Best War Song / Best War Poem

[destrekor]

Originally posted by: GagHalfrunt
Half a league half a league,
Half a league onward,
All in the valley of Death
Rode the six hundred:
'Forward, the Light Brigade!
Charge for the guns' he said:
Into the valley of Death
Rode the six hundred.

'Forward, the Light Brigade!'
Was there a man dismay'd ?
Not tho' the soldier knew
Some one had blunder'd:
Theirs not to make reply,
Theirs not to reason why,
Theirs but to do & die,
Into the valley of Death
Rode the six hundred.

Cannon to right of them,
Cannon to left of them,
Cannon in front of them
Volley'd & thunder'd;
Storm'd at with shot and shell,
Boldly they rode and well,
Into the jaws of Death,
Into the mouth of Hell
Rode the six hundred.

Flash'd all their sabres bare,
Flash'd as they turn'd in air
Sabring the gunners there,
Charging an army while
All the world wonder'd:
Plunged in the battery-smoke
Right thro' the line they broke;
Cossack & Russian
Reel'd from the sabre-stroke,
Shatter'd & sunder'd.
Then they rode back, but not
Not the six hundred.

Cannon to right of them,
Cannon to left of them,
Cannon behind them
Volley'd and thunder'd;
Storm'd at with shot and shell,
While horse & hero fell,
They that had fought so well
Came thro' the jaws of Death,
Back from the mouth of Hell,
All that was left of them,
Left of six hundred.

When can their glory fade?
O the wild charge they made!
All the world wonder'd.
Honour the charge they made!
Honour the Light Brigade,
Noble six hundred!

:heart:
I came in here to post that poem.

+

 

[Cold Steel]

The Minstrel Boy to the war is gone
In the ranks of death you will find him;
His father's sword he hath girded on,
And his wild harp slung behind him;"
Land of Song!" said the warrior bard,
"Tho' all the world betrays thee,
One sword, at least, thy rights shall guard,
One faithful harp shall praise thee!"

The Minstrel fell! But the foeman's chain
Could not bring that proud soul under;
The harp he lov'd ne'er spoke again,
For he tore its chords asunder;
And said "No chains shall sully thee,
Thou soul of love and brav'ry!
Thy songs were made for the pure and free,
They shall never sound in slavery!"

 

[MartyMcFly3]

Bugles are calling from prairie to shore,
"Sign up" and "Fall In" and march off to war.
Blue grass and cotton, burnt and forgotten
All hope seems gone so soldier march on to die.
Bugles are calling from prairie to shore,
"Sign up" and "Fall In" and march off to war.
There in the distance a flag I can see,
Scorched and in ribbons but whose can it be,
How ends the story, whose is the glory
Ask if we dare, our comrades out there who sleep.

"Story of a Soldier" From 'The Good, The Bad and The Ugly'

 

[Iron Woode]

In Flanders fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses, row on row,
That mark our place; and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.

We are the dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved, and were loved, and now we lie
In Flanders fields.

Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders fields.

? John McCrae

 

[Farang]

Flanders Fields, seconded.

 

[jagec]

Originally posted by: JEDI
the civil war poem read at the beginning of a Jedi fan movie.

i forget the name of the poem tho. Something about Sara.

anyone?

A week before the battle of Bull Run Sullivan Ballou, a Major in the 2nd
Rhode Island Volunteers, wrote home to his wife in Smithfield.
July 14,1861
Camp Clark, Washington DC

Dear Sarah:

The indications are very strong that we shall move in a few days - perhaps tomorrow. And lest I should not be able to write you again I feel impelled to write a few lines that may fall under your eye when I am no more.

I have no misgivings about, or lack of confidence in the cause in which I am engaged, and my courage does not halt or falter. I know how American Civilization now leans upon the triumph of the government and how great a debt we owe to those who went before us through the blood and suffering of the Revolution. And I am willing - perfectly willing - to lay down all my joys in this life, to help maintain this government, and to pay that debt.

