A British army song that became popular during ww1 My channel is dedicated to anthems, hymns and patriotic songs, here is the link to our discord server: / discord
@@Monkey12414 When was 9 or something, and I asked my brother for the meaning of gay, he told me this meaning of course And I screamed out loud, "I am very gay!!!" for everyone to hear in the restaurant...
I think there is gay in the song because in the past gay meant happy. So said my English teacher. Edit: Ok, I know this is a joke. I am just telling facts ok. Also, even I know its a joke, i dont really get it. Lol.
"It's a Long Way to Tipperary" is often associated with Ireland, but it's actually a song with strong ties to both Ireland and England. The song was written in 1912 by Jack Judge, an Englishman, and Harry Williams, who claimed to be from County Tipperary in Ireland. The song became popular during World War I and was sung by soldiers from both countries. Its catchy tune and sentimental lyrics made it a favorite among the troops, and it's now considered a classic wartime song associated with Irish and British heritage. "It's a Long Way to Tipperary" is often considered a British song because it gained widespread popularity and became an anthem for British soldiers during World War I. While one of its co-authors, Harry Williams, claimed Irish heritage and named the song after County Tipperary in Ireland, the song itself was written by Williams, an Englishman, and Jack Judge, another Englishman. During the war, the song was embraced by British soldiers who found comfort and solace in its lyrics. It was used to boost morale and maintain a sense of connection to home. As a result, it became strongly associated with the British military and is still considered a part of British musical heritage. While it has Irish elements, its popularity and significance in British wartime culture have led to its classification as a British song.
he actually wrote in it a town called stalybridge greater manchester - there is a statue of him outside the town hall and also a street called Judge street which has a night club on it called …… yep you guessed it - Judges 😊
'claimed to be from tipperary' most likely had heritage there. A huge amount of English people have Irish heritage, and had there not been British occupation the populations would've been comparable at 36 million (estimate) for Ireland and 55 million (current) for England. England today has 55m people and Ireland has 7. Ireland is the only country to have a smaller population today than in the 19th century. Liverpool, Glasgow, London(more recent, not due to british starvation of Ireland) and Boston, Newfoundland, Barbados, Chicago, and more all have significant Irish populations, mainly due to the British starvation, one of many, in the 1840s, but some are more recent, or some are further back. I like the english people though. I'd like yous even more if yous took inspiration from the French on the monarchy.
I’m from Tipperary and I didn’t know that this song existed until I went abroad and someone asked where I was from. I told them and they didn’t believe me… They proceeded to sing the entire chorus to me and then they said that they thought Tipperary wasn’t a real place. Also my current girlfriend who’s French, thought I was making fun of her when I first told her I was Irish. She thought Ireland was a myth like the lost city of Atlantis or something, lol. Went on like this for a good few weeks…
British: It's a long, long way to Tipperary but my heart is right here! Italians: May one flag reclaim us all! Germans: *I only know that if I die, the good mother will cry for me*
I’m British and I love my Irish brothers and all they have contributed to britain, I truly believe Britain and Ireland and the greatest nations in the world 🇬🇧🇮🇪
This was one of the first WW2 songs I learnt from watching Das Boot (1981), the atmosphere was always jolly in the movie when this song played but the movie ending...damn.
It's WWI but it could probably work for WWII (as long as you ignore the Irish bit, not many Irish fought in WWI, excluding NI, but Tipperary is in the republic
My first thought was 'Not as gay as Twilight.' I hate homophobia and no one is talking about Twilight anymore. So I have a childish sense of humour, and I'm out of touch.
My parents sung this along with world law songs when we were in bed in the 1960s so I know all these songs so well (and had a lifetime of pleasure as a solo and choral singer - so always sing to your children - it can be the start of so much)
Such a jolly song to sing while you’re crouching in a rat-infested, flooded, muddy trench as Germans barge at you with bayonets while machine guns are rattling away and artillery shells piercing the ground all around and men standing up suddenly falling with a hole in their face.
ToxiicWarfare 1. There’s different types of shells. 2. Please then, explain why the battlefields were covered in huge holes from artillery if you know so much.
