Bragging

In 1992 my sister went to Korea to teach English to, um, Koreans. I was given the exalted honor of guarding her stereo and CD collection. Actually, I pirated both, for at that time they were a source of envy. To my disappointment, most of her CDs overlapped mine. But one stuck out like a bleedin eyeball: Billy Bragg, Don’t Try This at Home. The guest musicians alone were enough to make an alternadude drool—Michael Stipe, Peter Buck, Johnny Marr….I played it and was hooked. It was Woodie Guthrie with an Irish lilt and an ass-busting attitude. All of this preamble to announce that my fave song and video is online! Billy Bragg, “You Woke Up My Neighborhood”.

 

http://www.rhino.com/retrovid/videoplayer.lasso?VidID=730

 

Fun video, the sort that aren’t really in vogue any more. I cherish it still as a Blarney Stone memory. Michael Stipe, Peter Buck and a motley crew lookin like Dexy’s fuckin midnight runners are partying with Billy. It’s kinda like when my friend Dave shows up out of nowhere with a bottle of tequila. Somehow a parade ends up happening. Then I’m asleep pondering tomorrow. Just watching/listening to it makes golden lasers of happines beam out my eyes.