{"id":25828,"date":"2024-12-24T07:55:26","date_gmt":"2024-12-24T07:55:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/folksongandmusichall.com\/?page_id=25828"},"modified":"2025-12-19T08:01:24","modified_gmt":"2025-12-19T08:01:24","slug":"oh-its-a-lovely-war","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/folksongandmusichall.com\/index.php\/oh-its-a-lovely-war\/","title":{"rendered":"Oh! Its a lovely war"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
AKA<\/strong><\/td>Oh! Oh! Oh! It’s a lovely war<\/td><\/tr>
First Published<\/td>1917<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

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Writer\/composer<\/td>JP Long an Maurice Scott Scott<\/td>Roud<\/strong><\/td>RN9624<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

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Music Hall Performers<\/strong><\/td>Ella Shields<\/td><\/tr>
Folk performances<\/strong><\/td>Collected from the singing of:<\/strong>
[American soldiers] ; USA ; 1942-44
Showers, Charlie ; England : Somerset : 1971
Bunn, Walter ; England : Birmingham : 1987
Kane, Alice N. Ireland : Belfast \/ Canada : Ontario : Toronto; no date
Modern performances<\/strong>: Various stage productions of Joan Littlewood’s play, the 1969 film.<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n
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Up to your waist in water,
Up to your eyes in slush,
Using the kind of language
That makes the sergeants blush;
Who wouldn't join the army,
That's what we all enquire,
Don't we pity the poor civilians
Sitting beside the fire?

Oh! Oh! Oh! It's a lovely war,
Who wouldn't be a soldier, eh?
Oh, it's a shame to take the pay.<\/em>

As soon as reveille has gone
We feel just as heavy as lead,
But we never get up till the sergeant
Brings our breakfast up to bed.
What do you want with eggs and ham
When you've got plum and apple jam?
Form fours! Right turn!
How shall we spend the money we earn?

When does a soldier grumble?
When does a soldier make a fuss?
No one is more contented
In all the world than us.
Oh, it's a cushy life, boys,
Really, we love it so;
Once a fellow was sent on leave
And simply refused to go.

Come to the cook-house door, boys,
Sniff at the lovely stew,
Who is it says the colonel
Gets better grub than you?
Any complaints this morning?
Do we complain? Not we.
What's the matter with lumps of onion
Floating around the tea?<\/pre>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n
A song which helped to inspire Joan Littlewood’s play (and Richard Attenborough’s film) Oh What a Lovely War. <\/em>It was originally written in 1917 and was sung by all sorts of artistes but was most associated with the great male impersonator, Ella Shields<\/a> . It was still being sung by American troops in the Second World War<\/p>\n\n\n\n
As recorded by Courtland and Jeffries (real names, Ernest Pike and George Baker)in 1918 :<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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