Billy Bragg - Which Side Are You On

'Which Side Are You On' from Billy Bragg's 1987 compilation album 'Back To Basics', re-released by Cooking Vinyl in 1993.
The album collates the releases 'Life's A Riot With Spy Vs. Spy' and 'Brewing Up With Billy Bragg', as well as the 'Between The Wars' EP.
Buy 'Back To Basics' here:
iTunes: bit.ly/Nxv2uZ
Amazon (CD): amzn.to/O8LJP6
Amazon (Digital): amzn.to/RXVEaD

[@Spaceman33393]

A great successor to the original from the 30s, I'm on the union side that is for sure.

[@jude999]

I love the rawness of this production.

[@9volt65]

I love the means of this production

[@mollyesther1]

This whole album is like this, just a man and his guitar.

[@JamesGilbert27]

This song breaks my heart. My dad was involved in the picket lines. But he was also a maintenance man. So let the scabs die or stand the line

[@LasArmas_]

Breaks mine too. But death to Capitalism

[@ux3476]

@@LasArmas_ Lol cope, you're gonna live under capitalism for the rest of your life 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

[@LasArmas_]

@@ux3476 that’s what you say coward. go vote LOL

[@ux3476]

@@LasArmas_ I will go out and vote... Vote for the Conservatives I will 🤣🤣🤣 Have fun living under capitalism bozo, am gonna enjoy extracting your surplus labour value 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

[@LasArmas_]

@@ux3476 voting = illusory freedom. Your age is showing twat head

[@tibbygaycat]

Just got a Bloomberg ad before watching this. He'd better be scared.

[@dsyy90210]

Take him to Central park

[@internationalrtg5602]

Bernie 2024

[@NotAFanAnymore]

Fuchen brilliant commentary mate

[@paulnsamharris]

Hell yes. Good post, great tune. UNION YES

[@LasArmas_]

Unite...

[@julianvickery8341]

Great tune, especially on a day like today which marks the anniversary of The Tolpuddle Martyrs being found guilty of taking an illegal oath and forming a union. The men were sentenced to seven years of prison labour in Australia.

[@adamcharney]

Best album ever...

[@MylesHSG]

RMT member here. When the time comes I know me and my brothers and sisters will fight.

[@MylesHSG]

And the time has come. Out on strike to cripple the bosses this week. Please all working men and women support us. ✊

[@intraum]

@@MylesHSG solidarity to you mate. hope you’re hanging in there, the establishment are throwing all they can at you lot.

[@MylesHSG]

@@intraum yes mate all strong on the West Coast Mainline apart from a couple usual suspects

[@abitcrazy22]

FYI This is a song probably from the early 1900s during the height of labor. The Smithsonian has a collection of labor songs. Buy that album; it is great. This is a terrific version. To everyone; there is a great amount of labor history out there, about the Ludlow Massacre, the Pullman strikes, and the murder of workers by these rich bastard capitalists. We have forgotten or never learned about our history, but now is the time to google and learn about how the 8 hour day came to be; how the 40 hour work week was fought for, how companies hired goons and governments sent in National Guards to kill strikers and their families. It is really ugly, and we, the people, need to know who our enemy is, and what they are like. Stop thinking the capitalist class is anything but exploitive, abusive, cruel, and callous.

[@Aaleeyuh]

fun fact: the original version of this song was written by Florence Reece who was a uniin organiser in Kentucky :). Billys song has completely different lyrics and i think it was written about the miners strikes?

[@jlastre]

Kihyuns sneeze Ms. Reece was a child when she wrote the song. She was the daughter of a coal miner and wife to a coal miner. She became a union organized as an adult.