Sarah, my love for you is deathless, it seems to bind me with mighty cables that nothing but omnipotence can break; and yet my love of Country comes over me like a strong wind and bears me irresistibly with all those chains to the battlefield. The memory of all the blissful moments I have enjoyed with you come crowding over me, and I feel most deeply grateful to God and you, that I have enjoyed them for so long. And how hard it is for me to give them up and burn to ashes the hopes and future years, when, God willing, we might still have lived and loved together, and see our boys grown up to honorable manhood around us.

If I do not return, my dear Sarah, never forget how much I loved you, nor that when my last breath escapes me on the battle field, it will whisper your name...

Forgive my many faults, and the many pains I have caused you. How thoughtless, how foolish I have sometimes been!...

But, 0 Sarah, if the dead can come back to this earth and flit unseen around those they love, I shall always be with you, in the brightest day and in the darkest night... always, always. And when the soft breeze fans your cheek, it shall be my breath, or the cool air your throbbing temple, it shall be my spirit passing by.

Sarah do not mourn me dead; think I am gone and wait for me, for we shall meet again...

Sullivan Ballou was killed a week later at the 1st Battle of Bull Run.

 

[WT]

KeithTalent, close but no cigar !

Clash - Rebel Waltz:

I slept as I dreamed of a time long ago
I saw an army of rebels dancing on air
I dreamed as I slept, I could see the campfires
A song of the battle, that was born in the flames
And the rebels were waltzing on air

I danced with a girl to the tune of a waltz
That was written to be danced on the battlefield
I danced to the song of a voice of a girl
A voice that called ?Stand till we fall
We stand till all the boys fall?

As we danced came the news that the war was not won
Five armies were coming with carriage and gun
Throught the heart of the camp swept the news from the front
A cloud crossed the moon, a child cried for food
We knew the war could not be won

So we danced with the rifle, to the rhythm of the gun
In a glade through the trees I saw my only one
Then the earth seemed to rise hell hot as the sun
The soldiers were dying, there was a tune to the sighing
The song was an old rebel one

As the smoke of our hopes rose high from the field
My eyes played tricks through the moon and the trees
I slept as I dreamed I saw the army rise
A voice began to call, ?Stand till you fall?
The tune was an old rebel one

 

[Delita]

I really enjoy Requiem for a Soldier and Story of a Soldier

Requiem for a Soldier was originally for "Band of Brothers" and the lyrics were done afterwards. It is sung by Katherine Jenkins. Story of a Soldier is Ennio Morricone's song from "The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly."

 

[WT]

Ohhh, another good one from my earlier years: 'Disposable Heroes' by Metallica (for the headbanger crowd).

 

[Perknose]

Originally posted by: chuckywang

Originally posted by: Perknose

Best War Song: And The Band Played Waltzing Matilda

Best War Poem: Dulce Et Decorum Est :brokenheart:

Eric Bogle's original version is best.

Well, he did write it, and I've heard him do it -- very emotional -- but I thought the "slide show" hisotrical accompaniment to this version (not bad at all and done by the Pogues, btw), was also pretty damn moving.

 

[Perknose]

Originally posted by: chuckywang

Originally posted by: Perknose

Best War Song: And The Band Played Waltzing Matilda

Best War Poem: Dulce Et Decorum Est :brokenheart:

Eric Bogle's original version is best.

Well, he did write it, and I've heard him do it -- very emotional -- but I thought the "slide show" hisotrical accompaniment to this version (not bad at all and done by the Pogues, btw), was also pretty damn moving.

 

[JeffreyLebowski]

Originally posted by: Cold Steel
The Minstrel Boy to the war is gone
In the ranks of death you will find him;
His father's sword he hath girded on,
And his wild harp slung behind him;"
Land of Song!" said the warrior bard,
"Tho' all the world betrays thee,
One sword, at least, thy rights shall guard,
One faithful harp shall praise thee!"

