WWI Trench songs

Subject: Trench Songs of WW1
From: Bugsy
Date: 14 Mar 01 - 10:39 PM

I'm startin a bit of a collection of Trench Songs of WW1 (from the British perspective) and would be grateful of any songs, along with background that you may know. I've started of with "(Hanging on) The Old Barbed Wire" which I looked up in the DT. However, I seem to remember that there were a lot more verses than in the version shown here, also that the last verse was "If you want to find the private....".

Thanking you all in advance for any assistance you may be able to give.

Cheers

Bygsy

Subject: RE: Trench Songs of WW1
From: Spud Murphy
Date: 14 Mar 01 - 10:51 PM

Mademoiselle from Armentières

Ha-ha. i'm first!!!

Pomme de terre.

Subject: RE: Trench Songs of WW1
From: Bugsy
Date: 14 Mar 01 - 10:54 PM

Good one Spud! Do you have any lyrics or background on the song?

Cheers

Bugsy

Subject: RE: Trench Songs of WW1
From: GUEST,Sarah2 (at work, no cookie)
Date: 14 Mar 01 - 11:38 PM

It's a Long, Long Way to Tipperary
(Pack Up Your Troubles in Your Old Kit Bag and) Smile, Smile, Smile!
Roses of Picardy
Land of Hope and Glory
Keep the Home-Fires Burning
There's a Long, Long Trail

No promise they're all English-written, will have to get home to do some more looking. Meanwhile, others at their reference sources might look these up...?

Sarah

Subject: RE: Trench Songs of WW1
From: Amos
Date: 14 Mar 01 - 11:43 PM

They're all English. And then there's the whole sound trrack to "O! What a Lovely War!".

Subject: RE: Trench Songs of WW1
From: GUEST,MEADOW MUSKRAT
Date: 14 Mar 01 - 11:47 PM

Barrand and Roberts, two expatriate Brits living in the US recorded a great war Trilogy on their album A PRESENT FROM THE GENTLEMEN.The afore-mentioned The Old Barbed Wire is sandwiched between The Valley of the Shadow, a more recent song about the Battle of Arras, and There's a Long, Long Trail, a marching song composed in 1913 by Zo Elliot and Stoddard King.I also vaguely remember hearing a song called Roses of No Man's Land, about Red Cross Nurses. For a modern song about a unique event during ww1 check out Christmas in the Trenches by John McCutcheon.

Subject: RE: Trench Songs of WW1
From: Spud Murphy
Date: 15 Mar 01 - 12:02 AM

Oh,cripes, you had to ask.... here's the best I can do. i know the lyrics were so raunchy my mom wouldn't let my dad sing it around the house. I know somebody else can help with the lyrics when this thread get's going. I'll bet Spaw knows a few of the dum-de dum parts

Madamoiselle from Armintiers, parlez vous,
Madamoiselle from Armintiers, parlez vous,
madamoiselle from Armintiers,
dum-de-dum didy-dum-de-dum,
Hinky, dinky, parlez vous.

When I get my teeth in in a little bit I'll whistle it for you.

Spud

Subject: RE: Trench Songs of WW1
From: GUEST,Sarah2 (at work)
Date: 15 Mar 01 - 12:05 AM

I think that dum-de-dum line, at least the cleaned up version, was "Hasn't been kissed in forty years." The original left to your imagination.

Sarah

Subject: RE: Trench Songs of WW1
From: Bugsy
Date: 15 Mar 01 - 12:09 AM

Spud,I remember singing a version as a kid with my mates, "Three German officers crossed the line Parlez vous Shagged the girls and drank the wine...."and so on and so forth.

I wonder it the words are of the same ilk.

Thanks Sarah and Amos, I have them all in mind.

Meadow muskrat, I don't know "The Valley of the Shadow" but have already got John McCutcheon's Christmas in the Trenches on my list of later songs.

CHeers

Bugsy

Subject: RE: Trench Songs of WW1
From: Bob Bolton
Date: 15 Mar 01 - 12:17 AM

G'day Bugsy,

From the Australian perspective there is Suvla Bay, a song in which a girl (in "an old Australian homestead, with roses round the door") learns of her sweetheart's death at Gallipoli and becomes a nurse - rejecting any other offers of love.

