Billy Bragg - Waiting for the Great Leap Forwards (Official Video)
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- Опубліковано 27 вер 2024
- A heartfelt call to join the struggle for a better world - `You can be active with the activists or sleep in with the sleepers’. The classic video features some early photo bombing as Billy joins political figures from Kennedy to Castro onstage.
The Million Things That Never Happened' is out now on CD and Digitally. Buy on CD, stream now and pre-order the 12" vinyl LP to get it at the earliest available date BBragg.lnk.to/...
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Lyrics:
It may have been Camelot for Jack and Jacqueline
But on the Che Guevara highway filling up with gasoline
Fidel Castro's brother spies a rich lady who's crying
Over luxury's disappointment
So he walks over and he's trying
To sympathise with her but he thinks that he should warn her
That the Third World is just around the corner.
In the Soviet Union a scientist is blinded
By the resumption of nuclear testing and he is reminded
That Dr Robert Oppenheimer's optimism fell
At the first hurdle.
In the Cheese Pavilion and the only noise I hear
Is the sound of someone stacking chairs
And mopping up spilt beer
And someone asking questions and basking in the light
Of the fifteen fame-filled minutes of the fanzine writer.
Mixing pop and politics he asks me what the use is
I offer him embarrassment and my usual excuses
While looking down the corridor
Out to where the van is waiting
I'm looking for the Great Leap Forwards.
Jumble sales are organised and pamphlets have been posted
Even after closing time there's still parties to be hosted
You can be active with the activists
Or sleep in with the sleepers
While you're waiting for the Great Leap Forwards.
One leap forward, two leaps back
Will politics get me the sack?
Here comes the future and you can't run from it
If you've got a blacklist I want to be on it.
It's a mighty long way down rock 'n roll
From Top of the Pops to drawing the dole.
If no one seems to understand
Start your own revolution and cut out the middleman.
In a perfect world we'd all sing in tune
But this is reality so give me some room.
So join the struggle while you may
The Revolution is just a T-shirt away.
Waiting for the Great Leap Forwards
#BillyBragg #WaitingForTheGreatLeapForwards #TheMillionThingsThatNeverHappened
Met Billy at the Mean Fiddler in North London in 1990. He was so dear and sweet and generous with his time talking to me. I was so nervous and he knew it. He put his hand gently on my shoulder and said, "It's okay mate. Just take your time." I will never forget it, ever. Love, Sloppy
Hi.Was this at a Lilac Time gig?
@@cpome7 Hi CP7! This was at a private record party for Billy's "Utility" label. Billy did not play but was the MC. Clive Parker, Junger and Parker and a band called Weddings, Parties, Anything were the groups that played. All the best from Portland.
After 25 years of fandom I finally get to see him tonight! The man is a legend and a hero.
How was it?
@@aerthreepwood8021 Perfect!
I'm going tonight!
The song I come back to on hard times. "Make your own revolution and cut out the middle man" is one of my favourite lyrics of all time
couldn't agree more
'If you've got a blacklist, I wanna be on it' is better. Story of my life...
Perfect . Me too
I think the lyrics to this song are just about the cleverest in pop music - ‘if you’ve got a black list, I want to be on it’ is also brilliant
Goto...... why I'm here. Song❤
This song always brings me to tears. It reminds me that we're all just brief moments in history and our responsibility is to make life easier for our descendents. And God I hope for what mistakes I make in life my actions are a net positive on history.
Great words
Billy's heart has been straight and true for the 40 years I have followed him - a rare artist that does not demand commercials but RESPECT.
Thanks to him for all he has done.
Saw him last night at the Portsmouth Guildhall he finished with New England and he allowed us, the audience to sing all the choruses while he just played guitar. 3rd time I’ve seen Billy and every time gets better and better. Go see the roaring 40s tour if you can xx
As relevant then as it is 2024 ..... the bard of Barking Billy Bragg continues to speak for us RESPECT 🙏.
In terms of instrumentals and Melodies, this may be THE greatest song I’ve ever heard
For me he has done an awfull lot of songs that are the greatest song I've ever heard. He's in a class of it's own.
