Saw "Finding Neverland" this p.m. It was excellent, but Anthony Lane's essay on Barrie in The New Yorker two weeks ago is even better!

I'd be interested to know if the songs under discussion have anything at all to do with the grieving process. My own take on them is that they are intended (cruelly) to revolt unsuspecting listeners. Those not revolted learn the song and carry on the tradition, kind of a cruel practical joke. This may be one motivation for rugby players who want to drive non-players from the party.

Among combat fliers, some singers promote such songs, usually at post-flight beer busts, to distract themselves from the realities of air(to ground) warfare. As gross as the song is, the reality of bombing missions and air combat is plenty worse. And that takes some powerful distraction.

It's easier and safer to deal with the imaginary morbidity and cannibalism in the song (accompanied by snorting, fake retching, shouting, grabbing another beer, slopping it over your WSO, etc.) than to think about the suffering of real people. So the songs are defense mechanisms in some cases.

IMHO.