This is alleged (by Bill Scott, at least) to have been banned by the Australian authorities as "detrimental to morale". I can't pick it up in the DigiTrad - or in SuperSearch - so it's not there. I had thought that i might have posted it in another thread, so I will check my complaints about songs not yet harvested. If I can't give you a link, I will post it (next week ... after the Illawarra Folk festival.

The Australians also had Dinky-Di, a song reviling Army staff who polished seats while diggers fought in the trenches, to the tune of Villikins and His Dinah. This is in DigiTrad ... under the spelling Dinky Die. I seem to remember a few more Australian ones listed in the Allens publication World War Songs (mostly from sheet music published during the two World Wars) but they were less well known. I will check when I get home.

Regards,

Bob Bolton

Subject: RE: Trench Songs of WW1
From: Bugsy
Date: 15 Mar 01 - 12:23 AM

Yes Bob, I know Suvla Bay, it was a favourite song of my Father in Law's.

Cheers

Bugsy

Subject: RE: Trench Songs of WW1
From: DougR
Date: 15 Mar 01 - 12:45 AM

"My Buddy."

DougR

Subject: RE: Trench Songs of WW1
From: Bugsy
Date: 15 Mar 01 - 12:55 AM

Doug, Tell me more.

Cheers

Bugsy

Subject: RE: Trench Songs of WW1
From: Musicman
Date: 15 Mar 01 - 01:10 AM

don't forget... K-K-K-Katy.....

Subject: RE: Trench Songs of WW1
From: CRANKY YANKEE
Date: 15 Mar 01 - 02:29 AM

"Christmas in the Trenches" is a parody of "Christmas [Day] in the Workhouse" (or vice versa) (Vice Versa, that's the assistant poet)

Christmas in the workhouse is recited as a poem, usually.

(with heavy london accent, if you can. ) (there I go getting snotty again)

I started to write it in dialect, but I've given up

CHRISTMAS IN THE WORKHOUSE

It were Christmas in the workhouse, the best time of the year.
All them paupers, they were happy, they were full of Christmas cheer.
And, the Master too was happy, as he strode down dismal Halls.
And, he wished them "Merry Christmas", and all them paupers answered, "Balls".
Which made the master angry and he swore by all the Gods,
""YOU'LL GET NO CHRISTMAS PUDDIN' YOU LOUSY LOT OF SODS"
Then up stepped a war scarred veteran who'd stormed the Khyber Pass,
"You can take your Christmas puddin', Mate, and shove it up your .............

Subject: RE: Trench Songs of WW1
From: CRANKY YANKEE
Date: 15 Mar 01 - 02:57 AM

The first marine he ate some beans, Parley voo
The second marine he ate some beans, parley-voo
The third marine, he ate some beans and SH.. all over the submarine.
hinky dinky parley voo

Here's an original parody (Paris must be pronounced as we do in English, with a hard "S" at the end)

How you gonna keep them down on the farm,
After they've seen PARIS?
Paris is spelled P-A-R-I-S,
Paree is spelled P-A-R-E-E-, I guess
How you gonna teach your kids how to spell,
AFTER THEY'VE DONE IT IN FRENCH?

The last verse to, "I know where they are" is

If you want to find the infantry, I know where they are,
I know where they are, I know where they are.
If you want to find the Infantry, I know where they are,
HANGING FROM THE OLD BARBED WIRE.
I saw them, I saw them,
Hanging from the old barbed wire,
I saw them, hanging from the old barbed wire.

Subject: RE: Trench Songs of WW1
From: Bugsy
Date: 15 Mar 01 - 03:57 AM

CRANKY YANKEE, That's a different "Christmas in the Trenches" to John McCutcheon's. Do you Know the words to the poem?

CHeer

Bugsy

Subject: RE: Trench Songs of WW1
From: AndyG
Date: 15 Mar 01 - 08:25 AM

If you can find it get a copy of
The Long Trail
by John Brophy & Eric Partridge.

Also search the forum for Brophy as I've occasionaly posted quotes from this book on various WWI threads. (I can't get a response from the search today or I'd post you a link.)
For what it's worth my WWI songs are here, here & here. Mainly gathered from Oh What a Lovely War and The Long Trail.

