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Subject: RE: Help: Bless 'em All From: GUEST,Q Date: 10 May 03 - 02:37 PM The "Airman's Song Book," Collected, Edited and with an Introduction and Explanatory Notes by C. H. Ward-Jackson, Music Edited by Leighton Lucas, Revised Ed., 1967, offers this explanation (already noted in part by Toadfrog): "Many of these songs were not so much composed as evolved over a long period and often in various places. Most people would say (for example) that "Bless 'Em All" dates from the second World War and they probably would not particularly connect it with flying. Yet it has been the unofficial trooping song of the R. A. F. from the beginning in 1918. During the broadcast of the R. A. F.'s 25th birthday anniversary celebrations in 1943 Mr S. P. B. Mais (ex-R.F.C.) pointed out that it originated in the Royal Navy Air Service, written in 1916 by Fred Godfrey. That version was not for publication [Fuck 'Em All] and it was unknown to the public till the late 1930's when it appeared in a completely clean pinafore. Meanwhile, airmen had put all kinds of words to it, the essence of which is not unfairly reflected in the published version." Pages xiii and 136 (Bomber version, WW2). Original(?) words to "Fuck 'Em All" in thread 10366, Guest Q: WW2 Songs A version close to the original in thread 3282, Guest L: Veterans' Day This book has all of the old airman's songs, including "Who Killed Cock Robin" and The Mountains of Morne," as well as "The Ragtime Flying Corps" from the 1916 period. |
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Subject: RE: Help: Bless 'em All From: Susan of DT Date: 03 Jun 01 - 11:26 AM Liked the NAAFI lyric so much that they've been in DigiTrad for years. You can find no fewer than 10 versions of Bless 'Em All there. |
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Subject: Lyr Add: ROB 'EM ALL From: Billy the Bus Date: 03 Jun 01 - 09:31 AM Rob 'em All =========== This song was believed to have been written in the NAAFI accounts department in Ismailia, on the Suez Canal, for the girls behind the counter to sing.
We are the NAAFI girls. warriors all, Chorus:
Rob 'em all, rob 'em all,
We came out to Egypt to sell cups of tea, Chorus:
Our rissoles are famous from Cairo to Cape, Chorus Source: The Songs and Balllads of Word War II, Martin Page, 1973, Hart-Davis McGibbon Ltd. Cheers - Sam |
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Subject: RE: Help: Bless 'em All From: The Walrus Date: 03 Jun 01 - 07:04 AM Billy the Bus, "Rob 'Em All" ? Go for it, scan away. Toadfrog,
"Take Me Back to Dear Old Blighty" Written and composed by A.J.Mills, Fred Godfrey and Bennett Scott.
Take Me Back to Dear Canada - TUNE: "Cheers"
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Subject: RE: Help: Bless 'em All From: Billy the Bus Date: 03 Jun 01 - 02:20 AM Have just discovered a NAAFI version "Rob 'em All" will scan it in if anyone's interested Sam |
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Subject: RE: Help: Bless 'em All From: dick greenhaus Date: 02 Jun 01 - 06:13 PM Does anyone know the infantry WWII version called the Mortar Song?
".....as long as it lasted |
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Subject: RE: Help: Bless 'em All From: toadfrog Date: 02 Jun 01 - 05:38 PM O.k. Fred Godfrey was Band-Master of the Coldstream Guards, and is credited with composing "TAKE ME BACK TO DEAR OLD BLIGHTY" (1916), as well as the "Bon Soir Galop" and "Hello, Little Miss U.S.A." (1913). Clearly a Britisher with some U.S. copyrights. Is there any source that would tell us about his British copyrights or other publications? It sounds like he was a well-known music hall composer who was called up and given rank to perform the same services for the military. There must be more on him out there! |
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Subject: RE: Help: Bless 'em All From: Les from Hull Date: 02 Jun 01 - 12:20 PM Just to tie up one or two loose ends. The Royal Naval Air Service was the Navy's Air Arm, up to 1918 when it joined with the Royal Flying Corps to form the Royal Air Force. In the UK Bless 'em all was often an airmens' song. Airman was a rank in the RFC and I think it still is in the RAF. The Kiwi version is interesting, Sam, dating from post-1941 when the Hood was sunk. In the Royal Navy there were words of 'Roll on the Rodney the Hood and Renown, this four-funnel bastard is getting me down' referring to ex-US lend-lease destroyers. Now that version must be about late 1940 early 1941, when the first lend-lease detroyers came into service and before the Hood blew up. There must be many personalised versions throughout the Allied forces of WW2, so personalised that everyone knew it was 'their song'. What a fascinating thread. Les |
