Songs of WW1

[CROONAERT]

Here`s a further question to test your knowledge! An uncle of mine claimed that, in the desert in WW2, the Germans and British could be heard simultaneously singing Lilli Marlene. Did the Germans adopt any British songs in WW1 or vice versa? Phil B

Don't know about WW1 , Phil, but "Tipperary" was certainly adopted (and usually in English, too!) by the Heer and Kriegsmarine in WW2.

Lili Marlene (my all time favourite) must have so many different versions that it's untrue! A favourite version was always the "D-Day Dodgers" version...

"We're the D-day dodgers, out in Italy,

Always drinking Vino,always on a spree.

8th Army skivers with the Yanks

we live in Rome and Laugh at tanks,

we;re the D-Day dodgers

in sunny Italy.

looking 'round the mountains in the mud and rain

lots of little crosses, some which bare no name.

Blood sweat and tears and toil are gone,

the boys beneath them slumber on...

they're the D-day dodgers...

who'll stay in Italy...etc. etc..."

Always makes me think of my "D-day Dodging" grandad who came back home, and my "D-day dodging" Gt.Uncle who still resides near Anzio (must have likesd the sun and wine - good views from his cemetery too! )

dave

[Cliff. Hobson]

Has anyone heard a version of this song? If so is it connected to WW1 'Pals' btns.?

When you're walking down the old ...... Road

Doors and windows open wide ... OPEN WIDE

You can hear the people shout

The ....... boys are out,

We are some of the boys

We know our manners

We spend our tanners

We are respected wherever we go SO

When you're walking down the old and so on

Indulge me. There's a story behind this one.

Des

]

Des . The above has a familiar ring to me, sixty odd years ago I heard some of our lads singing ( if you could call it that ) " We are the Mindon Dandies some of the finest and some of the best, we are respected wherever we go, where we come from nobody knows. We are fond of the ladies who steal all our wages, our wages.... I can't remember it all but its not repeatable any way.

Of the W.W.1 songs There is a Long Long trail a winding was surely a favourite, one I can remember my Mother singing, another very popular ditty which I would be obliged if some could complete it,

" The moon shines bright on Charlie Chaplin,

whose boots are cracking, for want of blacking,

--------------------------------

--------------------------------

We will send him to the Dardenelles.

Regards Cliff.

[Andrew Upton]

"The moon shine bright on Charlie Chaplin,

His boots are cracking, for want of blacking,

and his little baggy trousers they'll want mendin',

Before we send 'im,

to the Dardenelles".

[Cliff. Hobson]

"The moon shine bright on Charlie Chaplin,

His boots are cracking, for want of blacking,

and his little baggy trousers they'll want mendin',

Before we send 'im,

to the Dardenelles".

Thank you Andrew for completing the ditty.

Regards Cliff.

[brett361975]

I read Christmas 1914 the Germans and English sang Silent night and even the Germans sang God save the king.

According to my family, my G Grandad liked keep the home fires burning as his favorite.

[brett361975]

I found this one on an old postcard.

Sing a song of Christmas !

a pocket full slush,

Four and twenty P.B.I

A dixie full of mush

When that dixey opened

The tommies said oh my

It beef today by way of change

And then began to cry.

[squirrel]

A song with the mention of Minden Dandies would precede WW1 by a long way - battle fought in the 18th century.

[spike10764]

Roses of Picardy.....

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

She is watching by the poplars

Colinette with the sea blue eyes

She is watching and longing and waiting

Where the long white roadway lies

And a song stirs in the silence

As the wind in the boughs above

She listens and starts and trembles

'Tis the first little song of love

Roses are shining in Picardy

In the hush of the silver dew

Roses are flowering in Picardy

But there's never a rose like you

And the roses will die with the summer time

And our roads may be far apart

But there's one rose that dies not in Picardy

'Tis the rose that I keep in my heart

And the years fly on forever

Til the shadows veil their sighs

But he loves to hold her little hand

And look in her sea blue eyes.

And he sees the rose by the poplars

Where they met in the bygone years

For the first little song of the roses

Is the last little song she hears

She is watching by the poplars

Colinette with the sea blue eyes

She is watching and longing and waiting

Where the long white roadway lies

And a song stirs in the silence

As the wind in the boughs above

She listens and starts and trembles

'Tis the first little song of love.

