With the outbreak of the First World War the popular songwriters of the day went into overdrive, churning out jingoistic patriotic songs for the war effort, some of which are still well known even today. Who can’t, for instance, knock out a chorus of ‘Pack up Your Troubles in Your Old Kit Bag’? However, as the war ground on and the men found themselves sharing their muddy trenches with rats and other vermin, the mood changed and the Tommies began to compose their own songs which reflected their circumstances and their attitude more accurately.
This song is one of the best. It is suitably disrespectful to authority and outspoken in its rejection of the miserable circumstances in which they found themselves. Such songs were often fitted to well known tunes and in this case the chosen vehicle to carry the pithy words is the hymn tune ‘What a Friend We Have in Jesus’. Such tunes would be well known to them through the regular enforced attendance at church parades where religion was pressed into service to stiffen the men’s resolve to beat ‘The Hun’. The men knew better. The Germans in the trenches opposite them were young men desperately trying to survive this insane bloodbath...just like them.
Some would find the use of a hymn tune offensive but I’m inclined to think that Jesus’ sympathies would have been with the troops...of both sides.
This song is one of the best. It is suitably disrespectful to authority and outspoken in its rejection of the miserable circumstances in which they found themselves. Such songs were often fitted to well known tunes and in this case the chosen vehicle to carry the pithy words is the hymn tune ‘What a Friend We Have in Jesus’. Such tunes would be well known to them through the regular enforced attendance at church parades where religion was pressed into service to stiffen the men’s resolve to beat ‘The Hun’. The men knew better. The Germans in the trenches opposite them were young men desperately trying to survive this insane bloodbath...just like them.
Some would find the use of a hymn tune offensive but I’m inclined to think that Jesus’ sympathies would have been with the troops...of both sides.