{"id":23733,"date":"2024-02-28T10:25:04","date_gmt":"2024-02-28T10:25:04","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/folksongandmusichall.com\/?page_id=23733"},"modified":"2024-11-09T07:22:10","modified_gmt":"2024-11-09T07:22:10","slug":"war-correspondent-the","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"http:\/\/folksongandmusichall.com\/index.php\/war-correspondent-the\/","title":{"rendered":"War Correspondent, The"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

This song uses language and draws on stereotypes in a way that was commonplace at the time but is no longer acceptable today.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

AKA<\/strong><\/td><\/td><\/tr>
First Published<\/td>1900<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Writer\/composer<\/td>Charles Osborne <\/td>Roud<\/strong><\/td>RN29039<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n
Music Hall Performers<\/strong><\/td>TE Dunville<\/td><\/tr>
Folk performances<\/strong><\/td>Collected from the singing of:<\/strong>
Tritton, Duke ; Australia : New South Wales; 1955<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n
\n
\n
You've heard of Brimstone Chapel, so of course I needn't say 
He's the latest and the greatest Correspondent of the day;
Well, here you have the privilege of gazing on that elf, 
I represent the papers and the \"pippers\" and myself.
I know a lot of Editors and Creditors and Subs 
Publishers and Polishers and Perishers and Pubs,
Novelists and Obelisks and \"Parliament'ry Daddies\"
Summer Salts and Senators and other too-ral-lad-dies.

And what I've gone through none'll ever know.
You'll find out\tif you go to heaven \u2014 so,
Rule  Britannia! De Rougemont's out of the hunt;<\/em> (Drum.) 
No one lives like a thoroughbred journalist, 
They're \"hot stuff,\" and I'm the \"infernalest,\" 
That's me \u2014 I'm he - The War Correspondent at the front<\/em> [twice]

I've criticised the Cricketers and \"biffed\" the Buffaloes, 
Catalogued the Cattle and the Caterpillar shows,
Wherried up the Wandle, and the Severn and the Six,
Had to mix in Politics and other Lunatics.
I've swaggered with the Swazis, and the Swaddles and the Swabs, 
Caravans and Char-a-banes, and mobilized the mobs ; 
Caliphas\u2014Calicoes\u2014Caledonian Scotties,
Ottomen who're hotter than the bally Hottentotties.

At Wembley \u2014 no, at Kimberley \u2014 the Boers shut me in,\t
Where Nicholson went \"down the nick\" through \"neking\" all the gin
They copped me on a Kopje \u2014 like a tiddler in a tank,
And a Burgher with a Mauser shot a pontoon in my flank. 
I know it was a spru-it \u2014 so I threw it in a trench,
And a goer of a Boer read a Warrant out in French;\t
I was slandered and commandered \u2014 then they stripped me to my Jaeger.
And the Cornet who had torn it went and wore it in his Laager.

But I've risen from my prison with a wizen full of sobs, 
And I'm able now to cable for it's payable with \" Bobs,\" 
Though the military Censor on my copy always drops, 
You rely on me at Spion \u2014 you're a lie \u2014 and other Kops.
Though the Generals and minerals may out me like a knife, 
And swear that I was never out of Fleet Street in my life, 
When we get to Pretoria \u2014 if I anticipate 'em,
I'll wallop some Pomatum on old Kruger's Ultimatum.


NB<\/strong> \u201cHottentot\u201d is a racist term first used by the Dutch and later adopted in Britain. It refers to the clicking sound which features in the language of Southern African Khoisan peoples.<\/pre>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n
\"\"<\/figure>
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A song mocking the exploits of Winston Churchill who, before being elected as a British MP, reported on the Second Boer War for The Morning Post<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
At some point the song was revised for Australian audiences, replacing “Brimstone Chapel” (a thinly disguised Churchill) with “Banjo Paterson” an Australian journalist and poet who also acted as a war correspondent in the Second Boer War. The Australian version was collected from an Australian singer in 1955 (see above).<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The song was originally written and composed by Charles Osborne<\/a> and performed in the British Halls by the comedian TE Dunville<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
At the moment I am unable to access any publicly available recordings.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n
Sources:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n