Bless 'Em All
Encyclopedia
"Bless 'Em All" is a war song
credited to have been written by Fred Godfrey
in 1917 and first recorded by George Formby, Jr. in 1940.
at Dunkirk during the First World War, recalling in a 1941 letter to the Daily Mirror: "I wrote “Bless ’Em All” while serving in the old R.N.A.S. in France
in 1916. And, furthermore, it wasn’t "Bless.'" Although the song is credited to him, it is unclear if he actually wrote the lyrics, and his service record indicates that he joined RNAS January 1917. Les Cleveland (1984) writes that a version of the song titled Fuck 'Em All was a popular protest song by airmen serving on India
's North West Frontier during the 1920s, and may have originated from there. It later gained popularity among British and Commonwealth troops during the Second World War, and with a change of lyrics became a patriotic tune after being performed by singers such as Gracie Fields
. It was also recorded by George Formby
and others.
Bless 'em all.
The long and the short and the tall,
Bless all those Sergeant
s and WO1
's,
Bless all those Corporal
s and their blinkin'/bleedin' sons,
Cos' were saying goodbye to 'em all.
And back to their Billet
s they crawl,
You'll get no promotion this side of the ocean,
So cheer up my lads bless 'em all
film The Long and the Short and the Tall.
The song was also heard as a snippet in Guadalcanal Diary [1943], sung by the marines on the island.
The song is featured in the film "Chain Lightning" with Humphrey Bogart, released in 1950.
An instrumental version was also heard in the 1955 Clark Gable - Lana Turner movie, "Betrayed".
Fuck 'Em All is heard in the 2007 film Atonement
being sung by soldiers as they wait to be evacuated From Dunkirk.
War song
A war song is a musical composition that relates to war, or a society's attitudes towards war. They may be pro-war, anti-war, or simply a description of everyday life during war times....
credited to have been written by Fred Godfrey
Fred Godfrey
Fred Godfrey was the pen name of Llewellyn Williams, a World War II songwriter...
in 1917 and first recorded by George Formby, Jr. in 1940.
Background
Godfrey claimed to have thought up the lyrics for the song while serving with the Royal Naval Air ServiceRoyal Naval Air Service
The Royal Naval Air Service or RNAS was the air arm of the Royal Navy until near the end of the First World War, when it merged with the British Army's Royal Flying Corps to form a new service , the Royal Air Force...
at Dunkirk during the First World War, recalling in a 1941 letter to the Daily Mirror: "I wrote “Bless ’Em All” while serving in the old R.N.A.S. in France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
in 1916. And, furthermore, it wasn’t "Bless.'" Although the song is credited to him, it is unclear if he actually wrote the lyrics, and his service record indicates that he joined RNAS January 1917. Les Cleveland (1984) writes that a version of the song titled Fuck 'Em All was a popular protest song by airmen serving on India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
's North West Frontier during the 1920s, and may have originated from there. It later gained popularity among British and Commonwealth troops during the Second World War, and with a change of lyrics became a patriotic tune after being performed by singers such as Gracie Fields
Gracie Fields
Dame Gracie Fields, DBE , was an English-born, later Italian-based actress, singer and comedienne and star of both cinema and music hall.-Early life:...
. It was also recorded by George Formby
George Formby
George Formby, OBE , born George Hoy Booth, was a British comedy actor, singer-songwriter, and comedian. He sang light, comical songs, accompanying himself on the banjo ukulele or banjolele...
and others.
Lyrics
Bless 'em all,Bless 'em all.
The long and the short and the tall,
Bless all those Sergeant
Sergeant
Sergeant is a rank used in some form by most militaries, police forces, and other uniformed organizations around the world. Its origins are the Latin serviens, "one who serves", through the French term Sergent....
s and WO1
Warrant Officer
A warrant officer is an officer in a military organization who is designated an officer by a warrant, as distinguished from a commissioned officer who is designated an officer by a commission, or from non-commissioned officer who is designated an officer by virtue of seniority.The rank was first...
's,
Bless all those Corporal
Corporal
Corporal is a rank in use in some form by most militaries and by some police forces or other uniformed organizations. It is usually equivalent to NATO Rank Code OR-4....
s and their blinkin'/bleedin' sons,
Cos' were saying goodbye to 'em all.
And back to their Billet
Billet
A billet is a term for living quarters to which a soldier is assigned to sleep. Historically, it referred to a private dwelling that was required to accept the soldier....
s they crawl,
You'll get no promotion this side of the ocean,
So cheer up my lads bless 'em all
Film use
The song was used as the title theme to the 19611961 in film
The year 1961 in film involved some significant events, with West Side Story winning 10 Academy Awards.-Top grossing films : After theatrical re-issue- Awards :Academy Awards:* Atlantis, the Lost ContinentB...
film The Long and the Short and the Tall.
The song was also heard as a snippet in Guadalcanal Diary [1943], sung by the marines on the island.
The song is featured in the film "Chain Lightning" with Humphrey Bogart, released in 1950.
An instrumental version was also heard in the 1955 Clark Gable - Lana Turner movie, "Betrayed".
Fuck 'Em All is heard in the 2007 film Atonement
Atonement (film)
Atonement is a 2007 British romantic suspense war film directed by Joe Wright. It is a film adaptation of the 2001 novel of the same name by Ian McEwan. The film stars James McAvoy, Keira Knightley, and Saoirse Ronan. It was produced by Working Title Films and filmed throughout the summer of 2006...
being sung by soldiers as they wait to be evacuated From Dunkirk.
External links
- Bless ’Em All page from Bless ’Em All: The Songs of Fred Godfrey