The Mudcat Café TM
Thread #156054   Message #3677206
Posted By: GUEST,henryp
14-Nov-14 - 12:37 PM
Thread Name: Ballads of the Great War BBC Radio 2
Subject: RE: Ballads of the Great War BBC Radio 2
Here's one example;

Your King and Country need You

Oh, we don't want to lose you
But we think you ought to go
For your King and your country
Both need you so
We shall want you and miss you
But with all our might and main
We shall cheer you, thank you
Kiss you when you come back again

These parodies are the soldiers' reply;

We don't want your loving
And we think you're awfully slow
To see we don't want you
So please won't you go
We don't like your sing-songs
And we hate your refrain
So don't you dare sing it
Near us again

Now we don't want to hurry you
But it's time you ought to go
For your songs and your speeches
They bore us so
Your coaxings and pettings
Drive us insane
Oh we hate you, and'll boo you
And hiss you if you sing it again

But I think soldiers' concerns were often closer to hand.