First World War.com - Vintage Audio - Oh! It's A Lovely War!

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Sheet music illustration for "Oh! It's a Lovely War!" Vintage Audio: Oh! It's A Lovely War!
Updated - Sunday, 10 November, 2002

Reproduced below are the lyrics to the popular 1917 music hall ditty Oh! It's A Lovely War!, penned by J.P. Long and M. Scott.

Somewhat satirical it quickly established itself as a soldier's favourite. Two versions of the song are available here: the first (click here, MP3 format 683kb) was performed by Courtland and Jeffries in 1918; the second (click here, MP3 format 172kb) was rendered by the Jolly Old Fellows in 1930.

Oh! It's a Lovely War!

Chorus
Oh, oh, oh it's a lovely war.
Who wouldn't be a soldier, eh? Oh it's a shame to take the pay.
As soon as reveille has gone we feel just as heavy as lead,
but we never get up till the sergeant brings our breakfast up to bed.
Oh, oh, oh, it's a lovely war.

What do we want with eggs and ham when we've got plum and apple jam?
Form fours. Right turn. How shall we spend the money we earn?
Oh, oh, oh it's a lovely war.

When does a soldier grumble? When does he make a fuss?
No one is more contented in all the world than us.
Oh it's a cushy life, boys, really we love it so:
Once a fellow was sent on leave and simply refused to go.
Chorus

Come to the cookhouse door, boys, sniff the lovely stew.
Who is it says the colonel gets better grub than you?
Any complaints this morning? Do we complain? Not we.
What's the matter with lumps of onion floating around the tea?
Chorus

A "Dixie" (from the Hindi degci) was an army cooking pot.