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Thread: Pop songs about the First World War

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    Pop songs about the First World War

    Currently listening to BBC Radio London, and they got talking about pop songs that are about or influenced by the Vietnam War, they only mentioned a couple, but I could immediately think of loads more. And then I found a website with a list of well over a 100 of them.


    However, when I tried to come up with modern (1960s onwards) pop/rock songs about the First World War, I could only come up with two:

    Jona Lewie - Stop The Cavalry
    Rolf Harris - Two Little Boys

    There must be loads more but I'm at a loss to think of any. Iron Maiden's The Trooper for example is about the Crimean War. Elvis Costello's Oliver's Army is primarily about the Troubles in Northern Ireland, but also about the British Army in other conflict zones round the globe

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    Parrots Ripped My Flesh Dave (in MA)'s Avatar
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    1000 Cities Falling by The Sadies mentions "the war to end all wars".

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    Quote Originally Posted by Dave (in MA) View Post
    1000 Cities Falling by The Sadies mentions "the war to end all wars".

    Ah ha, and what a great band as well.

  4. #4
    How about a prog song? IQ's "The Seventh House".
    You say Mega Ultra Deluxe Special Limited Edition Extended Autographed 5-LP, 3-CD, 4-DVD, 2-BlueRay, 4-Cassette, five 8-Track, MP4 Download plus Demos, Outtakes, Booklet, T-Shirt and Guitar Pick Gold-Leafed Box Set Version like it's a bad thing...

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    Quote Originally Posted by Garden Dreamer View Post
    How about a prog song? IQ's "The Seventh House".
    IQ's "Common Ground" is also about World War I.

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    Motorhead "1916".

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    The Pogues - The Band Played Waltzing Matilda
    "And your little sister's immaculate virginity wings away on the bony shoulders of a young horse named George who stole surreptitiously into her geography revision."

    Occasional musical musings on https://darkelffile.blogspot.com/

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    Member rcarlberg's Avatar
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    Here's a whole album devoted to WWI songs (sorta):
    http://www.discogs.com/Eli-Radish-I-...elease/2542388

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    There was a progressive rock album that was released in the early 2000’s that was a concept album all about WWI, but I am completely tanking on remembering who it was. I remember the album being pretty good, and in a similar musical style as Pink Floyd, in fact I think I discovered it through Brain Damage magazine back in the day. It was a single guy, not a band, and I don’t remember him putting out anything else. If I remember right some of the proceeds from the album were going to some veteran’s related charity in the U.K. I can’t, for the life of me, remember who it was or what the album was called though. Is this ringing a bell with anyone?

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    Quote Originally Posted by The Dark Elf View Post
    The Pogues - The Band Played Waltzing Matilda
    Which of course was originally written and recorded by Scottish-born Australian Eric Bogle, and has been covered by numerous other artists, including Joan Baez.

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    Hunters & Collectors - What's a Few Men?


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    Sting - Children's Crusade

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    Bit thin this one but - Steve Hackett: Clocks (Angel of Mons).

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    Quote Originally Posted by Halmyre View Post
    Bit thin this one but - Steve Hackett: Clocks (Angel of Mons).
    ...not Tigermoth?
    -=Will you stand by me against the cold night, or are you afraid of the ice?=-

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    How could I have forgotten the obvious one - probably the biggest hit out of any of the songs about World War I:

    The Royal Guardsmen - Snoopy vs the Red Baron

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    Magenta - The Ballad Of Samuel Layne


    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

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    Eric Bogle - No Man's Land


    There is a German version of that song as well:
    Hannes Wader - Es ist an der Zeit (German for "It's about time")

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    The Shadows were recorded a cover of March on the Drina in 1966





    The best Serbian progressive rock band Smak also covered March on the Drina




    .. a live, better version from 1991


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    That's Mr. to you, Sir!! Trane's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Halmyre View Post
    Bit thin this one but - Steve Hackett: Clocks (Angel of Mons).

    That was my first thought.



    I can't remember if Warm Dust's Piece For Our Time concept album is about WW1 or WW2

    my music collection increased tenfolds when I switched from drug-addicts to complete nutcases.

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    MAGNUM: “don't wake the lion” and “les morts dansant”. oh, and “on christmas day”, about the famous seizefire.
    Last edited by iguana; 01-27-2016 at 06:39 AM. Reason: addendum

  21. #21
    That's Mr. to you, Sir!! Trane's Avatar
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    OK, my bad... the first track of the concept speaks of Pearl Harbour...
    my music collection increased tenfolds when I switched from drug-addicts to complete nutcases.

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    I'd like to recommend Freedom To Glide's Rain, an excellent concept album from 2013:


    https://freedomtoglide.bandcamp.com/album/rain



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    Member Zeuhlmate's Avatar
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    I remember one pop song from my childhood - cant remember the title or artist - it was about (to my recollection) about Snoopie fighting the Red Baron.
    It was funny and rather popular. male singer...


    .................................................. ..........

    Found it


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    Member viukkis's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by PeterG View Post
    There must be loads more but I'm at a loss to think of any. Iron Maiden's The Trooper for example is about the Crimean War.
    They eventually came up with Paschendale, which is about this First World War battle.

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    Member interbellum's Avatar
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    Metallica's "One" was based on the WWI-novel "Johnny Got His Gun" by Dalton Trumbo:


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