[Guest mruk]

World War One-ish. "My Old Man Said Follow The Van" and "Hold Your Hand Out You Naughty Boy". They both remind me of my Granny. 'Thwack!'. 'Ouch!': and then an hour sat on the 'punishment chair' for playing football on a Sunday.

Cheers,

Dave

[CarylW]

In a book I have - a memoir of growing up in Anglesey. "Pulling myself Together' Arthur H Haley the author mentions the soldiers who were training at Kingsbridge camp on Anglesey

1917 "...I used to watch the men marching with little more than curiousity.

Then one day in early September we knew that a large body of men were going to march past. They were being drafted to the front. It was evening and all the family were waiting to stand outside to wave goodbye. As soon as they left the camp we knew they were on their way. The strains of "Pack up your troubles in an old kit bag" played by the Regimental band came wafted on the breeze. As the leading column hove into view the song had changed

"Keep the home fires burning

While your hearts are yearning

Though the boys are far away

They dream of home

There's a silver lining

Through the dark clouds shining

Turn the dark clouds inside out

Till the boys come home..."

How bravely they sang. How wildly we waved, right until the last man had disappeared round the bend in the road. In all the excitement I had seen mother trying vainly to smile. As we walked in the tears were coursing down her cheeks and I felt overawed by the contrasting silence that had fallen over all"

Caryl

[squirrel]

Alternative words to Hold Your Hand Out, Naughty Boy..........

Keep your head down Allyman.

Keep your head down Allyman.

Last night in the pale moonlight, we saw you, we saw you.

You were mending broken wire,

when we opened rapid fire.

If you want to see your father in the Fatherland

keep your head down Allyman.

[sjustice]

"Keep The Home Fires Burning"

[PhilB]

My uncle is a veteran of the Desert War and used to sing a version of Lilli Marlene which was an appeal to Churchill and included the lines "We`re blooming browned off chasing huns - and losing our tanks and our guns" Phil B

PS Surprised to see this thread resurrected after a couple of years!

[Ozzie]

http://www.diggerhistory.info/pages-poetry...ww1-a.htm#madam

Kim

[Jack Sheldon]

The further away from the front and the closer to the music hall stage, the more hawkish the number. My family used to have / still has? a piano album of period songs, one of which, entitled 'Where are the Lads of the Village Tonight?' has several verses which become more and more anti-German as they succeed one another, until the overall effect is simply comic.

From memory the first verse goes:

Where are the lads of the village tonight?

Where are the nuts we knew?

In Picadilly or Leicester Square?

No not there, no not there.

They're taking a trip on the continong (note the 'g'!)

With their rifles and their bayonets bright

Gone to teach the vulture

Murder is not culture

That's where they are tonight

They don't write them lke that any more. Just the thing to make your parlour gathering go with a swing - it's got a good marching tune.

Jack

[demgbr]

According to my family, my G Grandad liked keep the home fires burning as his favorite.

I don't know about old favourite but my father used to get very tearful whenever he heard 'Keep the home fires burning', one of the more sentimental songs they sang on the Somme.

[Landsturm]

I'd go for "It's a Long Way to Tipperary", there's something iconic in it. I read that this was first sung by the Connaught Rangers as they passed through Boulogne after embarking. It was then picked up by other regiments. And in the end recorded.

What I'm at the moment interested in, are the pre-1914 soldier songs. What would have been popular in say 1911 to 1913?

I found the lyrics of this untitled song (excuse the profanities, but army life and army humour are army life and army humour). It's said to have survived from the Napoleonic campaigns, and was probably sung in the WW2 too. Any more information of the origin?

I don't want the Sergeant's shilling,

I don't want to be shot down;

I'm really much more willing

To make myself a killing,

Living off the pickings of the Ladies of the Town;

Don't want a bullet up my bumhole,

Don't want my cobblers minced with ball;

For if I have to lose 'em

Then let it be with Susan

Or Meg or Peg or any whore at all, Gorblimey!

On Monday I touched her on the ankle,

On Tuesday I touched her on the knee;

On Wednesday such caresses

As I got inside her dresses,

On Thursday she was moaning sweetly;

On Friday I had my fingers in it,

On Saturday she gave my balls a wrench;

And on Sunday after supper,

I had the ****** up her,

And now she's got me up before the Bench,

Gorblimey!

[JPAE]

The 'Charlie Chaplin' song a few posts earlier had several versus. We used to do Oldham Tinkers' songs in the Angel at Baildon, Yorks, in the 70's and this is from memory!

