# Songs of Two World Wars **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [November 6, 2008, 5:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-of-two-world-wars/471478 "2008-11-06T17:30:30Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 17\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![chowder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/977dab/32.png) [@chowder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chowder)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2008, 5:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-of-two-world-wars/471478/1 "2008-11-06T17:30:30Z")
I have 3 favourites, in no particular order… Over There…I can see Granpa Simpson belting this out Lili Marlene…British and German versions The Horst Wessel Lied…I know, I know…but you have to admit it is a rousing tune. What about you? ---
**Author:** ![dropzone](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dropzone/32/7515_2.png) [@dropzone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dropzone)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2008, 6:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-of-two-world-wars/471478/2 "2008-11-06T18:12:18Z")
“Pack Up Your Troubles in Your Old Kit Bag and Smile, Smile, Smile” always struck me as the perfect Music Hall singalong. ---
**Author:** ![hellpaso](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/ecae2f/32.png) [@hellpaso](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hellpaso)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2008, 6:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-of-two-world-wars/471478/3 "2008-11-06T18:29:13Z")
Over there. It’s a long way to Tipperary. As a child, my mama would always sing the old WWI songs to me, and I, in turn, would sing them to my children. It’s only been recently that I realized that those songs had probably been sung to mama when she was a child (born 1924). I just think that’s kinda cool! ---
**Author:** ![An\_Gadai](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/d6d6ee/32.png) [@An\_Gadai](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/An_Gadai)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2008, 6:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-of-two-world-wars/471478/4 "2008-11-06T18:30:25Z")
WW1 [Keep The Home Fires Burning](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5P8UokgVqWs) - John McCormack WW2 [We’re Going To Hang Out The Washing On The Siegfried Line](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uBH-zUqVRw0) - Flanagan and Allen ---
**Author:** ![Rube\_E.Tewesday](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/f0a364/32.png) [@Rube\_E.Tewesday](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rube_E.Tewesday)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2008, 6:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-of-two-world-wars/471478/5 "2008-11-06T18:31:41Z")
“Lili Marlene” is just about impossible to beat. I have a soft spot for “White Cliffs of Dover” because my wife used to sing it to our baby. And hey, “Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy of Company B” is always a bit of fun. ---
**Author:** ![hellpaso](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/ecae2f/32.png) [@hellpaso](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hellpaso)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2008, 6:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-of-two-world-wars/471478/6 "2008-11-06T18:32:07Z")
I just realized this is about both wars. So, including WWII– Mairzy-Doats Three little fishies I’ll be home for christmas Don’t sit under the apple tree Coming in on a wing and a prayer ---
**Author:** ![An\_Gadai](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/d6d6ee/32.png) [@An\_Gadai](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/An_Gadai)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2008, 6:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-of-two-world-wars/471478/7 "2008-11-06T18:33:26Z")
[We’ll Meet Again](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cHcunREYzNY) - Vera Lynn [A Nightingale Sang In Berkeley Square](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=naC0PIL0EXE)- Vera Lynn ---
**Author:** ![dropzone](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dropzone/32/7515_2.png) [@dropzone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dropzone)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2008, 7:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-of-two-world-wars/471478/8 "2008-11-06T19:57:43Z")
My father played “We’ll Meet Again” on the juke box after returning from every mission. ---
**Author:** ![Sigmagirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c89c15/32.png) [@Sigmagirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sigmagirl)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2008, 8:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-of-two-world-wars/471478/9 "2008-11-06T20:26:20Z")
Till We Meet Again (different song). ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2008, 8:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-of-two-world-wars/471478/10 "2008-11-06T20:51:29Z")
> [@hellpaso](#): > > Don’t sit under the apple tree And its musical cousin “[American Patrol](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=arqLPrSlNZQ)”, originally penned in 1885. ---
**Author:** ![amarinth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3be4f8/32.png) [@amarinth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/amarinth)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2008, 10:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-of-two-world-wars/471478/11 "2008-11-06T22:00:00Z")
“I’ll be seeing you” “I’ll be home for Christmas” “We’ll Meet Again” “The White Cliffs of Dover” ---
**Author:** ![Lust4Life](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/ecc23a/32.png) [@Lust4Life](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lust4Life)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2008, 8:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-of-two-world-wars/471478/12 "2008-11-08T20:54:57Z")
Goodbyee The Bells of Hell go Tingalingaling,a WW1 song but we always used to sing it on appropriate occassions ---
**Author:** ![Lust4Life](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/ecc23a/32.png) [@Lust4Life](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lust4Life)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2008, 9:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-of-two-world-wars/471478/13 "2008-11-08T21:01:50Z")
Oh also a newer one …I’ll be your hero by Enrique Iglezias which was big amongst Brit troops in the Gulf during the unpleasantness.but it was more a request on home radio staions rather then something everyone sang along to. ---
**Author:** ![Olentzero](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/90ced4/32.png) [@Olentzero](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Olentzero)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2008, 4:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-of-two-world-wars/471478/14 "2008-11-09T04:31:19Z")
Der Fuehrer’s Face. 'Nuff said. ---
**Author:** ![Celyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9dc877/32.png) [@Celyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Celyn)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2008, 12:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-of-two-world-wars/471478/15 "2008-11-10T00:01:36Z")
"When This Bloody War is Over … " “Fuck 'em all! Fuck 'em all! The long and the short and the tall; Fuck all the Sergeants and W.O.l.'s, 13 Fuck all the corporals and their bastard sons; 14 For we’re saying goodbye to them all, As up the C.O.'s arse they crawl; 15 You’ll get no promotion this side of the ocean, So cheer up my lads, fuck 'em all! …” ---
**Author:** ![K364](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/k364/32/5_2.png) [@K364](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/K364)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2008, 12:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-of-two-world-wars/471478/16 "2008-11-10T00:13:26Z")
“(There’ll Be Bluebirds Over) The White Cliffs of Dover” - Vera Lynn ---
**Author:** ![MadPansy64](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/dc4da7/32.png) [@MadPansy64](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MadPansy64)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2008, 1:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-of-two-world-wars/471478/17 "2008-11-10T01:25:59Z")
_[The Sinking of the Ruben James](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I7jBbCQwJ0g)_, and assorted, mostly rude, ditties, including something about “Hi Ho, Hi Ho, We’re Off to Tokyo” and _When This Bloody War is Over._ My great grandfather (WWI medic) loved _Raspberries, Strawberries_ by the Kingston Trio and would ask me to sing it for him. He said he wished he could have seen France “before or after.” I have always had a suspicion that he fell in love over there, but it didn’t end with “Lived Happily Ever After.”