He wrote songs for other people with equal success, including "Carrie" and "Wired for Sound" for Sir Cliff Richard and "Silent Running" and "The Living Years" for Mike And The Mechanics.
In addition to his successful pop career, Robertson also wrote music for television and screen, including the theme to Saturday Superstore (1982), the soundtrack for Heavenly Pursuits (1985) and songs for The Pirate Movie (1982).
Singles:
Moira's Hand (1973 - as Brian Alexander Robertson)
All the Thin Men (1976 - as Alexander Robertson)
Goosebumps (1979)
Bang Bang (1979 - #2, UK Charts)
Knocked it Off (1979 - #8, UK Charts)
Kool in the Kaftan (1980 - #17, UK Charts)
To Be or Not to Be (1980 - #9, UK Charts)
Flight 19 (1980)
Sucker for Your Love (1981)
Hold Me (1981 - duet with Maggie Bell - #11, UK Charts)
We Have a Dream (1982 - as Scottish World Cup Squad - #5, UK Charts)
Ready or Not (1983)
Dot Dot Dot (1983)
Time (1984 - duet with Frida - #45, UK Charts)
Albums:
Wringing Applause (1973 - as Brian Alexander Robertson)
Shadow of a Thin Man (1976 - as Alexander Robertson)
Initial Success (1980 - #32, UK Album Charts)
Bully for You (1981 - #61, UK Album Charts)
R&BA (1983)
The Platinum Collection (2005)
BA's official website is at www.barobertson.com
We Have A Dream
B.A. Robertson Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
We live beneath the garden where people walk nude.
We broke into that market to borrow some glue
To fix our souls made into pieces, we also borrowed some food
They have it and that is why we don't have it
(We're doomed) We don't stand a chance
It doesn't matter what we do cause
(We're doomed) Wasting the time
We love one another, we are made of love
Security cameras made it for a nice videoclip
Cops came in for the party holding guns in their grips
They have it and that is why we don't have it
(We're doomed) We don't stand a chance
It doesn't matter what we do cause
They have it and that is why we don't have it
(We're doomed) Wasting the time
We love one another, we are made of love
A woman screaming in the crowd ""I want a new swimming pool""
A journalist spitting on the ground, he studied at private schools
A great audience to witness the arrest, police officers in Blue
Brought us to jail for the crime of restoring our souls
They have it and that is why we don't have it
(We're doomed) We don't stand a chance
It doesn't matter what we do cause
They have it and that is why we don't have it
(We're doomed) Wasting the time
We love one another, we are made of love
B.A. Robertson’s song, “We Have a Dream” is a song that comments on the inequalities that exist within society. The lyrics describe a dichotomy between two groups of people - one group that has access to resources (symbolized by the value market), and another group that struggles to make ends meet (symbolized by the need to borrow glue to fix their souls and food to satisfy their hunger). The market is “colored in blue” - a reference to the phrase “blue chip” which is used to describe something of high value or quality. The lyrics suggest that this group of people (who have access to the market) are the ones who possess power, and are responsible for the oppression of those who don’t.
The setting of the song is also significant. The people who are struggling to survive are living “beneath the garden where people walk nude.” This may be interpreted as a symbol of the stark difference in lifestyles that exist within society. While those who have power and privilege are free to indulge in leisurely activities, the ones who are marginalized have to constantly struggle to survive.
The lyrics also comment on the futility of the struggle faced by the marginalized. The line “It doesn't matter what we do cause they have it and that is why we don't have it” suggests that the system is rigged against them. Even if they try to fight against this oppression, they do not stand a chance. The song ends with a message of positivity in the line “We love one another, we are made of love”, but this is contrasted with the bleak reality that the marginalized people face.
Line by Line Meaning
There is a value market and it's colored in blue
Wealth and privilege are concentrated in a system controlled by certain people
We live beneath the garden where people walk nude.
We are marginalized, living outside and beneath the mainstream culture
We broke into that market to borrow some glue
We had to transgress in order to access any resources at all
To fix our souls made into pieces, we also borrowed some food
These resources were urgently needed to repair our spiritual and physical well-being
They have it and that is why we don't have it
The powerful have a monopoly on wealth and power, leaving the rest of us at a disadvantage
(We're doomed) We don't stand a chance
The systemic imbalance is insurmountable, leading to a sense of hopelessness
It doesn't matter what we do cause
Despite our efforts, we are unlikely to make significant progress without systemic change
Wasting the time
Our efforts may be futile or misdirected given the systemic imbalance
We love one another, we are made of love
Our strength comes from our bonds with each other and our common humanity
Security cameras made it for a nice videoclip
The system has a perverse fascination with monitoring marginalized people for entertainment or profit
Cops came in for the party holding guns in their grips
The routine show of force by the state serves to intimidate the marginalized
A woman screaming in the crowd ""I want a new swimming pool""
The privileged believe they are entitled to ever more material possessions, regardless of others' needs
A journalist spitting on the ground, he studied at private schools
The elite uccessfully instill the idea that they are superior and others are inferior
A great audience to witness the arrest, police officers in Blue
Society at large is complicit in allowing the brutal suppression of marginalized people
Brought us to jail for the crime of restoring our souls
The powerful punish those who attempt to carve out a space for themselves and seek self-actualization
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: Juanma Pastor Labrandero
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind