Old mid50's song-state of war on the nursery floor

Subject: Old mid 50's song
From: Jonibee
Date: 30 Oct 10 - 07:07 AM

"There's a state of war on the nursery floor"

So said 'GUEST Anne Croucher on 13/04/2004' under the thread 'Singing in Morris Tunes'

According to Anne, she was singing this song in the mid 50s along with the her other song entitled "Nellie the Elephant".

However, I cannot remember the words to "There's a state of war" etc.
and I wonder if Anne (if she is still about) or anyone else can help me, PLEASE?

Thanking you in anticipation

Jonibee

Subject: RE: Old mid 50's song
From: GUEST
Date: 14 Nov 10 - 09:02 AM

There's a state of war on the nursery floor
But I really don't know what we're fighting for.
There's a foe somewhere 'neath an old armchair
We must do or dare.
I'm a tin soldier, I'm a tin soldier,
used to war and battle's din
Trumpets are sounding, horses are bounding
Nothing moves my heart if tin.
If you see me fall neath a cannon ball
There's a dent that's all.
Etc. Etc.

Subject: RE: Old mid 50's song
From: JohnInKansas
Date: 14 Nov 10 - 10:23 AM

A Google for "war on the nursery floor" returns 4 or 5 hits on this thread and 8 or 10 to a 1913/1931 book by H G Wells & his wife with "illustrations by J. R. Sinclair," but insufficient info to tell if there's a poem or song in it. One return on the book says you can get it for $350.

Little Wars is a typical hit.

The lyric fragments suggest (to me) the style of poetry from the earlier 1900s more than something from the '50s, but it might have taken half a century for someone to make a tune for it(?). Or it may have been handed down for a generation or two.

John

Subject: RE: Old mid 50's song
From: Newport Boy
Date: 14 Nov 10 - 12:50 PM

The words are familiar, and I know the tune (or at least part of it). I probably heard it on BBC 'Children's Hour' in the 1940's.

I have a feeling that the tune is from something else, but my mind won't locate it.

Ha - a sudden thought. The tune is part of 'The parade of the wooden soldiers'. This is an organ version - the relevant bit starts about 1:30 in, although it's a bit fast.

Phil

Subject: RE: Old mid 50's song
From: Jonibee
Date: 15 Nov 10 - 10:10 AM

Gosh - a response at last - I thought that I had been forgotten !!!

Very many thanks to John (in Kansas) and Phil (in Newport), but special thanks to 'GUEST' who managed to provide some words which were very familiar to me.

However, I still cannot remember all the lyrics, and, therefore, if GUEST could complete the "Etc.etc" then I would be ecstatatic? Alternatively, if GUEST could direct me to an appropriate link, then I could investigate the lyrics myself.

But, once again, my gratefull thanks to all thus far for your help.

Jonibee

Subject: RE: Old mid 50's song
From: GUEST
Date: 16 Dec 10 - 01:35 AM

hark there's a trumpeter tan tan arr rah, steady now he is going to fire! it was a well aimed shell and my conrades fell but you'll notice I'm still looking very well,

Subject: RE: Old mid 50's song
From: GUEST
Date: 16 Dec 10 - 01:36 AM

now the orders run, we must seize that gun and fort is won!

Subject: RE: Old mid 50's song
From: GUEST
Date: 16 Dec 10 - 01:39 AM

someone's calling, it's the colonels bed time, so good night, good night, good night!
remember singing this in choir 30 years ago as a wee lad in the RSA.....dont remember the title...please share if you know more

Subject: RE: Old mid 50's song
From: The Fooles Troupe
Date: 16 Dec 10 - 06:14 PM

A song for the mid 50s? Sorry I'm older than that now...

Now a song for my 2nd childhood, this one is...

Subject: RE: Old mid 50's song
From: GUEST,Roy
Date: 07 Feb 11 - 03:42 PM

There's a state of war on the nursery floor
But weI really don't know what we're fighting for.
There's a foe somewhere 'neath the old armchair
we must do and dare.
As we all march by, girls you need not cry,
for you know tin soldiers never never die,
if you see me fall neath a cannon ball
I get a dint that's all.