AndyG

Subject: RE: Trench Songs of WW1
From: Snuffy
Date: 15 Mar 01 - 09:11 AM

Bugsy, we used to sing Three German Officers, but we used the tune of "When Johnny Comes Marching Home", not "Mademoiselle from Armentières"

Subject: RE: Trench Songs of WW1
From: Irish sergeant
Date: 15 Mar 01 - 12:56 PM

Bugsy:

Keep the Home-Fires Burning. I was going to mention There's a Long, Long Trail but I've been beaten to the punch. Good luck and let me know how it goes. I'm hunting a publisher for a similar book on U.S. Civil War songs. Kindest regards, Neil

Subject: RE: Trench Songs of WW1
From: Mr Red
Date: 15 Mar 01 - 01:08 PM

The Old Barbed Wire.

Roy Palmer's book "What a Lovely War" has several versions one he refers to the reverse order and refers to an American version.

One that I told Roy about was too late for the book. Robert Graves the War poet was filmed singing snippets of it - what he actually sang (give or take what memory does) I videoed the program.

"Do you want to find the Brigadier" is how it starts. A few verses then the last verse. "Do you want to find your sweetheart...". He wasn't gay but there is a question is hovering there is there not?

I will dig out my transcription and post here from home.

Subject: RE: Trench Songs of WW1
From: Bert
Date: 15 Mar 01 - 01:15 PM

"The Laddies Who Fought and Won" and many others by Harry Lauder.

Subject: RE: Trench Songs of WW1
From: Anglo
Date: 15 Mar 01 - 01:34 PM

No-one seems to have mentioned When this Bloody War Is Over. I agree the soundtrack to Oh, What a Lovely War would be the place to start. Catalogue all that, and go from there...

And as Mr Red notes above, Roy Palmer's book "What a Lovely War" has a lot of stuff, but it suffers greatly from not having any music.

Subject: RE: Trench Songs of WW1
From: Jeri
Date: 15 Mar 01 - 01:56 PM

Spud, I grew up hearing my father sing Mademoiselle from Armentières, and thought for years it went:
Daddy's part:
Mademoiselle from Armentières, parlez vous,
Mademoiselle from Armentières, parlez vous,
Mademoiselle from Armentières...
Mommy's part, spoken:
That's enough!!
Daddy again:
Hinky, dinky, parlez vous.

This song seems to have managed to escape the DT so far. Too bad I don't know more of the lyrics.

I learned There's a Long, Long Trail from my dad as well, but only the chorus. The first time I had a chance to hear the whole song was when I bought "A Present From the Gentlemen" by John Roberts and Tony Barrand. It was amazing to me to be able to take my memory of that song out of storage and actually add to it.

Subject: RE: Trench Songs of WW1
From: Pete M
Date: 15 Mar 01 - 02:45 PM

just from memory, a couple not mentioned so far "The Bells of Hell Go Ting-A-Ling-A-Ling", "I Don't Want to Join the Army" (which caused indignant letters to the Times when a 'gentleman' heard troops singing it on the march. Also if you search the forum for Christmas in the Trenches, there are I think at least a couple of threads about these incidents and the songs of the era.

Pete M

Subject: RE: Trench Songs of WW1
From: Bert
Date: 15 Mar 01 - 02:48 PM

Here's a thread about that song Jeri.

Bert.

Subject: RE: Trench Songs of WW1
From: GUEST,Alan B
Date: 15 Mar 01 - 04:50 PM

Sarah Mentioned "(Pack Up Your Troubles in Your Old Kit Bag and) Smile, Smile, Smile!" & "It's a Long, Long Way to Tipperary".

I discovered courtesy of our children's primary school concert that these two songs counterpoint each other perfectly.

The audience was divided into 2, one for each song, with pack up your Troubles starting on the word "Long" in Its a long way to Tipperary.

It was hilarious trying to stick to the song you were allocated, while listening to the other. Try it!

Subject: RE: Trench Songs of WW1
From: Bugsy
Date: 15 Mar 01 - 07:34 PM

Thanks Guys! This is all very helpful. There's a lot to go through here, I'll trace the thread and get back to you all as things progress.

In the meantime - KEEP POSTING!

Cheers

Bugsy

Subject: RE: Trench Songs of WW1
From: Bugsy
Date: 15 Mar 01 - 07:35 PM

............Especially with any background information about the songs.

Cheers

B8gsy

Subject: RE: Trench Songs of WW1
From: Mike Byers
Date: 15 Mar 01 - 09:17 PM

I thought "The Bells of Hell Go Ting-A-Ling-A-Ling" dated from WWII (it was popular with RAF pilots) but I could be wrong. Anyway, we were still singing it in Laos in 1969. Some songs, for one reason or another, just endure.

