General English
CIA 2
NAME: Vaishnavee Shetty
CLASS: BBA 'C'
REGISTRATION NUMBER: 233BBAC69
SONG: "Between The Wars" by Billy Bragg
Explanation:
Billy Bragg’s “Between the Wars” song expresses the tough times working class people faced, especially in Britain between the two world wars. The song from 1985 still speaks to us today about standing strong and fighting for fairness, just like it did back then.
The song was inspired by the UK miners’ strike of 1984-1985 and includes references to significant historical events such as the General Strike of 1926 and the Spanish Civil War. These events were big moments in history. Bragg talks about them to show the bigger picture of what was happening socially and politically while the working class fought their battles.
“Between The Wars” captures the economic instability, social inequality, and political chaos faced during those days and even till this day. Bragg’s lyrics paint a vivid picture of the hardships faced by ordinary people, highlighting issues such as unemployment, poverty, and the impact of war.
The title itself, “Between the Wars” makes us think of both World Wars, and even a third, or the struggle between social classes. The song still matters today, reminding us to keep fighting for fairness and equality. It makes us feel and talk and even do something about the problems that working-class people faced back then, which we are still dealing with now.
Bragg's music shows how powerful songs can be in speaking out about society. It makes us think about history and what it means for today and tomorrow. "Between The Wars" is not just a song; it is like a history book, a protest sign, and a push for change. It keeps motivating people who want a fairer world.
A few lyrics that I particularly found very fascinating were:
“I was a miner, I was a docker I was a railway man between the wars I raised a family in time of austerity with sweat at the foundry between the wars”
The repetition of “between the wars” underscores the ongoing struggle for survival during peacetime, which is often overshadowed by the struggle of war
These lyrics are fascinating because they portray the lives of different working-class people during the war period. They show how individuals, such as miners, dockers, and railway workers, faced significant challenges while trying to support their families during economic difficulties. The repetition of "between the wars” tells us that these struggles occurred during times of peace. Bragg’s music reminds us that the fight for social justice never stops but that does not mean we should give up but instead fight back.
I was a miner, I was a docker
I was a railway man between the wars
I raised a family in time of austerity
With sweat at the foundry between the wars
I paid the union and as times got harder
I looked to the government to help the working man
But they brought prosperity down at the armory
We're arming for peace, my boys, between the wars
I kept the faith, and I kept voting
Not for the iron fist but for the helping hand
For theirs is a land with a wall around it
And mine is a faith in my fellow man
Theirs is a land of hope and glory
Mine is the green field and the factory floor
Theirs are the skies all dark with bombers
And mine is the peace we knew between the wars
Call up the craftsmen, bring me the draftsmen
Build me a path from cradle to grave
And I will give my consent to any government
That does not deny a man a living wage
Go find the young men never to fight again
Bring up the banners from the days gone by
Sweet moderation, heart of this nation
Desert us not, we are between the wars
Interview:
Song:
https://youtu.be/xjUA3RU4B8E?si=4HkDG502DmycDMRy
General English
CIA 2
NAME: Vicky Robert
CLASS: BBA 'D'
REGISTRATION NUMBER: 233BBAD67
SONG: "Beds are burning" by Midnight Oil
Explanation:
Explanation of the song "Beds are burning" by Midnight Oil :
This is a political song about giving native Australian lands back to the Pintupi, who were among the very last people to come in from the desert. These "last contact" people began moving from the Gibson Desert to settlements and missions in the 1930s. More were forcibly moved during the 1950s and 1960s to the Papunya settlement. In 1981 they left to return to their own country and established the Kintore community which is nestled in the picturesque Kintore Ranges, surrounded by Mulga and Spinifex country. It is now a thriving little community with a population of about 400.
In 2001 the Australasian Performing Right Association placed this at #3 (behind the Easybeats' "Friday On My Mind" and Daddy Cool's "Eagle Rock") on their list of the Top 30 Australian Songs of the past 75 years. Midnight Oil frontman Peter Garrett spoke of the tune's enduring power.
"In retrospect it was the song we were born to record. It's got all the bits to make it work, strong rhythms, good melody and the lyrics had some punch, while being very Aussie," he explained. "It took a while to stick. It's incredible how much it still gets played around the place... Who would have thought an Aboriginal land rights song would travel that far?"