I just barely got the joke assuming that British people have their own Monopoly where those are properties, but to any non-British person, this comment is very likely to make no sense, even though it's quite clever.
Gay back then meant happy. P.S. By saying what I said 4 years ago, I was clarifying to those who were confused about the meaning of 'gay' used in this song. I do not condone or agree with anti-LGBT+ replies to this comment, and am disappointed that some people seem to believe that I dislike the current usage of the word. Am I upset at having to edit this comment after over 4 years of leaving it unchanged? Maybe, but so be it.
One Sunday many many years ago an old flame shared this title with me on the steps of the Sunday school building. I have never forgotten either the flame or the piece. This is a very fine video and I am always happy to see the lyrics on the screen as it assists memory. Thank you for showing this piece. Bertha
The song was originally written as a lament from an Irish worker in London, missing his homeland, before it became a popular soldiers' marching song (Wikipedia) and the same happened to “Johnny I hardly knew you” which by changing the tempo became “when Johnny came marching home”
I actually get emotioned by this song because it makes me think about the Young solders that was fighting for their country and missed their home and their family. They shall never be forgotten
_Some context about the photographs_ *Photograph 1 at the Tower of London 1914* 0:08 - 1:01 2nd Scots Guards marching from the Tower of London in September 1914. Clue is the 'Beefeater' (more properly known as a Yeoman Warder; the Yeoman Warders being a Palace and Fortress Guard, still active in the present day, since 1485) looking at the marching column perpendicular, on the right. Judging by his many medals, I'm wondering if that is the _Ravenmaster_ of the Tower of London and the Yeomen Warders (?) Maybe it's simply enough, the Chief Warder of the Yeomen Warders. In any case, the sight of a 'Beefeater' as they are more colloquially and popularly called in the UK, is a dead give away for the location (though the architecture itself obviously indicates it is at the Tower of London as well, if you know what you're looking at) The 2nd Scots Guards then went to Lyndhurst in the New Forest, in Hampshire (Southern England, UK) for the formation of the 7th Division. After a bit of looking, I think this was photo taken on the *15th September 1914* based on some captions. This lines up with the fact that the 2nd Battalion/Bn Scots Guards arrived at the Belgian port-town of Zeebrugge, with the rest of 7th Division, on the 7th October 1914. They had been intended to reinforce the Belgian Army against the German Imperial Army smashing into Belgium, but by the time they had arrived, they could only help to cover the Belgian retreat as the Entente allies began the 'Race to the Sea', in which they managed to _just about_ hold on against the massive German invasion. 7th Division held out at Ypres with pretty much all that was left of the rest of the initial BEF. The First Battle of Ypres ending 22 November 1914. Their fellow Scots Guards of the 1st Battalion Scots Guards had already been in the *Battle of Mons* 23rd August 1914; the first battle the British fought in during the First World War, as part of the 1st Division which was under the command of Lieutenant General Samuel Holt Lomax (whom was fatally wounded in action in October 1914 at the First Battle of Ypres, being one of the most senior British officers to die on active service during the entire war; he was badly wounded by German artillery while commanding his troops from a château behind the lines, with half a dozen other officers killed) By the time the First Battle of Ypres had taken place, the 2nd Scots Guards were by then also engaged in front-line action, fighting at First Ypres as part of IV Corps, under command of Sir Henry Rawlinson (with substantive Major-General Thompson Capper, directly commanding the 7th Division of IV Corps; and the later to be knighted in the King's Birthday Honours of June 1919, Sir Harold Goodeve Ruggles-Brise, commanding the 2nd Scots Guards) Harold Ruggles-Brise was a Major-General, and on the 15th September 1914 (apparently the same day the photograph at the Tower of London was taken, which further reinforces this and makes a lot of sense) promoted to temporary Brigadier-General on the way to Belgium just prior to the First Battle of Ypres. He would later be promoted further as part of Haig's GHQ staff. He was injured - retrieved near death - at First Ypres but returned to action later in 1915. Major-General Thompson Capper fought until the Battle of Loos 1915, where he was mortally wounded by a sniper bullet that pierced both his lungs, while he was scouting out German field positions reconnoitring out in front of his troops alone. Field Marshal Sir John French, had led the British Expeditionary Force (all divisions sent, all corps, all battalions) from the Battle of Mons until the Battle of Loos, after which, he resigned (later titled the 1st Earl of Ypres) His handling of the British forces in the war by that juncture, had been greatly criticised, though this intensified after the Battle of Loos (25th September-8th October 1915) Field Marshall Douglas Haig replaced him (he was a vociferous rival and critic of John French) *Photograph 2 possibly Étaples (?)