FAR FAR FROM YPRES SCRIPT
FIRST HALF
Pages 11, 12 and 13
And as our ship pulled into Circular Quay, I looked at the place where me legs used to be.
And thanked Christ there was nobody waiting for me, to grieve, to mourn, and to pity.
And the band played Waltzing Matilda, as they carried us down the gangway.
But nobody cheered, they just stood and stared, then they turned all their faces away
And so now every April, I sit on me porch, and I watch the parades pass before me.
And I see my old comrades, how proudly they march, reviving old dreams of past glories
And the old men march slowly, old bones stiff and sore. They're tired old heroes from a forgotten war
And the young people ask, what are they marching for? And I ask myself the same question.
And the band PLAYS Waltzing Matilda, and the old men still answer the call,
But as year follows year, more old men disappear. Someday no one will march there at all.
Waltzing Matilda, Waltzing Matilda, who'll come a-waltzing Matilda with me?
And their ghosts may be heard as they march by that billabong,
Who'll come a-waltzing Matilda with me?
Ends on guitar sustain.
Narrator
New recruits still streamed over to France. The numbers volunteering decreased and conscription was introduced in 1916, but where was our friend, young Jimmy MacDonald? He hadn’t reached the front, but already he could predict what was in store when he passed the wounded returning to Britain.
Victory Parade
Across the border heading south
Rifle, kitbag in good order
Proud to be a soldier marching
In the British army
O'er the channel passing men
With sightless eyes and broken bodies
Never more to call her name
Never going home
All
Black Watch, Highland, Royal Scots Greys
The whole town cheered as we marched away
Bring us back a medal
Bring us back a medal
Bring us back a medal for the Victory Parade
Narrator
The life expectancy of Junior Officers between 1914 and 1918 was 6 weeks. Colonel Francis Law, who was awarded the Military Cross, DSO and OBE, survived both world wars and this is a passage taken from his wonderful book, "A Man at Arms". "On the 21st September, 1915, we were inspected by Lord Kitchener. Lord Cavan attended and wished us God speed on the eve of 'the Greatest Battle in the world's history'. This did nothing to cheer us up. Clearly we were expected to win……..such was the quite unjustified optimism in high places at that time". AND THEN A PASSAGE DESCRIBING EVENTS TWO DAYS LATER: "This was the first major battle in which the troops of the Territorial Army took part on a grand scale. They were all volunteers, trained in haste and despatched to France. They had no experience of war, but this splendid material was squandered, it seemed to me then. I feel it after sixty years - the pain of it. Long lines of kilted dead mown down by enemy machine guns firing from the flank, where one bullet could do the work of two". For many it was a cruel end to childhood.
Childhood's End
We laid the last old soldier to rest today
A lingering relic of the older way
There were no muffled rolls of drums and no flags did wave
In the breeze that was not blowing
And on the spot where he was laid we lit a flame
To burn forever more until the end of time
To all the other soldiers known and unnamed
No gun salute was fired, no Last Post playing
Childhood's End was long in coming
But come it must for all our fear
For all our vanity, for all our stumbling
Childhood's End is drawing near
And a silent prayer was said by those who have something to pray to
While the rest of us joined hands and softly sang
And asked forgiveness from the dead for millennia of killing
For we knew now where the blame lay
And on the spot where he was laid we lit a flame
To burn forever more until the end of time
To all the other soldiers known and unnamed
No gun salute was fired, no Last Post playing
Childhood's End was long in coming
But come it must for all our fear
For all our vanity, for all our stumbling
Childhood's End is drawing near
Childhood's End was long in coming
But come it must for all our fear
For all our vanity, for all our stumbling
Childhood's End is drawing near
Childhood's End is drawing near
Narrator
Childhood's end was drawing near for those at home as well, but still the songs were filled with hope and the promise of a better day. Sadly most of these songs were written for the home market. Although this song was penned just after the war, it captures the mood of the nation during the dark days of 1916, an insistence that, despite all the news from the Western Front, good times were ahead.
Look For The Silver Lining
Please don't be offended if I preach to you awhile,
Tears are out of place in eyes that were meant to smile.
There's a way to make your very biggest troubles small,
Here's the happy secret of it all.
Look for the silver lining
When e'er a cloud appears in the blue.
Remember somewhere the sun is shining,
And so the right thing to do,
Is make it shine for you.
A heart, full of joy and gladness,
Will always banish sadness and strife.
So always look for the silver lining,
And try to find the sunny side of life
Look for the silver lining
When e'er a cloud appears in the blue.
Remember somewhere the sun is shining,
And so the right thing to do, (Choir hold 'do')
Is make it shine for you.
A heart, full of joy and gladness,
Will always banish sadness and strife.
So always look for the silver lining,
And try to find the sunny side of life
So always look for the silver lining,
And try to find the sunny side of life
GTR continues
Narrator
This last song in the first half, by Jack Judge and Harry Williams was, allegedly, written for a 5 shilling bet in Stalybridge on 30 January 1912 The bet taken by Jack was to write a song in 24 hours. He based the song on one of his less successful songs, “It’s a Long Way to Connemara”….. which he speeded up from the original ballad, thus winning the bet.
A Daily Mail correspondent heard, and wrote about, an Irish regiment singing Jack's song as they marched through Boulogne on 13th August 1914. The song was then picked up by other units of the army and in November 1914 it was recorded by John McCormack who made it popular throughout the world, despite the dubious text. If you recognise it, please join in or they’ll sing it in the second half as well. We’ll see you after the interval for the second half.
It’s a Long Way to Tipperary 2G
Up to mighty London came an Irishman one day,
As the streets were paved with gold, sure ev'ry one was gay,
Singing songs of Piccadilly, Strand and Leicester Square,
Till Paddy got excited, then he shouted to them there:
It's a long way to Tipperary,It's a long way to go,
It's a long way to Tipperary,
To the sweetest girl I know!
Goodbye Piccadilly! Farewell Leicester Square!
It's a long, long way to Tipperary,
But my heart's right there!
Molly wrote a neat reply to Irish Paddy O',
Saying "Mike Maloney wants to marry me, and so,
Leave the Strand and Piccadilly, or you'll be to blame,
For love has fairly drove me silly - hoping you're the same!"
It's a long way to Tipperary,It's a long way to go,
It's a long way to Tipperary,To the sweetest girl I know!
Goodbye Piccadilly! Farewell Leicester Square!
It's a long, long way to Tipperary,
But my heart's right there!
It's a long way to Tipperary,
It's a long way to go,
It's a long way to Tipperary,
To the sweetest girl I know!
Goodbye Piccadilly! Farewell Leicester Square!
It's a long, long way to Tipperary,
But my heart's right there!
It's a long, long way to Tipperary,
But my heart's right there