I'm a tin soldier, I'm a tin soldier,
used to war and battle's din
Trumpets are sounding, horses are bounding
Nothing moves my heart of tin.
Over the border waiting the order,
see a gunner holds the string,
hark there's a trumpeter tan tan tar rah, tan tar rah,
steady now he is going to fire! Bing.
Twas a well aimed shell and my comrades fell
but you'll notice I'm still looking very well,
now the orders run we must seize that gun and the fort is won

Subject: RE: Old mid 50's song
From: Jonibee
Date: 27 Feb 11 - 10:26 AM

Roy, you are an absolute genius.

The words you gave me are precisely the ones that I now recollect so vividly.

Thank you so much

Subject: RE: Old mid 50's song
From: GUEST
Date: 19 Aug 11 - 08:48 AM

I don't remember this from the 50s but do remember singing it in my school choir in the 80s lol.

I love this little song and often find myself singing it out loud...

There's a state of war on the nursery floor,
But we really don't know what we're fighting for.
There's a foe somewhere 'neath the old armchair,
So we must do and dare.

As we all march by, girls you need not cry,
For you know tin soldiers never never die!
If you see me fall neath a cannon ball,
I get a dent, that's all.

I'm a tin soldier, I'm a tin soldier,
Used to war and battle's din.
Trumpets are sounding, horses are bounding,
Nothing moves my heart of tin.
Over the border waiting the order, see a gunner holds the string.
Hark, there's a trumpeter tan tura tan tura!
Ready now he's going to fire! Bing!

Twas a well aimed shell and my comrades fell,
But you'll notice I'm still looking very well.
Victory's in sight, but they've stopped the fight!
Someone's calling, tis the Colonel's bedtime...so.....

Goodnight!

Subject: RE: Old mid 50's song
From: GUEST,Landsat
Date: 07 Jul 12 - 08:57 PM

These are more or less the words as I recall them. The tune is called "Parade of the Tin Soldiers" and can be obtained as a download from iTunes, check the album "Rustle of Spring" by Rawicz & Landauer, released 3 March 2011.

Subject: RE: Old mid 50's song
From: GUEST,Old Memories
Date: 20 Jan 13 - 01:59 AM

Location: Rothmans Junior School, Great Baddow, near Chelmsford in the County of Essex, England. Approximate Date: Easter Term 1961. Event: Morning All School Assembly and In Class Singing. We boys and girls would all sing this song with great gusto, although I must confess to never having learnt all the lyrics correctly, so thank you for the contrubtion(s) - at last the song makes sense!!!!!!!
Another song we used to sing was 'Early One Morning Just As the Sun Was Rising ....' an old English folk song, the lyrics of which I have since forgotten. Ah, childhood memories! Thanks for taking me back!   
;-D

Subject: RE: Old mid 50's song
From: Rumncoke
Date: 20 Jan 13 - 03:52 PM

Early one morning just as the sun was rising
I heard a maiden singing in the valley below

Chorus
Oh don't deceive me oh never leave me
How could you use a poor maiden so

Sweet are the lilies and fair are the roses
I culled from the garden to bind on your brow

Thus sang the maiden her sorrows bewailing
Thus sang the maiden in the valley below

Or something close - it is a song my mother sang, and I have never written down, thinking that I would never forget it, but it seems that even that is fading.

The old radio program 'Toytown' used 'parade of the tin soldiers' as its theme tune. There was Larry the lamb and Dennis the dachund - Mr Growser, a policeman, perhaps a Mayor -

The poor man who wrote the tune was a German, and Jewish. He was tortured by the Gestapo and died.

Subject: RE: Old mid 50's song
From: Sanjay Sircar
Date: 29 Apr 15 - 04:56 AM

(1) Thank you very much indeed to JohninKansas. Your link for HG Wells' Little Wars - the one you pointed to, I mean - is now gone, but $350 still stands as a price for "first edition(whether 1913 or 1931 I know not): there also appear to be other editions, including reprints/facsimiles (1913 or 1931 unclear) available. For the less well-heeled of us:
see

--- there is no song or anything like it in it.

(2) There appear to be at least two sets of words (different as far as I can make out, for "Betty Boop" and Disney) for "The Parade of the Tin Soldiers"/"March of the Wooden Soldiers" - neither of them (to my taste) a patch on the "There's a state of war on the nursery floor" given above in this thread. That set of words certainly fits the tune, but is it MEANT to be set to it?

(3) If these 3 sets of words are different, who wrote them, in what order? The name of ONE author is available, that I can see, but not ther other two.

Sanjay Sircar

Subject: RE: Old mid 50's song
From: GUEST,Tunesmith
Date: 29 Apr 15 - 07:04 AM

"You Belong to me" is one of my favourite songs from the 50s.
I've heard it sung quite a few times in UK folk clubs in the past few years.