* 1:04 - 1:56 I'm not 100% sure with this one but if I were to guess, it could be the British Army/British Expeditionary Force encampments, training sites and munitions depots at Étaples (or Étaples-sur-Mer) in the Pas-de-Calais department in Northern France. Otherwise it might just be some artillery position. Étaples became the principal depot and transit camp for the British Expeditionary Force in France and also the point to which the wounded were transported. The field artillery guns in the foreground of the image _might_ be: - Ordnance QF 13-pounder - Ordnance QF 18-pounder In battles such as the Battle of Neuve Chapelle, the British QF 13 and 18 pounder guns were their primary artillery pieces, comparatively early on in the war 10th-13th March 1915. This might be what these are in the picture, going off that logic. Whatever they are they seem to have 14 spoke wheels, which is strange, because on the pictures of the guns most British WWI artillery of that middling size tend to have 12 spoke wheels. The barrels are above the wheels. *Photograph 3 a potentially staged or real action photo from 1917 or 1918, of maybe American or British soldiers* 1:58 - 3:03 There seems to be a little obscurity with this one whether the two soldiers pictured are British or American. Wikipedia seems to not know whether they are American or British: Wikipedia image: "At close grips2 jpeg2" (won't let me link the page, keeps deleting my comment) Caption reading: "photographed circa 1917-1918, published 1922" "LOC caption : "At close grips with the Hun, we bomb the corkshaffer's, etc." Two United States soldiers run past the remains of two German soldiers toward a bunker.” “Note that this may well be a staged propaganda image. Also note the British style webbing and possible SMLE rifle. It is possible that the men photographed in this image are in fact British, not American." Therefore I am not sure if those are British or American soldiers, though it seems to be a US Army photograph if nothing else. I thought from the webbing alone even before I researched the image that they were looking a lot more like British soldiers in 1908 Pattern British Army Webbing, wearing Brodie helmets etc. It's easy to get them mixed up because the US military was directly basing/or even literally _getting_ it's newer equipment from the British ones. The US Army rapidly expanded in the lead up to the USA's direct involvement in WWI, though it had to change from a very different army than it had been in say, 1900 or 1905. It was far smaller and far less well-organised before a huge overhaul going into WWI. British and French officers and advisors helped train up the AEF behind Anglo-French lines, in France, prior to them going into battle for the first time. From the nature of the running postures this picture does seem 'reimagined' so to speak. Sometimes it might be too dangerous, censored or difficult to follow the action, so reconstruction photos of what they did were made instead. This _might_ be one of them, but it's hard to tell. The dead German soldier on the ground is very real and the plume of white smoke in the background is clearly some kind of blast. It is possibly real though the camera is following immediately behind in what is claimed is an attack on a German position (the LOC/Library of Congress caption literally says, "At close grips with the Hun, we bomb the corkshaffer's, etc" after all) Both the Americans and British had long bayonets in this time, on their long rifles. The M1905 Pattern Bayonet for the US Army and the Pattern 1907 Bayonet for the British Army/BEF. This standard British and Empire bayonet used in WWI was 21& 3⁄4 inches (552.45 mm) long with a blade 17 inch (431.8 mm) long blade. The handle grip was the remaining 121.8 mm. A shallow fuller (a groove in the blade) was machined into both sides of the blade, 12 inches (304.8 mm) long and extending to within 3 inches (76.2 mm) of the tip. This was a sword bayonet really (which came with it's own scabbard; they didn't mess around) The M1905 bayonet the US troops used was 16 inches (40.6 cm) of steel blade and a 4-inch (10.16 cm) handle grip, so about the same size though the British bayonet looked more sword like by design. The combined length of the SMLE and Pattern 1907 bayonet was 5 feet 2 inches (157.48 cm) Although the average height for a male in the UK today is around 5 foot 9 inches (175.26 cm) tall, back