The Minstrel fell! But the foeman's chain
Could not bring that proud soul under;
The harp he lov'd ne'er spoke again,
For he tore its chords asunder;
And said "No chains shall sully thee,
Thou soul of love and brav'ry!
Thy songs were made for the pure and free,
They shall never sound in slavery!"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RJudJ9S579A

 

[StinkyPinky]

Waltzing Matilda

When I was a young man I carried my pack
And I lived the free life of a rover
From the Murrays green basin to the dusty outback
I waltzed my Matilda all over
Then in nineteen fifteen my country said Son
It's time to stop rambling 'cause there's work to be done
So they gave me a tin hat and they gave me a gun
And they sent me away to the war
And the band played Waltzing Matilda
As we sailed away from the quay
And amidst all the tears and the shouts and the cheers
We sailed off to Gallipoli

How well I remember that terrible day
How the blood stained the sand and the water
And how in that hell that they called Suvla Bay
We were butchered like lambs at the slaughter
Johnny Turk he was ready, he primed himself well
He chased us with bullets, he rained us with shells
And in five minutes flat he'd blown us all to hell
Nearly blew us right back to Australia
But the band played Waltzing Matilda
As we stopped to bury our slain
We buried ours and the Turks buried theirs
Then we started all over again

Now those that were left, well we tried to survive
In a mad world of blood, death and fire
And for ten weary weeks I kept myself alive
But around me the corpses piled higher
Then a big Turkish shell knocked me arse over tit
And when I woke up in my hospital bed
And saw what it had done, I wished I was dead
Never knew there were worse things than dying
For no more I'll go waltzing Matilda
All around the green bush far and near
For to hump tent and pegs, a man needs two legs
No more waltzing Matilda for me

So they collected the cripples, the wounded, the maimed
And they shipped us back home to Australia
The armless, the legless, the blind, the insane
Those proud wounded heroes of Suvla
And as our ship pulled into Circular Quay
I looked at the place where my legs used to be
And thank Christ there was nobody waiting for me
To grieve and 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 turned all their faces away

And now every April I sit on my porch
And I watch the parade pass before me
And I watch my old comrades, how proudly they march
Reliving old dreams of past glory
And the old men march slowly, all bent, stiff and sore
The forgotten 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 answer to the call
But year after year their numbers get fewer
Some day 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 you pass the Billabong
Who'll come-a-waltzing Matilda with me?

Powerful

 

[Perknose]

Originally posted by: StinkyPinky

Waltzing Matilda

When I was a young man I carried my pack
And I lived the free life of a rover
From the Murrays green basin to the dusty outback
I waltzed my Matilda all over
Then in nineteen fifteen my country said Son
It's time to stop rambling 'cause there's work to be done
So they gave me a tin hat and they gave me a gun
And they sent me away to the war
And the band played Waltzing Matilda
As we sailed away from the quay
And amidst all the tears and the shouts and the cheers
We sailed off to Gallipoli

How well I remember that terrible day
How the blood stained the sand and the water
And how in that hell that they called Suvla Bay
We were butchered like lambs at the slaughter
Johnny Turk he was ready, he primed himself well
He chased us with bullets, he rained us with shells
And in five minutes flat he'd blown us all to hell
Nearly blew us right back to Australia
But the band played Waltzing Matilda
As we stopped to bury our slain
We buried ours and the Turks buried theirs
Then we started all over again

Now those that were left, well we tried to survive
In a mad world of blood, death and fire
And for ten weary weeks I kept myself alive
But around me the corpses piled higher
Then a big Turkish shell knocked me arse over tit
And when I woke up in my hospital bed
And saw what it had done, I wished I was dead
Never knew there were worse things than dying
For no more I'll go waltzing Matilda
All around the green bush far and near
For to hump tent and pegs, a man needs two legs
No more waltzing Matilda for me

