Wwii Songs

[m3838]

There must be English songs from the times of WWII.

Where can I hear/read them?

What describes them?

Also, where can I find American songs from the times of Depression? I remember listening to a CD, but can't find it anywhere.

Some songs on it were:

Sunny Side of the Street

Gloomy Sunday

Boulevard of Broken Dreams

Brother, can you spare a dime

 

Thanks

[fidjit]

Try - Music hall songs - on Google that should help there were a lot then. "Underneath the Arches" etc.

 

Chas

[Dirge]

Or watch 'Dad's Army' re-runs.

[JimLucas]

Also, where can I find American songs from the times of Depression? I remember listening to a CD, but can't find it anywhere.

Some songs on it were:

Sunny Side of the Street

Gloomy Sunday

Boulevard of Broken Dreams

Brother, can you spare a dime

A copy of this book might be one place to start.

 

But is this the CD you mentioned?

[Woody]

There must be English songs from the times of WWII.

Where can I hear/read them?

What describes them?

Also, where can I find American songs from the times of Depression? I remember listening to a CD, but can't find it anywhere.

Some songs on it were:

Sunny Side of the Street

Gloomy Sunday

Boulevard of Broken Dreams

Brother, can you spare a dime

 

Thanks

Have a look at these sites.....

 

Music of WW2

Vera Lynn tribute & wartime anthems

Some classics

 

Some US related WW2 songs

Some more US ones

 

 

- W

[JimLucas]

There must be English songs from the times of WWII.

Where can I hear/read them?

Songs specifically from England, or just songs sung in English?

 

In any case, I ran a Google search on the phrase "songs of WWII", and it returned 698 hits. Looks like a good variety of good stuff there.

[m3838]

But is this the CD you mentioned?

 

Yes, that's the one. Not for sale on Ebay and I just couldn't find it on Amazon (or missed it).

I'm interested in songs from England, as the only another country aside from Russia, that was actively engaged with the Nazis and got hit by them. It gives different perspective and adds solemn attitude to the Hey-Patriotic theme. I couldn't care less for up-beat "let's get them" marches. Though "The Blossom Time" by Andrews sisters touch me, it's the song sent to the trenches. I'd like to find songs sent from the trenches.

I just wondered if may be somebody can guide me through. What is (was) popular in England? What made people quiet down and listen?

Like this one, for example: http://download.sovmusic.ru/m32/temnaya4.mp3

[Woody]

But is this the CD you mentioned?

 

Yes, that's the one. Not for sale on Ebay and I just couldn't find it on Amazon (or missed it).

I'm interested in songs from England, as the only another country aside from Russia, that was actively engaged with the Nazis and got hit by them. It gives different perspective and adds solemn attitude to the Hey-Patriotic theme. I couldn't care less for up-beat "let's get them" marches. Though "The Blossom Time" by Andrews sisters touch me, it's the song sent to the trenches. I'd like to find songs sent from the trenches.

I just wondered if may be somebody can guide me through. What is (was) popular in England? What made people quiet down and listen?

Like this one, for example: http://download.sovmusic.ru/m32/temnaya4.mp3

Well I think there'll be nationals of a lot of other countries who'd dispute the "actively engaged" tag.

 

The ultimate "song of the trenches" from this time was Lily Marleen favoured by German & British troops alike - particularly in North Africa. The songs in Britain were "We'll meet again" and "There'll be Blue Birds over the White Cliffs of Dover" by Vera Lynn. Also big favourites were Flanagan & Allen's "Run Rabbit Run" and "We're going to hang out our washing on the Siegfried Line", Noel Coward's "London Pride" and of course, not actually of the period, but you've got the Dad's Army theme of "Who do you think you are kidding Mr. Hitler?" which would have made a great wartime song

 

This site has a lot of the lyrics and many other favourite of the time.