Charlie chaplin went to france, to teach the ladies how to dance,

First you heel, and then you toe,

lift up your skirts and round you go,

And the moon......

Charlie Chaplin meek and mild, swiped a sausage from a child,

when the child began to cry,

charlie socked him in the eye'

And the moon.......

Charlie chaplin had no sense, he bought a fiddle for eighteen pence,

but the only tune that he could play,

was tar-ra-ra-boom-de-ay,

and the moon......

Charlie chaplin Chuck-chuck-chuck, went to bed with three white ducks,

One died, Charlie cried,

Charlie, charlie, chuck-chuck-chuck.

and the moon...........

The Oldham tinkers made several LP records in the early 70's and recorded lots of 'older songs' which were probably around during WW1. My favourite is about an Oldham harem , where they wear 'em pretty low, and sometimes where they wear 'em none at all!

As an Essex/Kent boy I loved this slice of Lancashire life when I came North, and lets face it, I'm still 'ere, and the wife's from....Oldham.

Phil.

[reese williams]

I've got a very early American and Canadian printing of the sheet music for Tipperary here in front of me. Written and composed by Jack Judge and Harry Williams Copyright 1912. What most of us know is the chorus. Here are the lyrics:

V1

Up to mightly London came an Irishman one day,

As the streets are paved with gold, sure ev'ryone was gay;

Singing songs of Picadilly, Strand and Leicester Square,

Till Paddy got excited, then he shouted there:

Chorus

It's a long way to Tipperary,

It's a long way to go;

It's a long way to Tipperary,

To the sweetest girl I know!

Goodbye Picadilly,

Farewell Leicester Square,

It's a long, long way to Tipperary,

But my heart's right there

V2

Paddy wrote a letter to his Irish Mollo 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"

Chorus

V3

Molly wrote a neat reply to Irish Paddy O',

Saying, "Mike Maloney wants to marry me, and so

Leave the Strand and Picadilly, or you'll be to blame,

For love has fairly drove me silly - hoping you're the same!"

[stoj22]

The Bells Of Hell (OWALW version)

The bells of hell

go ting-a-ling-a-ling,

For you but not for me,

And the little devils how they sing-a-ling-a-ling,

For you but not for me.

Oh death, where is thy sting-a-ling-a-ling,

Oh grave, thy victory?

The bells of hell go ting-a-ling-a-ling

For you but not for me.

So good I named my website after it....!!

[squirrel]

The Last Long Mile.

[Clio]

'I wore a tunic, a dirty khaki tunic

and you wore your civvy clothes

We fought and bled at Loos

While you were on the booze

(The booze that no one here knows)

You were out with the wenches

while we were in the trenches,

facing an agry foe

Oh we were attackin'

(while you were a-slackin')

The Germans on the Menin Road'

There was an exquisitely witty but unrepeatable Great War submariner's dit to the tune of 'Cock o' the North' which began,

'Ohhhh Aunty Mary kept a canary up the leg of her breeks...'

[ArtParke]

Nail on the head - look at the obits of most of the pals' btns. and you'll see amongst them - in local newspapers at least - 'he was a prominent local footballer with anywhere rovers' etc.

I was told this was a song sung by boys in 'my' unit - the 12th Royal Irish Rifles - in which they 'glorified' the name of their street/area i.e. 'When you're walking down the old Larne Road' .... 'the Harryville boys are out - we are some of the boys'

Plus we had the local rivalry between Southend Rangers (Harryville) and Summerfield FC (Northend) - and believe it or not, the song is still sung today by local football fans!

Here is a photo of the South End Rangers circa 1909. Hope this works

[ArtParke]

Back row of photo according to my late father

John Donnell, Stewart Melville. John Hamill, William McNinch,Leslie Houston, John McNabney

Front row

Alex Wilson, William Moore, Arthur Laverty, Davy Cahoon, and Davy Logan

Houston and Laverty both died WW1

[Rob Bulloch]

Nice to see a thread from April 2004 being resurrected. I came across an old programme from 31st December 1917 "The Ruffles" concert party of the 20th Service Battalion Royal Fusiliers played at a concert for the 1st Battalion Cameronians, the programme listed some songs that may have been popular at that time though most of them I have never heard.."365 Days" "Friend of Mine" "I Went On My Way Rejoicing" "As A Friend" and "Just a Wearying for You". Now I think Mr Paul Robson recorded and sung the last one.

Aye Rob