Friday 28 April 2006

Rum Sodomy and the lash

And on the topic of late posts and ANZAC Day
The Band Played Waltzing Matilda

The Pogues got this great anti-war ballad from Eric Bogle. It was originally recorded by June Tabor (who also recorded a version of the Pogues' "Lullaby of London" with the Oysterband on their "Freedom and Rain" cd).  The song "Waltzing Matilda
" is to Australians what "Danny Boy" is to Irish-Americans -- the definitive song of national identity. It is a fixture at most public functions.

"And amidst all the tears and the shouts and the cheers
We sailed off to Gallipoli"

Read more at this neat Pogues website
 
"Don't talk to me about naval tradition. It's nothing but rum, sodomy and the lash."
- Winston Churchill



3 comments:

Pryvett Rawgers said...

Hey Craig
Excellent post. You mentioned a few tings that are near and dear to my heart. First of all the song Waltzing Matilda, it is one of my favorites, it rips my guts out everytime I hear it. It truly captures the true cost and horror of war. Everytime I go to a pub and see a live singer, I always request it. A lot of the times the singer will refuse to play it because he says it will bring the crowd down. Come on folk singers the world is not all rum, sodomy, and the lash, you can not keep playing the F ing unicorn song.
Have you heard Volge's other WWI song called the Green Fields of France another tear jerker. Man that guy can write songs or what?
My fellow canadian John McCormack has a CD of war songs, he does the Matida song and others, including a spine chilling version of The Flowers of the Forest.
Thanks for mentioning ANZAC day. Lest We Forget.
As for the Pogues they are my absolute favorite band of all time. I was lucky enough to see them twice live in the heyday of Shane. A truly sublime experience.
As for sodomy in the navy, being an ex-army chap I believe it is true. You know long moonlight cruise and cramped quarters and all that. I believe that they do have the instances of cannibalism down to it's lowest p[ont in a long time. You think that they have never heard of spam.
It is funny how great minds think a like Keep up the good work and may the road always rise to meet ya.

The Pryvette

Craig said...

Thanks

me n Dax saw the 'Not Pogues" at Sydney the year before last with mcGowan. It was a really good gig.

Anyway cheers for the comment.

Pryvett Rawgers said...

Hey Craig & Co

Thank you for the kind reply and the link. I looked throught your site and I must say you are my type of people. I will put a link to youese guys right away.
I am sorry for mispelling the great Eric Bogle's name. I believe I had a belly full of that export swell you call Frosters and I also have a learning disability. Treat or trout!!! So they all added up to my mistake. Also my insurance agent is named Vogle,a freudian slip? I also gave you the wrong name of the can singer. His name is John McDermott. Man I can be such a putz sometimes.
Throught your site it became obvious that you guys are Aussies. Well it is great to meet some fellow wild colonial boys. I understand that Canada is a lot like Australia, but without the kangaroos. By the way is it true that 95% of all aussie males are named Bruce?
I am a big WWI buff and have always loved the elan, martial ability, and humour of the ANZACS. In the great war, I believe the Canadian corps and ANZACS were second to known. It took us colonials to get the British Empire out of the 3 wars they got themselves mixed up in.
It would be an honour to be a citizen of wrongtown and to write for you. I always seem to be doing the wrong thing anyways. Will I get payed with vegimite sandwiches, MMMMMM. Thanks again for everything and as they say in Canada ,Eh, keep your hockey stick on the ice.

Pryvette Rodgers

P.S. Could you please tell me how you guys had a winter olympic team, there is no snow down under, must be global warming or something.