{"id":10354,"date":"2021-04-29T15:57:58","date_gmt":"2021-04-29T15:57:58","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/folksongandmusichall.com\/?page_id=10354"},"modified":"2023-04-12T08:36:11","modified_gmt":"2023-04-12T08:36:11","slug":"hullo-there-little-tommy-atkins","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/folksongandmusichall.com\/index.php\/hullo-there-little-tommy-atkins\/","title":{"rendered":"Hullo there! Little Tommy Atkins"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
AKA<\/strong><\/td>Tommy Atkins<\/td><\/tr>
First Published<\/td>1913<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

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Writer\/composer<\/td>Lester Barrett and Herman Darewski <\/td>Roud<\/strong><\/td>RN<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

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Music Hall Performers<\/strong><\/td>Harry Cove<\/td><\/tr>
Folk performances<\/strong><\/td>Collected from the singing of:<\/strong>
Wheat, Maurice; England, Derbyshire; 1970<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n
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Transcribed from Jack Charman recording on YouTube<\/strong>\n\nThere's a chap named Tommy Atkins, and his praises we will sing \nTommy! Our pride and our joy!\nWe have always found him loyal to his country and his king. \nTommy! Our brave soldier boy!\nWhen home from war returning, for wives and sweethearts yearning\nIn hearty welcome lusty voices ring, hear how they sing!\n\nHullo there, little Tommy Atkins! Hullo there, little soldier man\nAlways cool and steady, always brave and ready\nHullo there, little Tommy Atkins, defeat you, no one can\nMid the rattle of the battle or at home sweet home, \nYou are a soldier and a man!<\/em>\n\nThere's a chap named Tommy Atkins, and he loves the ladies fair\nTommy! Makes love to the lot!\nWith his captivating manner and his fascinating air\nTommy! Is awfully hot!\nJust see him out parading, the ladies' hearts invading\nThe girls all say, while marching with the band \"Don't they look grand!\"\n\nThere's a chap named Tommy Atkins, he's a terror to the world\nTommy! All Britons adore!\nFor the foe he's always ready and with Union Jack unfurled\nTommy! Can fight as of yore! \nHe's proud of what he fought for, a fight he never sought for,\nAnd that's why British subjects all proclaim our hero's fame\n<\/pre>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n
One of a number of Music Hall songs about Tommy Atkins, this one from the beginning of World War I, a period when the halls played a huge role in promoting enlistment, arguably encouraging young men to sign up to be slaughtered. This was the period of “war fever” when the vast majority of political leaders, trades unions, intellectuals and Music Hall stars enthusiastically backed the war. It didn’t last long \u2013 by 1915 focus of Music Hall songs shifted as the confidence that the war would be “over by Christmas” faded. If you want to find out more about popular song in this period check out The show must go on!<\/em> by John Mullin.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Other songs featuring Tommy Atkins are discussed discussed here<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n
The song was remembered in 1970 when Maurice Wheat sang it to collector Ruairidh Greig, who has very kindly provided this copy of the recording:<\/p>\n\n\n\n