then, it was 5 foot 2 inches tall. This means the SMLE with bayonet affixed, was as tall as the average soldier carrying it in 1914. The British sword bayonet was literally _designed to be used with SMLE rifles_ though I'll get to the rifles in a moment. The American bayonet was designed for the Springfield service rifle of the day similarly. Nominally the US standard service rifle/standard issue rifle of WWI was the M1903 Springfield. The main, British standard rifle in WWI (including more 1917 when the USA), was of course the SMLE. The 'Smelly' (SMLE; Short Magazine Lee-Enfield) was the successor of the Magazine Lee-Enfield. From the image, it does appear to be an SMLE at a glance. There is a notoriously elaborate array of different marks and variants of Lee-Enfield, though suffice it to say that several different kinds were used in WWI. On paper it might seem likely that if the soldier in the picture is carrying a Lee-Enfield, that he is armed with a Short Magazine Lee-Enfield Mk III/or III* (III star) However, complicating this further, is how the actual main rifle of the American Expeditionary Force (AEF) in 1917, was the so-called "M1917 Enfield", or "United States Rifle, calibre .30, Model of 1917"; an American modification and production of the .303-inch (7.7 mm) Pattern 1914 Enfield (P14) rifle (listed in British Service as Rifle No. 3)
Good to hear this song after many years...!The last was when I was a little girl towards the end of WW II whilst the British soldiers sang atop their army van through the street in front of my grandfather's house...in the times of British India!
Back in the early 00's, when I was about 4th-5th grade, I used to study English 3 times a week in a private school my parents insisted on paying for. Once a week we had this lovely music teacher come with her electric piano and teach our group authentic British songs. She gave us these little booklets full of songs similar to this one, so we could all sing along. Unfortunately, this song is the only one I still remember, but It is a great memory from my childhood. It somehow still pops up in my head from time to time 20 years later.
Last holidays I spent 2 weeks in London. Probably two of my greatest memories are when I made trips to the very centre of the city to see all these well-known places like Westminster or Buckingham Palace. Both times I began at the Underground station called Leicester Square. I would put on my headphones, play this song on Spotify and almost sing as I walked through these streets with high spirits. It was amazing to see these names on walls and signs - Leicester Square, Piccadilly, Strand - and hear them in this great song at the same time. I was enjoying the spirit of proud, imperial Britain and imagining soldiers waiting to depart This is truly a wonderful song. God save the King! God bless Britain! From a Polish friend
The Irish soldiers had no spirit of 'proud, imperial Britain'. They fought because they had no choice, and they thought they were fighting against a greater enemy.
@@tempejkl yes, and? This song was adopted by all British soldiers and this version is probably not performed by an Irishman. Besides, don’t generalise, think only about the author of the song
@@aspenlovelock8115 ummmm I don't know much about American ones.... But I know one....that is Gory gory what a helluva way to die.... And didn't find it happy I am sorry
Some British soldiers were captured by the Germans and were being marched to a camp and they sang this the German soldiers were so impressed because they were sending out a message that you may have caught us but you'll never break us it made the Germans respect the people we are.
In 2018 i was in a parade with a mix of veterans, service members and a marching band. We were a good 200 People marching with some more well drilled than others. The marching band started playing this song and little after little People starting to sing. Even the oldest most tired and poorly drilled straightened up and sang out loud. Sounded amazing
Cantava esta música no Liceu nas aulas de Inglês por uma professora muito participativa que tinha um repertório muito bom de canções populares inglesas.
This is to help you out and not make fun of your. I'm German. Love this song.* This army song has something that the others don't have. *This works when speaking through things like text but a formal way would be "I'm German and I love this song".
we used to sing this song in 1st or 2nd grade back in my class in Mozambique. It never left my mind. I feel such a strange feeling of nostalgia from it. I miss being a kid.
I‘m German, I‘m very proud of all soldiers all over the World. Doesn‘t matter if they fought for Germany or Britain. The soldiers were all human who fought for their Country.
1914: Gay means Happy 2000 and ahed: You know what would be nice if we changed each meaning of a word for no reason and there wont be any consequences.