This won Best Single and Best Song at the 1988 ARIA Awards (the album also won Best Cover Art). Gary Morris, the band's manager, accepted the prizes on behalf of the group and got into a tiff with Australian music journalist Molly Meldrum when he declared he didn't like the evening's choice of presenters, particularly Bryan Ferry
Lyrics of Beds are burning by Midnight Oil.
Out where the river broke
The bloodwood and the desert oak
Holden wrecks and boiling diesels
Steam in forty-five degrees
The time has come
To say fair’s fair
To pay the rent now,
To pay our share
The time has come
A fact’s a fact
It belongs to them
Let’s give it back
How can we dance when our earth is turning?
How do we sleep while our beds are burning?
How can we dance when our earth is turning?
How do we sleep while our beds are burning?
The time has come
To say fair’s fair
To pay the rent now,
To pay our share
Four wheels scare the cockatoos
From Kintore East to Yuendemu
The western desert lives and breathes
In forty-five degrees
The time has come
To say fair’s fair
To pay the rent now,
To pay our share
The time has come
A fact’s a fact
It belongs to them
Let’s give it back
How can we dance when our earth is turning?
How do we sleep while our beds are burning?
How can we dance when our earth is turning?
How do we sleep while our beds are burning?
The time has come
To say fair’s fair
To pay the rent now,
To pay our share
The time has come
A fact’s a fact
It belongs to them
We’re gonna give it back
How can we dance when our earth is turning?
How do we sleep while our beds are burning?
Interview:
Song:
https://youtu.be/ejorQVy3m8E?feature=shared
General English
CIA 2
NAME: Ansel Mendes
CLASS: BBA 'C'
REGISTRATION NUMBER: 233BBAC68
SONG: "Lyndon Johnson Told the Nation" by Tom Paxton
Explanation:
"Lyndon Johnson Told the Nation" is a song by Tom Paxton, released in 1965 during the height of the Vietnam War. The song is a protest against the war and the government's handling of it.
The chorus of the song features the repeated refrain, "Lyndon Johnson told the nation, 'Have no fear of escalation, I am trying everyone to please,'" which is a direct criticism of President Lyndon B. Johnson's handling of the war. Johnson's assurances to the American people that the situation in Vietnam was under control and that escalation was not on the horizon are portrayed as empty promises designed to maintain public support for the war effort.
Throughout the song, Paxton uses powerful imagery and biting sarcasm to convey his anti-war message. He sings about the hypocrisy of politicians who send young men off to die in foreign wars while they themselves remain safely at home, and he questions the morality of a society that values material wealth over human life
Lyrics:
I got a letter from L.B.J
It said, "This is your lucky day"
It's time to put your khaki trousers on
Though it may seem very queer
We've got no jobs to give you here
So we are sending you to Vietnam
Lyndon Johnson told the nation
Have no fear of escalation
I am trying everyone to please
Though it isn't really war
We're sending fifty thousand more
To help save Vietnam from the Vietnamese
I jumped off the old troop ship
And sank in mud up to my hips
I cussed until the captain called me down
Never mind how hard it's raining
Think of all the ground we're gaining
Just don't take one step outside of town
Lyndon Johnson told the nation
Have no fear of escalation
I am trying everyone to please
Though it isn't really war
We're sending fifty thousand more
To help save Vietnam from the Vietnamese
Every night the local gentry
Slip out past the sleeping sentry
They go to join the old V see
In their nightly little dramas
They put on their black pajamas
And come lobbing mortar shells at me
When Lyndon Johnson told the nation
Have no fear of escalation
I am trying everyone to please
Though it isn't really war
We're sending fifty thousand more
To help save Vietnam from the Vietnamese
We go round in helicopters
Like a bunch of big grasshoppers
Searching for the Viet Cong in vain
They left a note that they had gone
They had to get down to Saigon
Their government positions to maintain
And Lyndon Johnson told the nation
Have no fear of escalation
I am trying everyone to please
Though it isn't really war
We're sending fifty thousand more
To help save Vietnam from the Vietnamese
Well, here I sit in this rice paddy
Wondering about Big Daddy
And I know that Lyndon loves me so
Yet how sadly I remember
Way back yonder in November
When he said I'd never have to go
And Lyndon Johnson told the nation
Have no fear of escalation
I am trying everyone to please
Though it isn't really war
We're sending fifty thousand more
To help save Vietnam from the Vietnamese
Song:
https://youtu.be/qTyqoV1d2Ys?si=AuijwfrUPBmgFWdL
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