I'm not keen on Kate Rusby's version because - for some inexplicable reason - she changes the melody and in doing so loses a lot of the song's charm.

Some might call it the folk process...I call it ruining the song!


50s version

Kate's Take!

Subject: RE: Old mid 50's song
From: GUEST,#
Date: 29 Apr 15 - 10:58 AM

http://www.dublinforum.net/forum/archive/index.php/t-15289.html

There are lyrics at that site, but I don't know if it's an accurate set of lyrics or title.

Subject: RE: Old mid 50's song
From: GUEST,Noel Bailey
Date: 12 Jan 17 - 12:10 AM

Yes, I have heard some of the above lyrics sung to the Leon Jessel
music of Parade of the tin soldiers.

    My recollection of the second line is:

    "But we're not quite sure just what we're fighting for"

    Which appears to fit and rhyme better.

Subject: RE: Old mid 50's song
From: FreddyHeadey
Date: 12 Jan 17 - 08:51 AM

~~~
Thread for this tune used with the MacDonald lyrics "The toy shop door is locked up tight..."
PARADE OF THE WOODEN SOLDIERS
Words by Ballard MacDonald, 1922. Music by Leon Jessel, 1905.
thread.cfm?threadid=133124 


~~~
Thread for the tune as used in the Donut Song "Well I walked around the corner..."
thread.cfm?threadid=157203 


~~~

Subject: RE: Old mid 50's song
From: GUEST,Noel Bailey
Date: 12 Jan 17 - 05:20 PM

If I may try again, I think a small improvement is possible over my earlier contribution. Thus:

       "There's a state of war on the nursery floor,
         Though we're not quite sure just what we're fighting for"

          ("Though" is slightly better than "But")

Subject: RE: Old mid 50's song
From: Mr Red
Date: 13 Jan 17 - 03:27 AM

"There's a state of war on the nursery floor,
         Though we're not quite sure just what we're fighting for"

I've read a few threads like that recently!

Subject: RE: Old mid 50's song
From: GUEST,david b
Date: 02 Jul 18 - 05:14 PM

another verse was

remember the vows you made on our wedding day

remember the vows when you promised to be true

oh never leave me etc

Subject: RE: Old mid50's song-state of war on the nursery floor
From: GUEST,keberoxu
Date: 02 Jul 18 - 07:58 PM

Sanjay Sircar's lament was justified, at the time;
the posts beginning this thread were enthusiastic
but less clear or concise than they could have been.

Rumncoke's post, with his aside about the tragic composer?
Leon Jessel is the composer to whom Rumncoke refers.
His instrumental tune had a German name, initially, with the title
"Die Parade der Zinnsoldaten," which sure enough
refers to tin soldiers.

The English-publisher sheet music, to add to the confusion,
is labelled:
"The Parade of the Tin Soldiers, also known
as The Parade of the Wooden Soldiers."
original publisher,
Heinrichshofen's Verlag in Magdeburg.
(Boosey & Hawkes in the UK)

Ballard McDonald wrote the words which begin,
"The toy shop door is locked up tight,"
as FreddyHeadey's post has alread submitted.

No nearer to discovering
who authored the lyric,
"There's a state of war on the nursery floor . . . "

Subject: RE: Old mid50's song-state of war on the nursery floor
From: GUEST,keberoxu
Date: 02 Jul 18 - 08:10 PM

The search-engine results citing H. G. Wells,
well, it happens. There's a reason for it.

There is an H. G. Wells volume titled
The New Machiavelli,
the New York edition is dated 1914.
This volume comes in four parts, each labelled as a "book."

The New Machiavelli 's "Book the Second,"
subtitled "Margaret,"
contains a chapter called Margaret in Staffordshire ("Chapter the First").

And on one page of Book II, Chapter 1 (page 156),
the phrases "state of war" and "nursery floor",
while separate, appear on different parts of the page.

Thus we can write off H. G. Wells,
unless someone finds something I didn't find.

Subject: RE: Old mid50's song-state of war on the nursery floor
From: GUEST,Jean Jordan
Date: 13 Dec 21 - 06:49 AM

Can anyone tell me a singer who sings the words of there’s a state of war on the nursery floor. I sang it with by school choir at a music contest many moons ago. I would like to her it sung again by children with the words I recognise