Politically I would have to have an argue with him, but as an artist he's simply a monument.
Until the final victory, always!
Levis Stubbs tears changed my life
My favorite Billy song and one of my favorite songs of all time.
Love the humorous video
This masterpiece never gets old. Thanks BB
Still the most inspiring song ever written
And Levi Stubbs' Tears might be the saddest
At the very least, "Never Enough" by Robb Johnston deserves mention. Here is Martin Simpson's version: ua-cam.com/video/sVB2gEHGUZE/v-deo.html . Martin also does a terrific cover of the Depression-era song "Buddy Can You Spare A Dime", which is on UA-cam somewhere. For that matter, Ry Cooders' album "Into the Purple Valley" has some equally good ones, songs about broke farmers, vigilantes, and Okies fleeing the DustBowl only to be turned back by police at the California state line.
I loved this song when I was growing up... good days, thanks Bill!
Gen X is the best!
Wasn't the actual great leap forward a mass murderer of millions of Chinese?? Help me understand why this song is awesome.
Blame Mao Se Tung.
I am singing this song tonight on my first proper Facebook livestream.
Thank you Billy Bragg. 😘
Love him ❤
I was in Melbourne Victoria in grade eight the first time I listened to this song .....
thank you Billy...
Somethings don't change,why?
because they don't have to,
they are ageless ❤.
A song so great, not even Bragg could do it twice. I recall listening on the radio in 1987 as a young teen with my parents in their 40s. Even upon first listen, my parents immediately got the gentle barb at Kennedy and political symbols. Now that is great music. Perhaps aimed at intellectuals, but great nonetheless.
Great to hear this live last night at The Forum, Melbourne. Thanks Billy. And thanks Dave for the ticket! Our funeral song list is already halfway sorted.
This is one of my favourites from my youth.. I’m looking forward to seeing Billy play locally in Feb ‘23..
Greetings to the comrade Billy Bragg from Italy.✊
Oh allora non sono l'unico italiano...a Sestri levante erano praticamente tutti british al concerto...
Eccolo… dagli anni ‘80 ci sono anche io. Ma non sono una zecca. Ci tengo a dirlo
@@Legaboia e allora caro ratto di chiavica non capisco che ci fai qua, visto che Bragg è più rosso che mai...
@@Legaboia eccolo un fascio che non capisce ciò che ascolta...e comunque non te lo ha chiesto nessuno.
@@Legaboia allora perchè ti esprimi come un ratto di fogna nera (fascio)? E se lo sei che fai qua?
He connects the personal and the political better than anyone I can think of. Such amazing songwriting.
Yes amongst other greats like Leon Rosselson, Robb Johnson, Roy Bailey, Eric Bogle, Dick Gaughan and the king of them all Phil Ochs.
check out The Michael Character out of Boston. one of the best bands making music for the struggle for human dignity.
Yes,he makes sure that his listeners get a mixture of songs some have more personal lyrics and others are protest songs that are influenced by the great protest songs of the '60"s.
Still love Billy to this day and this is a great song too xx.
Love it! Thanks Billy. This song continues to inspire and rouse me every time I hear it. Brilliant.
It just popped in my head today and came back for it. Found this version! Agree!
Always a delight. Thanks Billy.
always a shirty bore. no thanks william.
I love this eternally evolving theme tune 😍
me too. stomach hurts but my heart is warm
still brilliant in 2023
As an American, this is only the 4th major song (with somewhat popularity) from my childhood, of a British artist singing with a thick British accent, (as opposed to most other British songs/artist/songs that have been popular here in America)
Things really get exciting when Billy starts philosophizing about “mixing pop and politics” and starts communicating in the best political protester tradition: with slogans!
“If no one seems to understand, start your own revolution and cut out the middleman.”
And of course the immortal “The Revolution” is just a T-Shirt Away!!!”
“Waiting For The Great Leap Forward” is a 10!
we need more of this!
I love it when he does a topical version of this Live, the Brexit one is possibly better than the original!
Let me guess Billy "Champagne Socialist" Bragg was anti-Brexit? How the heck did this trash end up in suggestions?