BEAUTIFUL rendition--and the pictures are great too. Even after 100 years it's still as catchy and energizing as ever. It's an unpretentious little tune but there's no denying it carries a lot of force and conjures up enough mental images to fill a book with.
Best military song ever. It's about having your heart at home while you go away and fight, even if the song doesn't say that, it insinuates it. Tiperrary is where the most valuable things we have are. The current, weak generations do not deserve the sacrifice that these heroes made to provide us with so much comfort.
I am Argentine and from River Plate and all my life I have known that the River Plate anthem, composed in 1918, has this melody. River Plate anthem: your pleasant name: Link video, recorded in 1932 by Francisco Canaro's tango orchestra and on the album the song is named: "It's A Long Way To Tipperary" ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-Tgk0UUEkAjU.html
I remember there was an old article from the times actually talking about this song. Saying: "'Tipperary' may be less dignified, but it, and whatever else our soldiers may choose to sing will be dignified by their bravery, their gay patience, and their long suffering kindness... We would rather have their deeds than all the German songs in the world."
Two of my great great grandfathers fought in the British Army in WW1 one on the western front and one in Palestine and Gallipoli. God bless them and all who fought for their country 🇬🇧❤❤️
@@tempejkl I am proud of them and yes I agree Britain did do awful things, as did most great powers back then. They still did do some good things which I agree with but yes I know what Britain has done in the past and am not proud of those specific things.
imagine you're a solider during WW1 being in the trenches with your commander commanding you and your fellow soldiers, you hear soldiers yelling, screaming crying and mourning & crying for help, and then you suddenly hear an army singing "Its a long to Tipperary, it's a long way to go."
@@CaptainX2012 I'll give ya some context lmao, 3 months late but even so. The UK still controls 6 counties of ireland, and the other 26 belong to the republic of ireland. S O the 26 counties plus the 6 northern irish counties = one united Ireland.
Many many soldiers who fought in the great war for Britain fought obviously for the IRA. Apart from neing told it would be over soon and the money etc we were told by the British government that should we fight for them we will be given more autonomy. Of course it was a lie. We had to kill you fuckers before you would go.I regret any drop of Irish blood spilled helping our greatest tyrant.
@@jewberggoldstein7112 No not at all that is idiotic. No soldier of the British army from ww1 ever fought for the IRA because in the first place there was no IRA until the 1920s and in the second place they wouldn't have been fighting for Britain if they'd wanted independence.
There were definitely members of the IRA who fought in the British army. A huge amount of Irish soldiers who fought in the first world war joined the British army to show goodwill to Britain, in the hopes that it would guarantee home rule after the war, and others did it for money. They weren’t always trusted, but a fair few of them existed.
@@martinputt6421 Actually there are records of soldiers from world war 1 refusing medals of bravery for fighting for the UK, heading home after the war, and then appearing in arrest records for helping fight for independence in groups that became known as the old IRA. Also the connaught rangers, the ones who made this song famous, also famously got themselves executed for treason for trying to break free and return to ireland once they heard a civil war was starting.
@@frederickcubbins It was actually common, the connaught rangers who made this song famous, also held mutiny in 1920 in India when they heard civil war was breaking out in Ireland. The simple fact is, most were from the city and never experienced Britain or the British army in a negative way. They needed jobs, money and the UK was always making promises about free states and self governance. Things started to fall apart when the connaught rangers were had to kill innocent civillians in Dublin. The UK did a few cruel acts in a row, etc. If it was as you say, that people who joined the british army were british to the core, then very simply, why did they not fight harder to stay in the UK? why did the irish soldiers in the british army basically mutiny and revolt and put down their guns, and hand their barracks over to the free state? They had thousands of well trained troops in ireland, enough to put down some rebels, but they couldnt. Its very clear that they had no ill feelings to the UK but had their fill after world war 1 and none of their promises coming through.
no W-we Germany Got D R U N K And wanted more Beer When He *s e e s* Beer He Invades Belgium to Get Around *the* Maginot Line Full With CANNONS And German likes: no I use Trickters Gadget but Hans ZE ALLIES or Happy to Destroy US and *OH SHI-