Song Details
- Album Release Date: 2012
- Genre: punk-rock
Song Meaning of “My Thirty Thousand” by Billy Bragg
My Thirty Thousand tells the story of a man reflecting on his life and his working class roots. He acknowledges the struggles he’s had to face – working hard for a meagre wage, fighting for justice, and standing up for what he believes in – and laments that his hard work won’t amount to much in the long run.
He also ponders how classic works of literature, music, and art of previous generations remain relevant despite their age, but how his own contributions to the world will fade away in time. He muses that he won’t have the opportunity to see his dream come to fruition, but he holds onto the hope that it will somehow still exist in his afterlife.
The song takes on a somber tone as he contemplates the meaning of his life in relation to those who have lived before him. Despite the struggles of his everyday life, the man is motivated to make the best of what little he has. He reminds himself that one day his life will be lost in the inexorable march of time, but his impact will still be felt by those left behind.