@@desperatemohammedantheworl5833 Calm down mate. Just don't comment and click on a song you know you won't like.
@@richardpullen6053 I like some BB songs. This however is useless.
@@desperatemohammedantheworl5833 Thanks for your opinion.
@@desperatemohammedantheworl5833 considering the vitriol in your first comment, I suspect you're lying and backtracking after the sheer idiocy of clicking on a song you knew you wouldn't like was pointed out
This is fantastic. I can't believe it's new to me.
You hear so many different versions of this I forgot how good the original is!!
And doesn't he wear a hat well!!
Cette chanson me touche les tripes et le coeur.... loin du brexit et de la bêtise populiste de certains politiciens !!!! Vive Billy Bragg
Qué genialidad!!
Love you Billy since ca, 1986/7 or something. ZDF magazin on a sunday morning shows me what music must be.
2023, still waiting... and feels farther than ever
❤
Love this song ❣️
Tank Park Salute is my favorite song. This one second.
Another gem I didn't know existed! Thanks for posting, Billy!
Keep organizing united for those who want to hold us down so they can have all power. ✊
Billy Bragg...hat off!
What a song, Mr. Billy Bragg!
Bravo! 👏🤩🙏🫴🔥
This classic when I heard it again just after the tories peroged parliament, it really gave me strength to still believe, and it brought a few tears to me eyes 🏴☠️🧷🤓
Saw him at a Red wedge concert in 87 at Islington, kin brill.
BB is truth.
SEN on Facebook, the truth will set you free. Thanks Billy, always had a great message❤
Ha, complimented a fellow traveller on their t-shirt this morning, and of course I started giggling when I listened to this just earlier.
After all "the revolution is just a t-shirt away"!
So much great pearle of the eighties ... thank you so much for sharing !
Danke. Für. Diesen.Song. Danke
The more things change the more the stay the same, thanks billy, proper tune, lend us a tenner
Still waiting, no solidarity, no hope, third world is burning, climate is fucked, no idea what to do, very bittersweet song for me.
So enjoyable, love it.
Billy that’s sacrilege volume fading out the “beam me up scotty” the ducks eye of the track.
Thanks man as a sucidalal RN post covid Ill keep waiting.
glory to workers
Capítulos emblemáticos da história.
Excellent lyrics
Still waiting, and wiling
Features on my favourite film, Face.
Or was it Rod Stewart?
Grown to love it.
Great song.
Hideous video.
I love the album this is from, and this song is the perfect closing number for it. I am not a fan of left wing, socialism, activism, social justice etc, but I do appreciate a well crafted song with a well presented message, even though I may not agree with it. I refused to see Billy when he came to my university back in the late 1980's, but when a girlfriend played Workers Playtime for me I was amazed at how good it was. It is still the one of the very few albums I revisit in difficult times. I call it my "cure for a broken heart", but it is much more than that. And this song, with it's raucous closing choir is to me an affirmation that things will change.
It's actually a song about the failure of the post-war project, so in some ways it's kinda not left-wing (alright, it is).
2022...superb!
the revolution begins in Bruton bradstock ......Right billy
Wonderful song…perfect video.
And we wait...
❤❤❤❤❤❤❤
Billy Bragg could sing anything to this song and I'd drink it like it was the worst kool aid ever and I don't care
Thanks BB you helped form my mind as a teen !
Keep organising and united against those who want to hold us down so they can reap the profits.
I have always been a great fan of him He used to visit Finland often times during 1980's but after Soviet Union collapse- he kind of predicted it during glasnost - he sort of disappeared from mainline media
Looking for a new version.
Just a t-shirt away~
Still waiting...
Loce ot
Kim Philby approves of this song!
#happybirthday
I got an ad on this video, ironic.
This is a very harsh critique of left wing politics. Its very good. Its not condemnation. Its just an acceptance of how the people in charge fucked it all up. Its why im an anarchist
I disagree, it’s a criticism of right wingers.
Those people are nuts, look at the ridiculous jack ass they got elected.
The right is driving this country toward fascism.
What country observes anarchy?
