Lyrical Lefties

Finding fame in the 1980s, Barking-born Billy Bragg quickly made a name for himself as an extremely politically charged musician. In this post, I’ll be breaking down some of his most powerful lyrics in some of his most famous songs, analysing their implications and how they made an impact in the Tory-led Britain of the end of the century.   There is power in a factory, power in the land Power in the hand of the worker But it all amounts to nothing If together we don't stand There is power in a Union.   Perhaps his most well-known single, "There Is Power in a Union"  was  first released in his 1986 album ' Talking with the Taxman About Poetry'' .  Set to the tune of " Battle Cry of Freedom ", the song discusses the need for and benefits of unionisation, encouraging the working class to unite in order to incite change and reform.    I was a miner I was a docker I was a railway man Between the wars   I raised a family In time of aust

For a long time, Grime was considered to be an underground music scene - but how has its rise to mainstream popularity affected its influence on the political beliefs of young people in the UK? (" Roskilde Festival Stormzy-2.jpg "  by  Henry W. Laurisch  is marked with  CC BY-SA 4.0 .) On 14 June 2017, a fire started on the fourth floor of Grenfell tower, a 23-storey tower block in North Kensington, West London. Tragically, the fire spread uncontrollably, causing the deaths of 72 people. After months of inquiry, anger, hurt and frustration, it was found that the reason why the fire was so aggressive and persistant was because of the building's cladding and external instillation. It had been compromised, the building company choosing to opt for cheaper, rather than safer, alternatives. Widely covered on National news, the horrific incident brought to light the awful implications of Tory cuts to health and safety legislation. David Cameron himself spoke of 'the health a

Over recent years, Indie music has become synonymous with leftist politics. Artists like Style Council and The Clash paved the way for newer artists to inject their own political activism into the indie music scene. One of these artists who has recently gained recognition on a larger scale is Sam Fender, a 27 year old singer-songwriter from North Shields who gained fame for using his music to express his own leftist politics and beliefs. "Sam Fender - Live at Leeds" by Braden F is marked with CC BY-NC-SA 2.0. Sam Fender’s critique of Tory austerity is perhaps seen most strongly into his award-winning hit ‘Seventeen goi ng under’: ‘ She said the debt, the debt, the debt So I thought about shifting gear And how she wept and wept and wept Well, luck came and died 'round here I see my mother, the DWP see a number .’   In this song, Fender touches on many aspects of growing up in working-class communities where life was characterised by ‘the debt, the debt, the debt’. His rete