I Keep Faith

What can one say about Billy Bragg. He's hands down my favorite performance of SXSW. He's the best storyteller I've ever seen, hell he may have done that in school back in the day. The Yard Dog on South Congress was the place for the performance.

His banter is the best, a rather powerful, motivational and inspiring message. He went on about the Magna Carta and how it gave the common people the ability to go against authority. He gave the example of how in his country they have beheaded monarchy when it didn't serve the people's needs. He also said he had a great time in Austin hanging out with Morrissey and Echo and the Bunnymen. He spoke of how Americans are wonderful people, just a bit distracted by Wal-Mart and Fox News. An interesting character nonetheless.

The man even took time to play some Woody Guthrie covers at the Austin Homeless shelter. He looks like my old football coach, but the man has to be brilliant.

Here are some videos from the performance
Song 1 Song 2 Short Banter (about uber punk shit) Long Banter (about Morrisey and such)

In my opinion, sometimes his stuff doesn't translate well from the CD, but his live performances are captivating. A great lyric, "IMF, WTO,I hear these words just every place I go Who are these people? Who elected them? And how do I replace them with some of my friends?" At one point in time I had chills up and down my spine, as he goes off on this political nonsense and says 'I Keep Faith,' and sings the following song, which can apply to politics, life, love, you name it.

----------------------------
I Keep Faith

If you want to make the weather
Then you have to take the blame
If sometimes dark clouds fill the sky
And it starts to rain, and folks complain

And though your head may tell you
To run and hide
listen to your heart,
and you’ll find me Right by your side
Because...

I keep faith
I keep faith
I keep faith
I keep faith in you

Yes I doI keep faith in you
If you think you have the answer
Don't be surprised
If what you say is met with anger

And contempt and lies
And though it maybe that you want to
Just walk away
Reach out you'll find me there beside you
All of the way
Because...

I keep faith
I keep faith
I keep faith
I keep faith in you
Yes I doI keep faith in you

All the dreams we shared
I never knew no one who cared
About these things the way that I've seen in you
It doesn't matter if
This house falls off the cliff
Together we are gonna see it through

I know it takes a mess of courage
To go against the grain
You have to make great sacrifice for such little gain
And so much pain
And if your plans have come to nothing
Washed out in the rainLet me rekindle all your hopes
And help you start again
Because....

I keep faith
I keep faith
I keep faith
I keep faith in you
Yes I doI keep faith in you, yeahI keep faith in you
Yes I doI keep faith in you, yeahI keep faith in you
Yes I doI keep faith in youI keep faith in you

-------------------------------
(Yep, that was my biggest spine tingle of SXSW 2006)