The Internationale - Billy Bragg

Stephen William "Billy Bragg" is an English singer-songwriter and left wing political activist. his music blends elements of folk music, punk-rock, soul  and protest songs, with lyrics that mostly span political or romantic themes. His music is heavily centered on bringing about change in our society.
Born in Barking, East London to a working class family. He was interested in music and poetry from an early age, and after a series of dead-end jobs and a brief stint in the army, which ended , when he realised they really did want him to kill people. he took to a serious pursuit of music.When 1979 bought the election of Margaret Thatcher's right wing government, Bragg began his long career as bard of the left.
Finding inspiration in the righteous of punk rock and the socially conscious folk tradition of Woody Guthrie and Bob Dylan. For most of the eighties Bragg bashed out songs alone on his electric guitar. While his lyrics were bitingly intelligent and clever, they were also warm and humane, filled with detail and wit. Even though his lyrics were carefully considered, Bragg never neglected to write melodies that were strong and memorable.
The following is his own version of the Socialist anthem The Internationale, that dates back to 1871 written as a poem in French in the immediate aftermath of the brutal crushing of the  Paris Commune by revolutionary socialist, Eugene Pottier, and since sung and honoured  by various Labour parties, anarchists, socialists, Trotskistes, Leninists,Communists and other very stirred folk.Translated into  hundreds of languages across the globe, with billions of covers on youtube alone, it has been hailed as the most dangerous song on the planet, a rousing song.of continuing universal struggle, the call to the final battle which Bragg rewrote after a request from the late great Pete Seeger, after Bragg had complained that the traditional  lyrics were somewhat dated,thus modernizing the song, so that the language became less archaic and more reflective of current left-wing politics,as a means  keeping the powerful song relevant. It can know be found in the revolutionary Industrial Workers of the World's famed Little Red Songbook, that contains songs that continue to fan the flames of discontent..
Whether you like Bragg's music or not, there is a message at this song's core that is worth remembering. As bleak times lie ahead and dark forces of the extreme far right are on the rise again. however down- hearted you may feel right now, remember the international ideal unites the human race.
The following is the original song as Pottier wrote it


The Internationale Original  Verses

Debout, les damnés de la terre / Arise, damned of the earth
Debout, les forçats de la faim / Arise, prisoners of hunger
La raison tonne en son cratère, / Reason thunders in its volcano
C’est l’éruption de la fin / This is the eruption of the end
Du passé faisons table rase, / Lets make a clean slate of the past
Foule esclave, debout, debout, / Enslaved masses, arise, arise
Le monde va changer de base / The world is is going to change its foundation
Nous ne sommes rien, soyons tout / We are nothing, we will be all

Chorus:

C’est la lutte finale / This is the final struggle
Groupons-nous, et demain, / Group together, and tomorrow
L’Internationale, / The Internationale
Sera le genre humain. / Will be the human race
Il n’est pas de sauveurs suprêmes, / There are no supreme saviors
Ni Dieu, ni César, ni tribun, / Neither God, nor Caesar, nor tribune
Producteurs sauvons-nous nous-mêmes / Producers, let us save ourselves
Décrétons le salut commun / Decree the common salvation
Pour que le voleur rende gorge, / So that the thief expires
Pour tirer l’esprit du cachot, / To free the spirit from its cell
Soufflons nous-mêmes notre forge, / Let us fan the forge ourselves
Battons le fer tant qu’il est chaud / Strike while the iron’s hot

Chorus

L’État comprime et la loi triche, / The State oppresses and the law cheats
L’impôt saigne le malheureux; / Tax bleeds the unfortunate
Nul devoir ne s’impose au riche, / No duty is imposed on the rich
Le droit du pauvre est un mot creux. / The right of the poor is an empty phrase
C’est assez languir en tutelle, / Enough languishing in custody
L’égalité veut d’autres lois: / Equality wants other laws
«Pas de droits sans devoirs, dit-elle, / No rights without duties she says
Égaux, pas de devoirs sans droits!» / Equally, no duties without rights

Chorus

Hideux dans leur apothéose, / Hideous in their apotheosis
Les rois de la mine et du rail, / The kings of the mine and the rail
Ont-ils jamais fait autre chose, / Have they ever done anything
Que dévaliser le travail? / Than steal work?
Dans les coffres-forts de la bande, / Inside the strong-boxes of the gangs
Ce qu’il a créé s’est fondu. / What work has created is melted
En décrétant qu’on le lui rende, / By ordering that they give it back
Le peuple ne veut que son dû. / The people only want their due

Chorus

Les Rois nous saoulaient de fumées, / The kings made us drunk with fumes
Paix entre nous, guerre aux tyrans / Peace among us, war to the tyrants
Appliquons la grève aux armées, / Let the armies go on strike
Crosse en l’air et rompons les rangs / Stocks in the air, and break ranks
S’ils s’obstinent, ces cannibales, / If these cannibals insist
A faire de nous des héros, / On making heroes of us
Ils sauront bientôt que nos balles / They will know soon enough that our bullets
Sont pour nos propres généraux. / Are for our own generals

Chorus

Ouvriers, Paysans, nous sommes / Workers, peasants, we are
Le grand parti des travailleurs; / The great party of laborers
La terre n’appartient qu’aux hommes, / The earth belongs only to men
L’oisif ira loger ailleurs. / The idle will go reside elsewhere
Combien de nos chairs se repaissent / How much of our flesh have they consumed
Mais si les corbeaux, les vautours, / But if these ravens, these vultures
Un de ces matins disparaissent, / Disappear one of these days
Le soleil brillera toujours / The sun will shine forever
Chorus

Here's Billy Bragg's version performing it with Cor Gobaith at Aberystwyth Arts Centre on 14 June 2009 

And here is a version that he  originally released back in 1990

The Internationale - Billy Bragg's updated version.

Stand up all victims of oppression
For the tyrants fear your might
Don't cling so hard to your possessions
For you have nothing if you have no rights
Let racist ignorance be ended
For respect makes the empires fall
Freedom is merely privilege extended
Unless enjoyed by one and all

Chorus

So come brothers and sisters
For the struggle carries on
The internationale
Unites the world in song

So comrades come rally
For this is the time and place
The international ideal
Unites the human race

Let no one build walls to divide us
Walls of hatred nor walls of stone

Come greet the dawn and stand beside us
We'll live together or we'll die alone
In our world poisoned by exploitation
Those who have taken now they must give
And end the vanity of nations
We've but one earth on which to live


And so begins the final drama

In the streets and in the fields
We stand unbowed before their armor
We defy their guns and shields
When we fight provoked by their aggression
Let us be inspired by like and love
For though they offer us concessions
Change will not come from above

Songwriter: Stephen William Bragg; music; Pierre De Geyter


At the end of last year Bragg, the protest singers’ released a new mini album ‘Bridges Not Walls’.
Galvanised by the political turmol facing us presently, the rie of Trump, Climate change , Brexit,  the monstrous forces of nationalism, racism and untruth..
Bridges Not Walls’ features all of the singles he had released over the summer plus two other gems that stand shoulder to shoulder with every song Billy has written in his 30 year career on the frontline. Always engaged, never predictable, Billy Bragg continues to fight the good fight.
 
‘Bridges Not Walls’ track listing

1. The Sleep Of Reason
2. King Tide And The Sunny Day Flood
3. Why We Build The Wall
4. Saffiyah Smiles
5. Not Everything That Counts Can Be Counted
6. Full English Brexit

https://bbragg.lnk.to/BNW