Edited January 4, 2008 by Woody

[Pete Dunk]

Here's a song sung to the tune of Lilly Marlene, The D Day Dodgers. Many British troops stationed in Italy during WW2 felt disenfranchised and undervalued, apparent in this scathing attack on the public opinion of the day.

[m3838]

The ultimate "song of the trenches" from this time was Lily Marleen favoured by German & British troops alike - particularly in North Africa. The songs in Britain were "We'll meet again" and "There'll be Blue Birds over the White Cliffs of Dover" by Vera Lynn. Also big favourites were Flanagan & Allen's "Run Rabbit Run" and "We're going to hang out our washing on the Siegfried Line", Noel Coward's "London Pride" and of course, not actually of the period, but you've got the Dad's Army theme of "Who do you think you are kidding Mr. Hitler?" which would have made a great wartime song

Thanks. Exactly what I was looking for.

As for been engaged with the Germans, I didn't mean that other people didn't suffer or didn't help. I was interested in another nation, that was fighting for it's very survival and won. It creates different attitude. I was going to see, if English songs remind Russian. French cultur, for example, is very much like Russian. So far I see great differences between Russian and English War songs. But I'll keep looking.

[Boney]

Here's a nice looking collection:

 

http://www.emusic.com/album/Various-Artist...d/10957076.html

 

I subscribe to eMusic, it's a lot cheaper than most sites that let you buy music by the track. They have a large collection of folk, blues, Irish, jazz, classical, etc., but almost no "big label" modern pop/rock stuff.

[JimLucas]

Among these WWII songs I haven't noticed any about sailors, and few about airmen.

Interesting.

[Woody]

As for been engaged with the Germans, I didn't mean that other people didn't suffer or didn't help. I was interested in another nation, that was fighting for it's very survival and won. It creates different attitude. I was going to see, if English songs remind Russian. French cultur, for example, is very much like Russian. So far I see great differences between Russian and English War songs. But I'll keep looking.

It's worth remembering that it wasn't "the English" fighting for survival, but rather the English, the Scots, the Welsh, and the Irish (N.Ireland) as well as representatives & naturalised nationals from all over the British Empire & former Imperial colonies (Canadian, Indian, West Indian, Africans, Australian, New Zealanders etc..) plus remnants of Foreign armies (French, Dutch, Polish etc...), plus refugees, plus volunteers from neutral countries (Eire, USA etc...), from many different faiths, all fighting together on the island of Britain. This cultural melting pot would have a great impact on the attitudes and music of the time. Later, when the USA joined the war and American troops started arriving in large numbers this changed the musical landscape again.

 

Re: Jim's point about Navy & Airforce songs. Obviously there were a lot of them - but the majority of those in uniform were Army - hence the dominance of Army songs, though I think the most popular songs were not about any branch of the armed forces, but rather were songs of home, reunion & looking beyond the war - hence the popularity of "the White Cliffs of Dover" and "We'll meet again".

 

If you're looking for songs specific to a branch of the military, or other occupations (e.g. Coal Miners songs from WW2) - have a look on Mudcat. If there's nothing there then post a question and you'll get loads of songs.

Edited January 5, 2008 by Woody

[m3838]

Mudcats - OK, thanks.

I think that Navy and Airforce songs are too up-beat. For obvious reasons.

I am looking at these songs regardless of the origin. I expect to better understand English character. I realize that "English" is not always the English, just like "Russians".

But in the WWII Germans fought against Russians, English and French, and Japanese fought against Americans and Chinese.

Russia and China is home to more than 300 ethnicities combined, and America, France and Britain include the rest of the World. Yet, during the war all those minorities (or majorities, if you want) acted unified, as one Nation. Mostly, at least. And that National character shines through the Art of those days.

Fascinating.

[Woody]

Mudcats - OK, thanks.

I think that Navy and Airforce songs are too up-beat. For obvious reasons.

I am looking at these songs regardless of the origin. I expect to better understand English character. I realize that "English" is not always the English, just like "Russians".

