I found some very nice (?) examples in one book. One is: "The bells of hell go tingalingaling for you but not for me, The little devils all singalingaling for you but not for me. O death, where is they tingalingaling, O grave, thy victory? The bells of hell go tingalingaling for you but not for me." And also somthing like this : If you want to find your loved one, I know where he is If you want to find your loved one, I know where he is If you want to find your loved one, I know where he is he is hanging from the barbed wire in the no-man´s land... Anyone got other examples? The second song I took from a Finnish book, don´t know the original way of writing it.
There are loads, the second one is a very long song: If you want to find the politicians I know where they are If you want to find the politicians I know where they are They're drinking brandy at the House of Commons bar I've seen 'em Drinking brandy at the House of Commons bar I've seen 'em Drinking brandy at the House of Commons bar If you want to find the brasshats I know where they are If you want to find the brasshats I know where they are They're drinking claret at Brigade HQ I've seen 'em Drinking claret at Brigade HQ I've seen 'em Drinking claret at Brigade HQ If you want to find the CO I know where he is If you want to find the CO I know where he is He's down in the deep dug-out I've seen him Down in the deep dug-out I've seen him Down in the deep dug-out If you want to find the Quarter Master I know where he is If you want to find the Quarter Master I know where he is He's miles and miles behind the line I've seen him Miles and miles behind the line I've seen him Miles and miles and miles behind the line If you want to find the Sergeant-Major I know where he is If you want to find the Sergeant-Major I know where he is He's boozing up the private's rum I've seen him Boozing up the private's rum I've seen him Boozing up the private's rum If you want to find the Sergeant I know where he is If you want to find the Sergeant I know where he is He's lying on the canteen floor I've seen him Lying on the canteen floor I've seen him Lying on the canteen floor If you want to find the lance-jack I know where he is If you want to find the lance-jack I know where he is He's scrounging round the cookhouse door I've seen him Scrounging round the cookhouse door I've seen him Scrounging round the cookhouse door If you want to find the buckshee private I know where he is If you want to find the buckshee private I know where he is He's buried in a deep shell hole I've seen him Buried in a deep shell hole I've seen him Buried in a deep shell hole If you want to find the whole battalion I know where they are If you want to find the whole battalion I know where they are They're hanging on the old barbed wire I've seen 'em Hanging on the old barbed wire I've seen 'em Hanging on the old barbed wire There are loads of WW1 songs that are sung even today, mostly the rude ones though. Here is a dead handy site: http://www.squaddiesongs.com/index.htm Plus links to my favorites: A Poor Aviator Lay Dieing: http://www.squaddiesongs.com/songs/apooraviatorlaydying.html Bombed Last Night: http://www.squaddiesongs.com/songs/bombedlastnight.html The Engineers Song (not for those who don't like the odd bawdy rhyme): http://www.squaddiesongs.com/songs/engineerssong.html And an entertaining little ditty, Abdul Abulbul Abeer: http://www.squaddiesongs.com/songs/abdulabulbulamir.html If you ever want to hear some authentic WW1/WW2 songs, just give me a shout, I will happily shout them back
Stefan - someone has re-written the song you quote. It was known during WW1 as 'The Old Battalion' as the last verse begins 'If you want the old battalion, I know where the are...' etc. I have it somewhere in a 20s book on soldiers songs, and many WW1 vets I knew sang it for me... along with many, many others.
Yeah, I know of both versions, but I think it may be a case of the version I posted being a modern version of an old classic (so to speak). That or it is just the version the webmasters grandfather happened to know.
If you can get your hands on a copy of the theme music from OH What a Lovely War, you'll have enough ww1 tunes to keep you going through those lonely nights....
