Whether or not we like this song in its original format (and I do) is not the point. The song was written for a purpose and with an intended meaning - that is the point.

Eric Bogle has been very diplomatic and forgiving in his response to this outrage but the rest of us should react with anger at this bastardisation of a beautiful and emotive song and the trampling underfoot of its message. Leaving aside the wholly inappropriate Rock/Pop arrangement; only an artist who had complete contempt for the meaning of the lyrics, for their intended effect and for the writer of those lyrics would have accepted a commission to perform this disgracefully sentimentalised and censored version of a moving and thought provoking anti-war anthem. Joss Stone and Jeff Beck have exposed their complete lack of integrity in agreeing to produce this travesty and the Royal British Legion have shown their own antipathy towards the sentiments behind the song. If they didn't like an anti-war message then they shouldn't have used an anti war anthem. There are plenty of songs glorifying and/or setimentalising the sacrifice of war dead they could have chosen (the Horst Wessel song has its English language counterparts) but this song was supposed to be about the futility of the First World War and the failure to learn its lessons. Stone, Beck and the RBL should all be thoroughly ashamed of themselves.