[@mikelucraft]

@@Aaleeyuh Yes. 1984-1985. Last hooray of the Unions for the big 3 in Britain, Mining, Dock workers and Railways. Beeching and the oil companies got rid of steam rail, which again with coal imports destroyed the coal industry. I'm glad that I was on a picket line and a protest outside Armley jail in Leeds where Miners were being held for secondary picketing which is referred to in this song

[@JamesGilbert27]

My dad was involved in this strike. It meant something and I'm glad for this song

[@alexv3357]

It's got a raw feeling like Neil Young to it

[@jayclouston7734]

Awesome song. Dropkick Murphys do a good version too and I think Firepit Collective have a version too

[@bobeilbott4558]

Great song updated

[@miibis5618]

This government had an idea And parliament made it law It seems like it's illegal To fight for the union any more Which side are you on, boys? Which side are you on? Which side are you on, boys? Which side are you on? We set out to join the picket line For together we cannot fail We got stopped by police at the county line They said, "Go home boys or you're going to jail" Which side are you on, boys? Which side are you on? Which side are you on, boys? Which side are you on? It's hard to explain to a crying child Why her Daddy can't go back So the family suffer But it hurts me more To hear a scab say Sod you, Jack Which side are you on, boys? Which side are you on? Which side are you on, boys Which side are you on? I'm bound to follow my conscience And do whatever I can But it'll take much more than the union law To knock the fight out of a working man Which side are you on, boys? Which side are you on? Which side are you on, boys? Which side are you on?

[@redbug3696]

🤠👍

[@ophergoodwin9236]

Never more pertinent!!

[@flg22f]

Billy's message to Maggie. Billy won 🏆 🙌

[@jeffreysayler4371]

The strikes failed and the mines closed.

[@alfiegibson8678]

@@jeffreysayler4371 and maggie’s in the ground

[@rexruther4864]

@@alfiegibson8678won’t we all be

[@alfiegibson8678]

@@rexruther4864 true. but i’m still here at the moment, and she’s not. so i win.

[@user-qd6cd1pw1h]

Teach union history , sing workers song live a better life

[@demelochristopher]

Play this Doug ford, his government pushed legislation that that removed the ability to strike. 55,000 members walked off the job and within two days he begged to workers go back to work and he repealed the bill.

[@roverade1]

In light of the Court ruling today about article 50, i think Billy needs to re-write this.......

[@popipop3428]

Begging mercy gives my blood back.

[@RedRosamond]

Nice. RAW

[@edmclachlanwight2114]

The working class and the unions were punished by thatcher

[@user-lf8qu9un8y]

What's a Scottish swimmers favourite stroke? Thatcher's!

[@LasArmas_]

killed*

[@LasArmas_]

@@user-lf8qu9un8y May freedom shine over 1 & all

[@guzgrant]

Trafalgar square today . UK police craziness

[@TheNathanX100]

Im sick of everything

[@albertorigotti5115]

Ruck

[@popipop3428]

The violence................mercy from one stand up against black magic.

[@daleksummers3155]

Which side are you REALLY on, boys?

[@jwesterhuis8255]

gedeeld

[@mohammadrezapahlavi4578]

swede gay

[@mjreazy2627]

This government had an idea, seems like it's illegal to fight for the Union anymore! Same old Tories! Always repressing the working person's right to strike...

[@Maximillian-Tiberius-Rex]

they say in Durham county there are no neutrals there you'll either be a union man or vote for Tony Blair

[@DD-ev2dt]

Hard to believe this was written by Florence Reece 1931 🤔 .... Lessons not learnt from history methinks 🤔 ......

[@liliannakifflin6343]

Even here in america, the parties have got so corrupted on both sides, you wonder which side are you on?

[@peteby485]

A song that should be played at every protest over covid to the police it might help them remember the 80s and the miners strike when they turned on the people just like they are doing now .

[@DUCKDUDE4100]

Don't you fucking dare compared your plague bearer bullshit to fighting for collective bargaining rights you self centred shit.

[@kennyyenotha3145]

He’s got a cheek really. I’m on the side of my neighbours in our terraced houses. My man’s acting like he’s just lent me a cup of sugar haha

[@fredfat3128]

well done bill a grade c in gcse politics

[@stalinmalone]

No one makes such silly ideas sounds so good. Billy is simply brilliant. Love him. And JAPRYDER is clearly a fascist.

[@flg22f]

Silly ideas??? Well which side are YOU on boy??