Subject: RE: Trench Songs of WW1
From: DougR
Date: 16 Mar 01 - 01:56 AM

Bugsy:

Sorry. I thought everybody probably knew the song, "My Buddy." I have to vamp, I'm doing this from memory. Also, I haven't mastered the art of posting lyrics so bear with me.

"My Buddy"

Nights are long, since you went away,
I dream about you all through the day,
my Buddy, my Buddy, no Buddy quite so true.
I miss your voice, the touch of your hand,
just long to know that you understand, my Buddy,
my Buddy, your Buddy misses you.

DougR

Subject: RE: Trench Songs of WW1
From: CRANKY YANKEE
Date: 16 Mar 01 - 03:11 AM

It would be helpful if these song lyrics were laid out the way they were submitted instead of one line after the other. in a single paragraph. it's not so easy for an amateur (and some of us pro's)to stick to the metre without each line being a single line. I don't know if I said exactly wht I meant, I hope it's understood.

Anyway, the poem I quoted, "Christmas in the workhouse" is not a parody of John McCutcheon's "Christmas in the Trenches" I'm truly sorry that I got the titles mixed up. The one I was referring to is altogether different, here it is.

CHRISTMAS IN THE HAREM
by A. Nonny Mouse

It were Christmas in the harem, all them eunuchs was hangin round,
And, four and twenty lassies was lyin' on the ground,
when in came the bald, fat sultan from out of his marble halls.
Sayin', "What do you want for Christmas, lads"?
And all them eunuchs answered,
(sung) "TIDINGS OF COMFORT AND JOY, COMFORT AND JOY,
OH TIDINGS OF COMFORT AND JOY".

Subject: RE: Trench Songs of WW1
From: CRANKY YANKEE
Date: 16 Mar 01 - 03:32 AM

Dear Irish Sergeant.

Are you an IRISH sergeant or an IRISH AMERICAN sergeant?

If you live in the Southeastern part of the U. S. A. you probably haven't heard the really great "Civil War Songs". Usually, the losing side in a Civil (?) War has all the good songs. Such was not the case in the "War Between the States" This, of course, is only my opinion, you may not agree. I think "Marching Through Georgia", Henry Clay Work's masterpiece, (doesn't get much play in the South) is the best of the lot. However, since Joe Offer rightfully pointed out that one should stick to the subject of each thread, I'll start a new one entitled "American Civil War Songs. See you there Sarge.

Subject: Lyr Add: GEE MA I WANNA GO HOME
From: GUEST,Bard Judith
Date: 16 Mar 01 - 03:52 AM

Dear Bugsy - not sure if this is a WW1 or WW2 song - and it is already in the Mudcat database - but you might wanna list this under Alternative Lyrics? Note, for example, the area-specific line added in the chorus which pegs this as a Canadian version ... but also note the reference to a Hollywood actress... :)

GEE MA I WANNA GO HOME

They say that in the Army
The food is mighty fine
A bean rolled off the table
And killed a pal of mine!

(Chorus) Oh, I don't want no more of Army life
Gee Ma, I wanna go
Back to Ontario
Gee Ma, I wanna go home!

They say that in the army
The girls are mighty fine
I asked for Betty Grable
They gave me Frankenstein!

(Chorus)

They say that in the army
The booze is mighty fine
I asked for Scotch-n-Soda
They gave me turpentine!

(Chorus)

HTML line breaks added. --JoeClone, 11-Nov-02.

Subject: RE: Trench Songs of WW1
From: Amos
Date: 16 Mar 01 - 09:24 AM

Risque meant something different back then. The line from "Mademoiselle" I learned at the point where Ma's censorship cut in was "She never washes her underwear".

Subject: RE: Trench Songs of WW1
From: Gervase
Date: 16 Mar 01 - 10:10 AM

At school we had a strange version of Mademoiselle from Armentières, not a million miles from the original, singing the praises of flatulence. Maybe this is one for 'Spaw...

Subject: Lyr Add: THE AUSTRALAISE
From: The Walrus
Date: 16 Mar 01 - 11:57 AM

Here are a few "Squaddies' Song" of the Great War for you.

We Are Fred Karno's Army (TUNE: The Church's One Foundation) Just an example of the British Army trait of self mockery (although some would say that's just getting in first)

Aprés La Guerre (TUNE: Sous les Ponts de Paris) A piece in "dog" French

We've Had No Beer (TUNE: Abide With Me) After a long march and no "wet" canteen....

