WW I Songs
Walter Nelson
I know where they are, I know where they are.
If you want the old Battalion, I know where they are,
Hangin' on the ol' barbed wire.
I saw them, I saw them,
Hangin' on the ol' barbed wire, I saw them
Hangin' on the ol' barbed wire.
If you want the Sergeant Major, I know where 'e is
I know where 'e is, I know where 'e is.
If you want the Sergeant Major, I know where 'e is
Hangin' on the ol' barbed wire.
And so on, through the various ranks and positions in a British military
unit--with the exception of the General, who is never hangin' on the ol'
barbed wire.
A less dreary version has a different fate for each of the principals, like
"drunk on the wardroom floor" or "in Paris on a three-day pass", rather
than all hanging together on the old barbed wire.
Cheers,
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Walter Nelson | INSERT PITHY WITTICISM HERE
RAND |
walter...@rand.org |
___________________________________________________________________________
James Leelynde Nordstrom
Here in Canada Rememberance Day is approaching and I was
wondering if anyone had the lyrics to any of those old WW I songs like
_Its a Long Way to Tipperary[sp?]_.
Thanks in advance.
--
| email address: jnor...@sfu.ca | Majoring in Archaeology and | Yours |
| Undergrad in Arts, Simon Fraser | Minoring in Communications | Sincerely |
| University at Burnaby in Canada | Interested in Isaac Asimov | James |
Dick Wisan
beve...@nh1adm.uwaterloo.ca (Beverlie Robertson) writes:
> In article <47map0$l...@morgoth.sfu.ca>, jnor...@news.sfu.ca (James
> Leelynde Nordstrom) wrote:
>
>> Hi,
>> Here in Canada Rememberance Day is approaching and I was
>> wondering if anyone had the lyrics to any of those old WW I songs like
>> _Its a Long Way to Tipperary[sp?]_.
> TIPERARY
> It's a long way to Tiperary, it's a long way to go,
> It's a long way to Tiperary & the sweetest girl I know.
> Good-bye Picadilly, farewell Leicester Square,
> It's a long, long way to Tiperary & my heart's right there.
>
> PACK UP YOUR TROUBLES
>
> Pack up your troubles in your old kit bag & smile, smile, smile
> While you've a lucifer to light your fag, smile boys, that's the style,
> What's the use of worrying? It never was worthwhile,
> SO, pack up your troubles in your old kit bag & smile, smile, smile.
These are music-hall songs, and those words are the choruses. That's
the part people usually know because (a) they're the best part and
(b) they're the part the audience sings along with.
I'm curious what the verses to those two (especially Tipperary) are.
If anybody knows, could they post?
--
R. N. (Dick) Wisan - Email: internet WIS...@hartwick.edu
- Snail: 37 Clinton Street, Oneonta NY 13820, U.S.A.
- Just your opinion, please, ma'am: No fax.
Howard Evans
Soldiers' Songs from Agincourt to Ulster, Woolfe Publishing, 10
Earlsham Street, London WC2. (it's an old book - no ISBN, and an
old address, but it may still be around)
Also, book Roy Palmer (sorry, no further info - someone
"borrowed" my copy) - anyone else have info?
"Kiss Me Goodnight Segeant Major" Songs & Ballads of WWII by
Martin Page (Not WWI, but might be of interest) Humour Music
586-04152-4 - Panther books.
Every little helps, I hope :-)
--
Howard Evans, Carnoustie, Scotland
edb...@ibm.net
> Hi,
> Here in Canada Rememberance Day is approaching and I was
> wondering if anyone had the lyrics to any of those old WW I songs like
> _Its a Long Way to Tipperary[sp?]_.
> Thanks in advance.
You might want to look for a book called "The Songs My Mother Never
Taught Me", by J.J.Niles, Douglas S. Moore, and A.A.Wallgren.
That's assuming that it is still in print, anyway (my copy is from
1929). However, Niles' stuff shouldn't be too hard to come by.
It is 227 page gold mine of WWI songs.
Eric Berge
edb...@ibm.net
Bill Bracewell
>
> And so on, through the various ranks and positions in a British
military
> unit--with the exception of the General, who is never hangin' on the
ol'
> barbed wire.