But in the WWII Germans fought against Russians, English and French, and Japanese fought against Americans and Chinese.

Russia and China is home to more than 300 ethnicities combined, and America, France and Britain include the rest of the World. Yet, during the war all those minorities (or majorities, if you want) acted unified, as one Nation. Mostly, at least. And that National character shines through the Art of those days.

Fascinating.

I don't know about Russia but the English are one part of the political union of several distinct nations which is called United Kingdom of Great Britain & Northern Ireland ("The UK" or "Britain" for short). These nations still exist as separate entities and are quite distinct from each other linguistically, historically, culturally and politically (for instance Scotland has a long history of friendly relations with the French, England a long history of fighting them). The UK has a central governing body (Parliament), which also legislates on most of the laws affecting the UK - however Scotland, Wales & Northern Ireland each have their own legislative & administrative bodies and in Scotland's case a completely separate and different legal system. Even amongst the English there are great differences - somebody originating from Devon is very different in their language & culture to somebody from London, and both are more alike each other than they are like someone from Newcastle-upon-Tyne whose dialect often seems like a completely different language

 

Calling the Scots, Welsh or Northern Irish "English" as part of a collective term is just wrong and misses the point, and is akin to calling the Spanish Basques, Valencians & Catalans "Castillians", and if you want to understand better the English character, learning songs from other nations in the UK will tell you nothing - whereas if you want to understand more the character "the British" you'll need to learn about all of them, and to a certain respect how the separate nations interact with each other.

 

For a historical note - troops from across the British Empire & related nations fought the Japanese for the whole duration of the war from 1941 with conflicts & attacks in Hong Kong, Burma, Singapore, Australia, India etc...

Edited January 6, 2008 by Woody

[rob_mcsweeney]

regarding Naval songs, the late Cyril Tawney produced a book and 2 cassettes which would be a good starting point.

 

I think the book was 'Grey Funnel Lines', the second recording was 'Round the bouy' - websearch/ Amazon/eBay should reveal more.

 

 

Regards,

 

rob.

Edited January 6, 2008 by rob_mcsweeney

[m3838]

Yes, I know that Britain is a "Union", read, English dominated empire. But just like for you we are "russians", you are for us "english". There is nothing I can do, we are too far from each other, and in the distance we can't differentiate the species of trees, you are just the "forest".

To illustrate, let me just mention, that USSR was the "Union" of 15 "Republics" with very different cultures, languages and governments. In today's independent Russia there are hundreds "authonomous regions. Mother of Russian rivers, Volga, is home to Russian Germans, Mordvins, Tartars, and many more, whose resemblance to Russians is none.

You are aware of Chechnya, right? It's one of Russian autonomous regions. But are you aware of Dagestan? Another one. Russians comprise only some 50% of population of Russia. Yet I haven't heard one single war song sang, say, in Uzbek language.

[Woody]

Yes, I know that Britain is a "Union", read, English dominated empire. But just like for you we are "russians", you are for us "english". There is nothing I can do, we are too far from each other, and in the distance we can't differentiate the species of trees, you are just the "forest".

To illustrate, let me just mention, that USSR was the "Union" of 15 "Republics" with very different cultures, languages and governments. In today's independent Russia there are hundreds "authonomous regions. Mother of Russian rivers, Volga, is home to Russian Germans, Mordvins, Tartars, and many more, whose resemblance to Russians is none.

You are aware of Chechnya, right? It's one of Russian autonomous regions. But are you aware of Dagestan? Another one. Russians comprise only some 50% of population of Russia. Yet I haven't heard one single war song sang, say, in Uzbek language.

I'm sorry. I seem to have angered you in some way when it was only my intention to provide clarification.

 

You say you want to "better understand English character" but you seem to be confusing English & British so its difficult to understand precisely what you are looking for. You may think that using the term English & British interchangeably makes sense but it doesn't.