War songs of the soldiery

Posts : 30 Join date : 2009-09-29

I was just wondering what songs the ordinary soldiers used to sing whilst on campaign. I presume they probably recycled some of the music hall jingo songs relating to the Russian crisis, but were others focused predominantly on issues of ‘hearth and home’? The only thing I'm sure about is that 'Men Of Harlech' was not sung!!

Subject: Re: War songs of the soldiery Sun Oct 04, 2009 1:08 pm

This was a small video I put together sometime ago. In memory Of Bright

Click here; This song was song by 2nd Lt. Arthur Bright. who Lost His Life at the Head of his Men Counter Attacking the Zulu Impi at the Point of the Bayonet.

Posts : 1862 Join date : 2009-03-25

Cheer Up, Buller!, The Grand Old British Lion, and Sailor Jack were three typical songs of that era.

Another Little Patch of Red:

This John Bull is now a mighty chap, boys
At the world his fingers he can snap, boys
Eastward - Westward - you may turn your head
There you’ll see the giant trail of red
Dyed with the blood of England’s bravest sons
Bought with their lives - now guarded by her guns

Red is the colour of our Empire laid
England will see the tint shall never fade
For of pluck he’s brimming full
Is young John Bull
And he’s happy when we let him have his head
It’s a feather in his cap
When he’s helped to paint the map
With another little patch of red.

Jingoism came to stand for the belief that England had the right to conquer and exploit other countries and to decide conflicts of interest in Britain’s favour by armed force. The word itself came into use after 1878, from these lines in G. W. Hunt’s music hall song:

We don’t want to fight; but, by Jingo, if we do,
We’ve got the ships, we’ve got the men,
we’ve got the money too.

Posts : 1603 Join date : 2009-09-21

Enjoyed the Video. I believe that song was around during the Napoleonic war. And was on the Sharp series.

» What happened to the soldiery after the war?