It’s a Long Way to Tipperary
Posted in Popular Song, Farewells on Jul 28th, 2009 No Comments »
In my last post I talked of my grandfather’s experiences in the First World War - or Great War as it was known to his generation - on the occasion of, what would have been, his 110th birthday. Two days later, Harry Patch, the last of all the Tommies, died at the age of 111.
Among the songs my grandfather used to whistle and sing, were the old soldier songs from that war. ‘Pack Up Your Toubles’ used to puzzle me with its line ‘while you’ve a Lucifer to light your fag’. Till he told me a Lucifer was a match. And this most famous of all the songs the Tommies sang - ‘Tipperary’.
These songs are hard wired into the English psyche. I used to sing them to my children when they were small, to send them to sleep. It’s now hard wired into them too.
So in memory of Harry Patch, my grandfather and all the Tommies here is John McCormack singing ‘Tipperary’.
