WAR SONGS

Evening Post, Volume CVI, Issue 102, 27 October 1923, Page 16

WAR SONGS

FAVOURITES OF THE ALLIED

ARMIES.

Despite the ennobling influence of the ■V.M.C.A., the most typical songs of the' American soldier, regardless of what the American'public-chose to sing, were (writes Laurence Stallings in the "New York World") those with the very flower of Eaebelaisan vulgarity, the open air coarseness of the battalion minstrels and wits: "Over There," Cohan's song hit, unquestionably had the most widespread popularity (but not in the A t E.F.),' and the song would have,been a music-hall success iri peace time with another lyric substituted for "We Won't Come Back Till It's Over Over There."

Perhaps the finest of all American soldier songs- was "Mademoiselle -from Ar-mentieres,"--a chanson known to English and Americana alike, a ribald epic. [ Another fine marching song was "Bon Jour, naa ■ Cherie,". a happy composition of doughboy French, which was later given an expurgated lyric for homo consumption and consequently became not nearly so merry as in thp original. Than, too, ,the classic-and-prodigious waywardness of "Loodloo," a favourite song even, to cowpunchers, was taken over for A.E.F. entertainment, given new frills by the musicians, and new verses by the wits, as was "She Has Gone, Let Her Go, God Bless Her." Somehow, when I the men were ..away from the V.M.C.A. j hall, they did not sing the spngs their mothers used to sing. "Joan of Arc" may, have been good stuff for the boys back home, but "Mother,- take down your service flag, your son's in theI 5.0.5." -was far more admired by men ! ir. ranks, although the words of the second stanza defy reproductisn'here. When a platoon came from the bombing field/ 1 there was a savage delight in any exorciating song (the first line only of which is innocuous) which began "Here's t<s the Kaiser." A -"hospital song which grew to such popularity 'that, bands stopped the practice of playing the Dead March from "SauV outside the ward windows, was "Ten- Thousand Dollars fo? the Folks Back Home.'" If the reader will hum these words to the wail- | ing bars of this march, at th» «ame time recalling the maximum amount of warrisk insurance; he will find them sardonically arranged in a perfect setting. The British had the best of the war songs in English, hfscauso their soldiers had been improvising for four years. The ditties had gradually dropped much of the ribaldry. What finer picture of the soldier temperament can be found than in their song beginning:— TJp to your eyes in water, Up to your knees in alush, Speaking the sort of langwidge That makes the sargint blush. . , Nothing could have been more characteristic of the magnificent pessimism of the soldier (as against the propaganda spirit of the music-hall) then tho §ong banished by the British staff, which ends with the plaint of— • ! Oh, my, I'm too young to die, I want to go home. The British soldier was far from a lily-cup in his songs. Men around canteens might be einging the hideous thing about Charlotte of Piccadilly and others .of that nature, but they were not forced to turn to maudlin sentimentality to avoid them. A' song which began to be classical with the Americans was "How you gonna keep 'em down on tho farm, after they've seen Paree?" The American forces took some magnificent songs to France with traditions .•already hoary. Tho artillery's magnificent "When those caissons go rolloing ; along caniot be beaten for men in military, transport service. "Tho Marines' Hymn" is a perfect example of the traditional war song. The infantry's "Oh, lh» Infantry,"- ytas their favourite.