatine anymore! It's all gobbledy-gook!' I said, Mozzer, you schmoe, if I saw a crusty old grimace like yours I'd be speaking in tongues too."

And we all know what happened to Rome, don't we?

 

[CrystalGeezer]

I always thought King Kong was a love story.

 

[CrystalGeezer]

EL. OH. EL.

I agree. This hanging around message boards business is wasting your talent, worm. Go get a real job.

 

[Worm]

I agree. This hanging around message boards business is wasting your talent, worm. Go get a real job.

Many thanks. And a real job...well, we're all where we're supposed to be I reckon.

 

[Quite Shy]

Bragg has written nothing remotely memorable in at least 15 years. But that's not really relevant, I just like saying it. He has always been obsessed with Moz. But wealth and a big house by the sea have blunted Bragg's ire. He made his money by being an angry leftie. Now he's self-satisfied, tired and loves the monarchy. This makes him the Ben Elton of pop. And therefore he's an arse.