At the Halt on the Left (Form Platoon) (TUNE: Three Cheers for the Red White and Blue)

Yes! And We Can Do It / Breaking Out of Barracks (TUNE: In and Out the Window)

We're 'Ere Because (TUNE: Auld Lang Syne) Authority's motto always seems to be "Hurry Up and Wait"; this was merely "Tommy's" response

Raining/Grousing (TUNE: Holy, Holy, Holy)

When This Lousy War Is Over (TUNE: Take It to the Lord in Prayer)

Old Joe Whip (TUNE: Ballad of Casey Jones)

For a slightly odder one, here is "The Australaise", originally written in 1908 by C. J. Dennis, revised in 1915, dedicated to (and widely distributed among) the A.I.F. (I only have one verse and the chorus. The blanks have been left in.)

THE AUSTRALAISE (TUNE: Onward Christian Soldiers)

Fellers of Australia,
Blokes an' coves an' coots
Shift yer b_____ carcasses,
Move yer b_____ boots.
Gird yer b_____ loins up,
Get a b_____ gun
Shoot the b_____ enemy
And watch the b_____ run.

CHORUS: Get a b_____ move on,
Have some b_____ sense,
Learn the b_____ art of
Self de-b______-fence.

Any use ?

Regards

Walrus

Subject: RE: Trench Songs of WW1
From: Auxiris
Date: 16 Mar 01 - 11:58 AM

Bugsy, I found a couple of poems in a WW1 B.E.F. Times facsimile reprint that I bought in a flea market here in France that would probably make good songs if tunes were fitted to them. If you're interested in them, let me know and I'll either post them here or PM them to you. I had already posted at least one of them in another thread, but, unfortunately do not know how to do a blue clicky that would whisk you there instantly.

cheers,

Aux

Subject: RE: Trench Songs of WW1
From: dick greenhaus
Date: 16 Mar 01 - 12:03 PM

Mademoiselle from Armentières may have been the best-known WWI song from the infantry, but Bless 'Em All was WWI RAF and Destroyer Song was US Navy. My own pet is Just Behind the Battle, Mother, a parody of a song from the then-recent Civil War.

Check out @WWI in DigiTrad

Subject: RE: Trench Songs of WW1
From: Bugsy
Date: 16 Mar 01 - 12:11 PM

This is all coming thick and fast.

I will try to get back to everyone with either a post here or PM whichever is more appropriate, though it will take some time to go through everything.

In the meantime - keep up the good work.

Thanks a million!

CHeers

Bugsy

Subject: RE: Trench Songs of WW1
From: Bert
Date: 16 Mar 01 - 12:16 PM

Here's a Harry Lauder site

Subject: RE: Trench Songs of WW1
From: Micca
Date: 16 Mar 01 - 01:53 PM

Bugsy, you could try finding the reprints of the "Wipers Times" which was a sort of WW1 underground newspaper in "the Salient", I saw a bound set of reprints in a library years ago, in London. It had poems and lyrics of songs in it as I recall.. might be a useful source of background, try here http://www.adam-matthew-publications.co.uk/COLLECT/P119.HTM or try and find this
The Wipers Times. A Complete Facsmile of the Famous World War One Trench Newspaper (London: Peter Davies, 1973). 940.4144 WIP

Subject: RE: Trench Songs of WW1
From: GUEST,Ketil
Date: 16 Mar 01 - 11:32 PM

Here is a brief snippet I learned from a friend who learned it from an ANZAC vet:

(tune Waltzing Matilda of course!)

Fightin' the Kaiser,
Fightin' the Kaiser,
Who'll come a-fightin' the Kaiser with me?
And we'll drink up all 'is beer,
And eat up all 'is sausages.
Who'll come a-fightin' the Kaiser with me?

Subject: RE: Trench Songs of WW1
From: Mr Red
Date: 17 Mar 01 - 12:28 PM

Bugsy

Words as transcribed from archive TV interview with Robert Graves.
These words are what he sang in the trenches.

Do you want to find the General?
I know where he is. I know where he is. Oh, I know where he is!
Do you want to find the General? I know where he is!
He's pinning another medal on his chest.
I saw him. I saw him, pinning another medal on his chest.
I saw him, pinning another medal on his chest.

Do you want to find the Captain?
I know where he is. I know where he is. Oh, I know where he is!
Do you want to find the Captain? I know where he is.
He's home again on seven days' leave.
I saw him. I saw him, home again on seven days' leave.
I saw him, home again on seven days leave.