So they collected the cripples, the wounded, the maimed
And they shipped us back home to Australia
The armless, the legless, the blind, the insane
Those proud wounded heroes of Suvla
And as our ship pulled into Circular Quay
I looked at the place where my legs used to be
And thank Christ there was nobody waiting for me
To grieve and 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 turned all their faces away

And now every April I sit on my porch
And I watch the parade pass before me
And I watch my old comrades, how proudly they march
Reliving old dreams of past glory
And the old men march slowly, all bent, stiff and sore
The forgotten 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 answer to the call
But year after year their numbers get fewer
Some day 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 you pass the Billabong
Who'll come-a-waltzing Matilda with me?

Powerful

Yup. It was my choice, too. But the song is called "And The Band Played Waltzing Matilda", which references a completely differnent, non-war but very famous Aussie song called "Waltzing Matilda".

Edit: You can listen to the song by clicking the link in my OP.

 

[HamburgerBoy]

Artillery - Bombfood

 

[RossGr]

Song: Ambush by Harry Nilsson

The lamp that lights the way
Is a light from yesterday.
The drum which leads the way
Is a sound from yesterday.

The road is filled with shadows
Of a million, living leaves.
Darkness all around us
And not a friend in sight.

We sang a song together
To help us through the night.
The song was sung with spirit
But soft, and like a choir.

And as the others sang along,
Our voices lifted higher.
We sang until we reached the bridge
We crossed, then saw the wire.

But by the time we stopped the song,
The enemy had opened fire.

Now, we ain't gonna sing that song no more
Ain't gonna sing that song no more.
Just don't pay to sing no more
Especially when you're in a war. A war.

Now, this time through,
We want everybody to listen to the punchline
All right. All right. All right! All right!

The song was sung with spirit
But soft and like a choir.
But by the time we stopped the song,
The enemy had opened fire.

Now, we ain't gonna sing that song no more.
Ain't gonna sing that song no more.
Just don't pay to sing no more.
Especially when you're in a war.

 

[stephenw22]

Poem -

The Death of the Ball Turret Gunner
by Randall Jarrell

From my mother's sleep I fell into the State,
And I hunched in its belly till my wet fur froze.
Six miles from earth, loosed from its dream of life,
I woke to black flak and the nightmare fighters.
When I died they washed me out of the turret with a hose.

 

[jagec]

I think that war, stories of war, and thoughts of war seem to affect men more than women.

I was basically raised by hippies, I think that in most cases "honor" and "glory" are words that old men sitting behind desks use to inspire young men to die for their petty interests, and I think that war is almost always an ugly, grotesque thing.

And yet....

Watching war movies, listening to music about it, reading historical accounts and letters, and thinking about it stirs feelings in me that little else can. The sheer magnitude of the thing, the titanic forces that are unleashed, the overwhelming chaos, the driving need that compells each soldier onward...I can't say that I don't understand completely, or that I couldn't bring myself to fight given the right circumstances. It would probably break my mother's heart to hear it, but even a smart, cynical nonconfrontationalist like myself could bow his neck to the yoke, put on a uniform, march and shiver and duck for cover, fight bitterly, and even die, for a Cause.

As in Patton's quote: "Compared to war, all other forms of human endeavor shrink to insignificance."

Is this just part and parcel of the Y chromosome? Or is it society which has somehow sunk this message into me despite all opposing influences?

Back on topic...I actually quite like the "Battle Hymn of the Republic", especially because of the history behind it.

But it has to be the FULL version, and I hate, hate, hate when people change "let us DIE to make men free" (as befits a military song) to "let us live to make men free".

 

[dbk]

The Star-Spangled Banner :flag;

 

[mugs]

Originally posted by: GagHalfrunt
<snip charge of the light brigade>

My favorite poem. :thumbsup:

My second favorite poem (in general, not about war) is Richard Cory

Favorite war song is For What It's Worth by Buffalo Springfield.