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Subject: RE: Help: Bless 'em All From: The Walrus Date: 02 Jun 01 - 07:11 AM Roy Palmer ("What a Lovely War")states: "...Lewis Winstock's Chelsea Pensioners told him that the song [Bless 'em All] was current in the army by the last decade of the nineteenth century. However, C.H. Ward-Jackson suggested that it, 'or rather a version not intended for publiction', was written in 1916 by one Fred Godfrey, while he was a member of the Royal Naval Air Service. It seems more likely that Godfrey was merely writing down a sond which was in circulation among servicemen in his day. In turn, Jimmy Hughes and Frank Lake were responsible for an arrangement which became popular with civilians.... Soldiers sang both sanitised and scurrilous words, depending on the the company in which they found themselves. There were versions for sailors, paratroops....bomber pilots...and coastal command flyers. Canadian soldiers sang it. So did Americans, and continued to do so through the Korean War and into the late 1950s at least....." Billy the Bus, The one of the best descriptions of the position of the RSM I'd heard of came in a spoof order which simply read "Henceforth the Colonel will stand at God's Right hand (RSM to parade on Colonel's left)" Good luck. Walrus |
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Subject: Lyr Add: FUCK 'EM ALL (Kiwi version) From: Billy the Bus Date: 02 Jun 01 - 04:01 AM Here's the Kiwi Virgin WWII origin - we had some Kiwi soldiers stationed in Fiji - getting grumpy, 'cos they were missing out on the real scraps. I've got the words of another song about the {NZ} Army in Fiji if anyone wants 'em... Anyway... The Kiwi virgin of B***/F*** 'EM ALL from WWII 1. Oh they say there's a troopship just leaving Fiji, Bound for New Zealand's shore. Heavily laden with time-expired men, Bound for the land they adore. There's many a soldier Just finishing his time, There's many a mug signing on, You'll get no promotion this side of the ocean, So cheer up, my lads, **** 'em all. CHORUS: **** 'em all, - **** 'em all. The long and the short and the tall, **** all the sergeants and WO1's, **** all the corporals and their ****ing sons, For we're saying goodbye to them all, As up the cook's backside (?) they crawl, You'll get no promotion this side of the ocean, So cheer up my lads, **** them all. 2. Oh a mighty fine ship on the ocean she flits, Sailing by night and by day. When she's in motion she's the pride of the ocean, You can't see her backside for spray. Oh side, side Monowai's side, The captain looks on her with pride. He'd have a blue fit, if he saw any shit On the side of the Monowai's side. 3. This is my story, this is my song, We've been in Fiji too ****ing long Roll out the Rodney, salvage the Hood For our merchant navy is no ****ing good lsa Lei, Isa Lei, From Auckland to Suva's a ****ing long way. Ummm.... You lot aren't going to believe this, but while formatting the above - our "National Wireless" Sat Nite request came up with... Allan Breeze (?sp) and the Billy Cotton Band - with a WWII virgin of "Quartermasters Store" No lie....l) Sam |
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Subject: RE: Help: Bless 'em All From: Billy the Bus Date: 02 Jun 01 - 03:35 AM Les, it seems there's a hull of a lot of Catters in Hull..;) WO1 = RSM - WO2 was CSM Company Sergeant Major. The rank dates dates back to India and other Colonial days. Predates the "flyboys" of RFC. RSM was God - only outranked by Commissioned Officers, like Generals and higher (and then only if they had proved themselves). Umm... I am NOT going to get sidetracked with Army recollections.. Kiwi Virgin of F'em All will beposted soon. Sam
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Subject: RE: Help: Bless 'em All From: DaveJ Date: 02 Jun 01 - 01:47 AM Geez...can you tell it's 1:50 am? My 'noses' seems to 'knows' it. Yawn. Still learning to edit in this small window. Dave |
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Subject: RE: Help: Bless 'em All From: DaveJ Date: 02 Jun 01 - 01:43 AM This Site makes the following statement: Bless'em All was first introduced in England around 1916 by Fred Godfrey. The "soldiers" version was seldom heard in civilized areas and Jimmy Hughes introduced the "decent" version in 1940. There had never really been a set of appropriate words with this tune until then. This version of Bless em'All could be openly sung in loud voices with little chance of reprisal. The music was composed by Frank Lake. Although this song is regarded as a World War II song, it's earliest associations are with the Royal Naval Air Service. In some versions, it became the unofficial Royal Air Force song in the years between the wars. Clearly this music has been through the 'folk' process. Nobody noses for sure who wrote the 'original' version and the lyric have been modified frequently to fit the situation. Does anyone know anything about Fred Godfrey? DaveJ |
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Subject: RE: Help: Bless 'em All From: Bert Date: 02 Jun 01 - 12:31 AM Er, Hum, No one has yet mentioned that the line is a euphemism for the expression "Fuck 'em all". I think Toadfrog is right and the song predates WWII. It is associated with it because there was a popular version of it then. |
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Subject: RE: Help: Bless 'em All From: toadfrog Date: 01 Jun 01 - 10:05 PM Thanks Les from Hull. I generally agree the song has to be British. Is there anything on line that relates to English music hall tunes? I think very likely a lot of familiar songs come from there, but there seems to be no way to check. (We Americans had no "airmen" in WW II; was that term actually used in the Royal Flying Corps?) I very much doubt this oringinated in Spanish Civil War. I was thinking more of one of those many popular songs that used to come out of places like Cuba - non military songs about women. A little like Amos's songs, which I'd be v. much interested in hearing - they sound like more chips off the same block. G'day to your, Billy the Bus. I think we are badly in need of a Kiwi virgin. Please, lets have it! (Her?) |