Robert Graves made reference only to more verses. When I now sing this, I fill the intervening verses with the better known verses. e.g.:

Brigadier - Gadding around in Gay Paree.
Quartermaster - Drinking all the company's rum
Sergeant - Dead drunk on the dugout floor
Corporal - Up to his neck in clod

Robert Graves then finished by stating without any hesitation the last verse

Do you want to find your sweetheart?
I know where he is. I know where he is. Oh I know where he is!
Do you want to find your sweetheart? I know where he is.
He's hanging on the front line wire.
I saw him, I saw him, hanging on the front line wire,
I saw him, hanging on the front line wire.

HTML line breaks added. --JoeClone, 11-Nov-02.

Subject: RE: Trench Songs of WW1
From: Irish sergeant
Date: 17 Mar 01 - 03:30 PM

Cranky Yankee: Irish American with Scots,English and Swis german sprinkled in for good measure in real life. I picked Irish Sergeant as my nom de plume because I am a Civil War re-enactor and I portray a son of Erin who came over to the U.S. to get away from the famine. My rank in our Civil War unit is first sergeant. I was going to respond on the Civil War thread but it seems to have disappeared and this one is still here. Happy Saint Patrick's Day to all, Neil (Irish Sergeant)

Subject: RE: Trench Songs of WW1
From: Matt_R
Date: 17 Mar 01 - 03:38 PM

My great Uncle Henry (who was blind, and went through WWI holding onto the belt of the guy in front of him) said that "Don't You Laugh As The Hearse Goes By" was a very popular song to sing when he was in the trenches.

Subject: RE: Trench Songs of WW1
From: Irish sergeant
Date: 17 Mar 01 - 05:22 PM

Bugsy;

How about "Going to Germany", "I'll Tell You Where They Were", "That Crazy War" and "I Want to Go Home"? Most of them seem to be American. I know the last one is and if you can't find the lyrics elsewhere I have them. It just took a little digging. kindest regards, Neil

Subject: Lyr Add: BROTHER, CAN YOU SPARE A DIME?^^^
From: Lonesome EJ
Date: 17 Mar 01 - 06:17 PM

BUDDY CAN YOU SPARE A DIME?

SPOKEN PART: They used to tell me I was building a dream
And so I followed the mob
Where there was earth to plow or guns to bear
I was always there right there on the job.
They used to tell me I was building a dream
With peace and glory ahead.
So why am I standing in line
Just waiting for bread?

BEGIN SINGING:
VERSE 1: Once I build a railroad, made it run
Made it race against time
Once I built a railroad, now it's done
Buddy, can you spare a dime?

VERSE 2: Once I built a tower to the sun
Made of brick and mortar and lime
Once I built a tower, now it's done
Buddy, can you spare a dime?

CHORUS: Once in Khaki suits, gee we looked swell
Full of that Yankee Doodly dum.
Half a million boots went slogging through hell
And I was the guy with the drum.

VERSE 3: Hey, don't you remember, they called me Al
It was Al all the time.
Hey, don't you remember, I'm your pal.
Buddy, can you spare a dime?

CHORUS: Once in Khaki suits, gee we looked swell
Full of that Yankee Doodly dum.
Half a million boots went slogging through hell
And I was the guy with the drum.

VERSE 4: Hey, don't you remember, they called me Al?
It was Al all the time.
Hey, don't you remember, I'm your pal?
Buddy, can you spare a dime?
Buddy, can you spare a dime?

Recorded during the height of the depression in 1932, this song recounted the despair of the working men, and particularly the World War 1 Veterans, who found themselves begging on the streets

HTML line breaks added. --JoeClone, 11-Nov-02.

Subject: RE: Trench Songs of WW1
From: Mr Red
Date: 18 Mar 01 - 07:33 AM

Lonesome EJ

Call me a pedant. Surely "buddy" started out life as "brother".

The first try-outs of the play used "brother".

Broadway impressarios were happy with that lyric but were fearful of a backlash from those who could actually afford tickets then. Hence the change to "buddy".

It was a hard hitting political song and for a political play. They chose to make it well known, so allowed some dilution. The message is still there.

Subject: RE: Trench Songs of WW1
From: Bugsy
Date: 18 Mar 01 - 08:04 PM

Thanks to everyone who has posted so far, I'm overwhelmed!

Cheers

Bugsy