ABSTRACT
The songs of the First World War made as great an impact on as many people, at home and serving, as the poetry. Patriotism in any of its forms (aggressive or mocking), as well as sentimental declarations of love for country, sweetheart, or mother predominate in the commercial songs of all the combatant countries. The songs of the soldiers themselves were simple, memorable (and often still familiar) cathartic expressions of dissatisfaction with soldiering and the war. Lyrics grumbled about the system or the officers, or lack of comforts, drink, and women. There is some overlap between the commercial and the soldiers’ songs in an age of emerging mechanical recording, but the songs all reflect the war, and supported the war effort by encouragement. In terms of poetic effect, clarity, memorability, and even in durability, many of the pieces involved have a greater claim to represent the war lyric than other texts. The music hall was alive, and concert-parties were popular and emotionally received even at the front. The Theatre Workshop’s Oh What a Lovely War, especially in its film version, underscores the way in which many of the songs have become historical, however. We now hear a tragic irony in the patriotic songs and the others are left with their own irony and realism.2