>
> A less dreary version has a different fate for each of the principals,
like
> "drunk on the wardroom floor" or "in Paris on a three-day pass",
rather
> than all hanging together on the old barbed wire.
>
In the version I have only the private has the doubtful privelidge of
hanging on the old barbed wire.
If you want I'll post it.
Do you want *When this bloody war is over* as well?
or perhaps *I don't want to join the army*
--
Barnacle !"Now here," said the Red Queen, "it takes all the running you
Bill ! can do, to keep in the same place. If you want to get
! somewhere else, you must run at least twice as fast as that!"
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Bill Bracewell
>
> There is a book called "The Cruel Wars" by Karl Dallas - 100
> Soldiers' Songs from Agincourt to Ulster, Woolfe Publishing, 10
> Earlsham Street, London WC2. (it's an old book - no ISBN, and an
> old address, but it may still be around)
>
tell you himself!
Abby Sale
>
>In Article<47map0$l...@morgoth.sfu.ca>, <jnor...@news.sfu.ca> write:
>
>> Hi,
>> Here in Canada Rememberance Day is approaching and I was
>> wondering if anyone had the lyrics to any of those old WW I songs like
>> _Its a Long Way to Tipperary[sp?]_.
>> Thanks in advance.
>
>You might want to look for a book called "The Songs My Mother Never
>Taught Me", by J.J.Niles, Douglas S. Moore, and A.A.Wallgren.
>
>That's assuming that it is still in print, anyway (my copy is from
>1929). However, Niles' stuff shouldn't be too hard to come by.
Maybe that was a good year. I spotted a book yesterday at the local
bookmongers. He's still looking up a price so I don't know if I'll
afford it or no. _Sound Off_ by Edward Arthur Dolph_, Cosmopolitan
Books, 1929. I'd never heard of book or author before.
At least 150 military songs with tunes. Categorized by war or era.
(some 20 Revolutionary War ones, eg. several I hadn't seen before.)
Bibliography too.
Seemed a very good one. No idea if it's available thru your local
Interlibrary loan or not. Worth a try.
I just made myself curious about this & did a brief library search.
Seems to have been reprinted in 1942. Here's the card:
Author: Dolph, Edward Arthur, 1896- ed.
Title: "Sound off!" Soldier songs from the revolution to
World War II [compiled by] Edward Arthur Dolph;
music arranged by Philip Egner; illustrated by
Lawrence Schick [printed music].
Published: New York, Toronto, Farrar & Rinehart incorporated
[c1942]
Description: xxvii, 3-621 p. incl. front., illus. 26 cm.
LC Call No.: M1629.D7 S6
Dewey No.: 784.71973
Notes: Bibliography: p. 613-615.
Subjects: War songs, American.
Ballads, American.
Songs, English.
Other authors: Egner, Philip, arr.
Other titles: Soldier songs.
Control No.: AAW-5093
abby...@digital.net somewhere in the Florida swamps, among
the bayonet cactus and crocs.
Tom Morgan
> > TIPERARY
> > It's a long way to Tiperary, it's a long way to go,
> > It's a long way to Tiperary & the sweetest girl I know.
> > Good-bye Picadilly, farewell Leicester Square,
> > It's a long, long way to Tiperary & my heart's right there.
> >
> > PACK UP YOUR TROUBLES
> >
> > Pack up your troubles in your old kit bag & smile, smile, smile
> > While you've a lucifer to light your fag, smile boys, that's the style,
> > What's the use of worrying? It never was worthwhile,
> > SO, pack up your troubles in your old kit bag & smile, smile, smile.
>
> These are music-hall songs, and those words are the choruses. That's
> the part people usually know because (a) they're the best part and
> (b) they're the part the audience sings along with.
>
> I'm curious what the verses to those two (especially Tipperary) are.
> If anybody knows, could they post?
>
> --
> R. N. (Dick) Wisan
I'm not sure that there ARE verses to "Pack up your Troubles" but I can help
with Tipperary: (As you say, the chorus is the best part - a classic. But
the verses???