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Subject: RE: Help: Bless 'em All From: Les from Hull Date: 01 Jun 01 - 09:07 AM This song (words and tunes) are very much in the style of the English Music Hall. Many music hall songs went into the army, and often the words were changed. Many songs and parodies of songs were sung in the Royal Flying Corps in the First World War, and it may be that the 'airman' connection comes in there. It may be worth checking up on WO1 (warrent officer first class). I'm not sure when this was first used as an army rank - I believe that it would include Regimental Sergeant Major etc. 'This side of the ocean' only really makes sense with the troopship home from Bombay version, and is common to most (later?) versions. It certainly wasn't so easy to be promoted in India, you were easily overlooked by your parent organisation for promotion. So my best guess is 'English Music Hall, 1880s or 90s. But that's still a guess. Les |
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Subject: RE: Help: Bless 'em All From: Billy the Bus Date: 01 Jun 01 - 08:46 AM G'day toadfrog, "Bless 'em All" predates "American" involvement in either World War - and may be Kipling - English Music hall, anyway. And your shoulder-tapper....:) I assume the person who tapped you on the shoulder in 1970 (aged-then ca 50-70yrs were they?) was thinking of the "Spanish Civil War" - bet there were virgins flying around then (of the song that is). Stick to yer guns cobber - and your original premise. Sing the song out loud - it's a goodun' If you want a Kiwi version - I have one Sam
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Subject: RE: Help: Bless 'em All From: paddymac Date: 01 Jun 01 - 04:23 AM The first version I ever heard was sung by Oscar Brand. If it turns out to be of Spanish origin, it could well have come stateside with american veterans of the Spanish civil war. From a phoakie's perspective, whatever its origin, it has a very singable melody and meter, and is therefore a readily available "platform" for any number of lyrics. |
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Subject: RE: Help: Bless 'em All From: Amos Date: 31 May 01 - 08:47 PM I learned it as a bawdy number on the subject of the wide variety of feminine companionship experienced by the doughty (and testosterone-toxic) singer. |
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Subject: RE: Help: Bless 'em All From: Irish sergeant Date: 31 May 01 - 08:09 PM It is associated with World War Two because it was introduced to the American forces stationed there by our British Allies. At least, that's why it is assumed to be a WWII song, My uncle taught it to me and I have lyrics for a couple of versions of it. If any one is interested. Kindest Reguards, Neil |
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Subject: RE: Help: Bless 'em All From: Liz the Squeak Date: 31 May 01 - 06:44 PM It's the sentiment, Bless 'em all, meaning keep them all safe, regardless of height, etc. that makes it such a popular song. It was written about career soldiers who went off to India to help guard the East India Co. who controled much of the country. LTS |
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Subject: Bless 'em All From: toadfrog Date: 31 May 01 - 05:50 PM This is about the version which begins: There's many a troopship just leaving Bombay Bound for old Blighty's shore. Note (1)The words are not about World War II. They are about life of a British soldier in India, and the language ("heavily laden with time expired men") could have been written by Rudyard Kipling. "Time expired" is not U.S. Army jargon, it is British, and the idea of a troopship full of time expired men has nothing whatsoever to do with World War II, where everyone was in for the duration. So why does everyone assume the song was written for WWII, or maybe WW I? 2. Two sites on line attribute the song to "Jimmy Huges and Frank Lane," whoever they are. Those sites also make the song be about an "airman," and otherwise indicate they are not to be taken seriously. (3) Once, (maybe around say, 1970) someone overheard me singing the song, tapped me on the shoulder, and identified it as (Spanish Title). I said, no, I was singing ___________, and he said he knew, but all those military versions copied the Spanish song, whose title he translated as "I Like Them All." Is anyone familiar with such a Spanish (or Mexican, Argentine , Cuban) song, with such a title and such a tune? And when it was popular. |
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Subject: RE: BLESS 'EM ALL (USAF Bombadiers WW lI) From: Jeri Date: 04 Dec 99 - 10:06 AM There are 10 versions here. Number 8 is perhaps the one you're looking for? (I typed "[bless 'em all]' into the search box.) |
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Subject: BLESS 'EM ALL (USAF Bombadiers WW lI) From: crayon@bcpl.net Date: 04 Dec 99 - 09:25 AM BLESS 'EM ALL (USAF Bombadiers WW lI) The tune above had 'the usual lyrics,' or some such note for its chorus. Where, oh where is this ditty in your huge DB. TNX Greg in baltimore, md. |
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