Somalia?
Works real well for them.
Librarians are just republicans who want to smoke pot.
We’d end up with regional war lords.
I love me a Pinko.
i love socialism as much as the next guy and i really connect with this song as someone who feels like they live in the middle of history in endless capitalism surrounded by apathetic people, so i think this song was expertly written. My only complaint is that the main line is about the Great Leap Forwards which is a reference to the actual chinese one but didnt that cause a famine that killed like 30 million people idk im just sayin someone could educate me 💀
Socialism excels at genocide and not much else
The Chinese famine was mostly natural causes and poor understanding of ecology as I understand it, western propaganda and scare tactics is what connects it to china's revolution and subsequent socialization and industrialization.
Billy Bragg isn’t a Maoist. This song sort of covers the “betrayal” of socialist revolutions by authoritarians who promise a utopia under their rule, hence “the Great Leap Forward”.
It may have been Camelot for Jack and Jacqueline
Legend has it he's still waiting
Billy is the greatest democrat ever.
my cousin jack and his misses
Agreeing you with Enyaw, explores the political dimensions and nuclear war rammifications that unfortunqtely exists today with us all.aka "we got the bomb" mentality by " world leaders?" Billy does ong this with a sense of black humour, before that was promoted and the words resonate.
Name the J
Beam me up c!!! :D
stick me on a black list anywhere and cause I stepped out the front gate when I was ten years old, and will always have my say in regards to persons who use a poltical position for personal gain at the expense of others.
Hmm, I wonder if he was miming? :D
Loved Billy Bragg when I was young, saw him at Leeds Town hall with The Farm and The Housemartins, Red Wedge, then I grew up...
Or just grew old and cynical, perhaps, which is a shame...
@bob explain to me what you think communism is, without Google.
Viva Allende
I love this but it is slightly creepy stylizing Lenin like that, wouldn’t do the same with Adolf
What's creepy is comparing Lenin to Hitler
We need more millionaire socialists. And I'm not even kidding.
I do prefer my class traitors to come from above
@@gonzoengineering4894
Sadly Those who truly have the potential to ever pose a significant enough threat to the #FarWhiteRulingClassElites were already too few & far between before #ComradeEngles came along & any since have little chance of surviving the guaranteed perpetual #MassClassSurgeAttack constantly received from the Groveling #WhiteLiberal #ProfessionalManagerialClass Hive of Bootlickers once they have been activated by #TheOligarchy like the Onslaught against both
#Comrades #TRUMP🇺🇲☭ & #PUTIN🇷🇺☭ who only seek to advocate for the most mild of remedies being applied to salve the most serious of situations... but NO! That MUST BE NIPPED IN THE BUD ON PRINCIPLE.
(Especially Here In TheWEST where #ThePMC is GateKept by Requiring Certain Positions Be Filled Only By THOSE Who Obtain A #CertificateOfReception
(#Receipt showing #PropperProgramming #received to a #ParticularDegree) So certain conditioning can be discreetly imparted as actual Skills are taught.)
and they carry on #TheOnslaught even after the grave....
"I know that long after my death a pile of rubbish will be heaped on my grave, but the wind of History will sooner or later sweep it away without mercy.“
-🇬🇪#ComradeStalin🇷🇺☭
WE NEED MORE #ORANGEMENBAD
Dr Robert Oppenheimer…..
Workers' Playtime is a work of genius. Anything that he's done in the last 25 years has been generally crap unfortunately.
As Sick Boy said, you have it, then you lose it.
Wish I had a house like Billy Bragg in Dorset. A big massive White Mansion...
I guess you’re not aware that you can be rich and a socialist-they are not mutually exclusive.
Maybe if you work as hard as him, and pay your taxes, some day you will. Then you will perhaps eschew the politics of envy.
Champagne super socialist
WTF. Is it a crime to be successful by your own efforts. Sorry you misunderstand this song totally.
@@russbarton8787 no I didn't this guys is a jew cuck shabbos goy like all the rest
Cant imagine writing a song gushing about a historical catastrophe..
Can't imagine not understanding the concept of literary allusion