A sample of some obscure – and maybe not obscure – tunes from my strange and off-the-wall collection.

Today’s selection(s):
Albert Farrington “Long Way To Tipperary” – 1915
Murray Johnson “Pack Up Your Troubles” – 1916

The guns fell silent at 11:00AM, November 11, 1918. Until 10:59AM, the battle raged on.
The Meuse–Argonne battle was the primary involvement of US troops in the war, lasting from Sept 1918 to 10:59, Nov 11.

Written for English music halls in 1912, it was adopted as a British marching song during WWI.

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.

The song was written in 1915 by George Powell under the pseudonym George Asaf. It was written as a morale booster, encouraging recruitment. Its popularity was such that it became a favored marching song for British troops in WWI.

Pack up your troubles in your old kit bag
And smile, smile, smile.
While you’ve a lucifer to light your fag
Smile boys, that’s the style
What’s the use of worrying
It never was worth while
So, pack up your troubles in your old kit bag
And smile, smile, smile.

Both songs are strongly identified with WWI although the popularity of both went well beyond the war and into the 21st century.