Up to mighty London came an Irishman one day,
As the streets are paved with gold, sure everyone was gay;
Singing songs of Piccadilly, Strand and Leicester Square,
Till Paddy got excited, then he shouted to them there,
It's a long way..........
Paddy wrote a letter to his Irish Molly-O,
Saying, "Should you not receive it, write and let me know."
"If I make mistakes in spelling, Molly, dear," said he,
"Remember it's the pen that's bad, don't lay the blame on me."
It's a long way.............
Molly wrote a neat reply to Irish Paddy-O,
Saying, "Mike Maloney wants to marry me and so
Leave the Strand and Piccadilly or you'll be to blame,
For love has fairly drove me silly - hoping you're the same."
It's a long way...........
Truly awful stuff! Here (possibly) is why it's so bad. It was written in a
hell of a hurry. Jack Judge, a variety comedian/singer was sitting in a pub
one morning. A fellow-performer bet him that he couldn't write a song, get
it arranged and perform it that same evening. Jack took the bet and the
result was "Tipperary." He wrote it in 1912. However, the song (or at least
its excellent chorus) went on to become one of the icons of the Great War.
The English folk-singer Bill Caddick has written an excellent song about the
incident, called "The Writing of Tipperary." It's a tour-de-force - long,
complex in terms of rhythms and accompaniment- and few people are able to
perform it!
Remember also the songs written by the soldiers themselves. I have quite a
collection of these. They're usually very droll, often obscene and
occasionally they "borrow" well-known hymn tunes.
A couple of my favourites:
WHEN THIS BLLEDING WAR IS OVER
(to the tune of "What a Friend we have in Jesus":
When this bleeding war is over,
No more soldiering for me,
When I get my civvy clothes on,
Oh, how happy I shall be.
No more church parades on Sundays,
No more asking for a pass,
I shall tell the sergeant-major
To shove his passes up his arse.
RAINING, RAINING, RAINING
(To the tune of "Holy, Holy, Holy."
Raining, raining, raining,
Always bloody well raining.
Raining in the morning,
And raining all the day.
Grousing, grousing, grousing,
Always bloody well grousing,
Grousing at the weather,
Grousing at the pay.
Marching, marching, marching,
Always bloody well marching,
Marching all the morning
And marching all the night.
Marching, marching, marching,
Always bloody well marching,
Roll on till my time is up
And I shall march no more!
Tom Morgan
James Leelynde Nordstrom
: In article: <47okcr$7...@rand.org> wal...@thoreau.rand.org (Walter
: >
: > And so on, through the various ranks and positions in a British
: military
: > unit--with the exception of the General, who is never hangin' on the
: ol'
: > barbed wire.
: >
: > A less dreary version has a different fate for each of the principals,
: like
: > "drunk on the wardroom floor" or "in Paris on a three-day pass",
: rather
: > than all hanging together on the old barbed wire.
: >
: In the version I have only the private has the doubtful privelidge of
: hanging on the old barbed wire.
: If you want I'll post it.
: Do you want *When this bloody war is over* as well?
: or perhaps *I don't want to join the army*
Anything would be cool this is great stuff.
:
: --
: Barnacle !"Now here," said the Red Queen, "it takes all the running you
: Bill ! can do, to keep in the same place. If you want to get
: ! somewhere else, you must run at least twice as fast as that!"
:
: ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
:
Ed Cray
Edward Dolph's *Sound Off* which also has a WW I section.
Ed Cray
Belvoir
And, of course, there's always the Digital Tradition, which has (IMHO) a
pretty good collection of soldiers' songs: try searching for @WWI.
If the song you're looking for ISN'T there, and you find it, just send me
a copy---that way it will be next time.
dick greenhaus
Bert D. Dodds
>From: jnor...@news.sfu.ca (James Leelynde Nordstrom)
>Subject: WW I Songs
>Date: 7 Nov 1995 00:54:56 GMT
>Hi,
> Here in Canada Rememberance Day is approaching and I was
>wondering if anyone had the lyrics to any of those old WW I songs like
>_Its a Long Way to Tipperary[sp?]_.
> Thanks in advance.
How about a song called "I Didn't Raise My Boy To Be A Soldier" (Alfred
Bryan, Al Piantadosi - 1918).
Bert D.