115:
The origin of the song is not entirely clear. The song is said to have been written by Fred
Godfrey set to music by Robert Kewley, although it is likely that the song existed earlier in various forms in all divisions of the British military. These early versions, instead of "bless 'em all", had "rob
138:
in 1916. And, furthermore, it wasn't 'Bless'." However, questions remain if he actually wrote the lyrics as he claimed, furthermore his service record indicates that he only joined RNAS in
January 1917. It has been suggested that Godfrey took an older song and changed one crucial word.
154:
who were interviewed by author Lewis
Winstock indicated that the song was already current in the last decade of the 19th century. It has been proposed that the song was adapted from a folk song and first became popular among British servicemen in India in the 1880s.
588:. Bunting led everyone in "an old British-army or service-person-overseas kind of song where everybody gets screwed." Hjortsberg calls it "Troop Ships Are Leaving Bombay," the first line of Formby's original lyric.
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who were blamed for the shortages and rationing. The line "the long and the short and the tall" had particular sarcastic resonance because De Valera was tall while McEntee was very short.
91:
in 1917 set to music composed by Robert Kewley, however, early versions of the song may have existed amongst
British military personnel in the 1880s in India. It was first recorded by
300:). The song was a reaction to the widespread rationing of tea, sugar, tobacco and other goods due to the drastic drop in imports, particularly from Britain. It poked fun at Ireland's
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116:'em all", "sod 'em all", or "fuck 'em all" as the recurrent phrase in the lyrics. Godfrey said that he thought up the lyrics for the song while serving with the
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among others. These songs were based on an arrangement by Jimmy Hughes and Frank Lake. Some sources credited the song to Jimmy Hughes, Frank Lake and
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A satirical version of the song became very popular in
Ireland during the Second World War (known in The Republic of Ireland as
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Les
Cleveland (1984) writes that a version of the song titled "Fuck 'Em All" was a popular protest song by airmen serving on
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427:, released in 1950. It is sung twice, and the melody is used as instrumental backing for the film's climax. As with
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sings a few lines of the song in the final seconds of the season one episode "Success Story" of the TV show
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the song is sung by members of the crew and is used in an instrumental version as part of the score.
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A variation with lyrics "Ring them all, Ring them all" is used at the conclusion of
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You'll get no promotion this side of the ocean, so cheer up my lads, bless 'em all.
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You'll get no promotion this side of the ocean, so cheer up my lads, bless 'em all.
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There's many an airman has blighted his life through writing rude words on the wall.
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You'll get no promotion this side of the ocean, so cheer up my lads, bless 'em all.
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You'll get no promotion this side of the ocean, so cheer up my lads, bless 'em all.
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You'll get no promotion this side of the ocean, so cheer up my lads, bless 'em all.
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You'll get no promotion this side of the ocean, so cheer up my lads, bless 'em all.
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The song later gained popularity among
British and Commonwealth troops during the
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431:, the AFI Catalog credits the song to Jimmy Hughes, Frank Lake, and Al Stillman.
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There's many an airman just finishing his time, there's many a twerp signin' on.
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636:
What a Lovely War: British
Soldiers' Songs from the Boer War to the Present Day
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The song is heard as a snippet in the Red Cross
Service Club scene in the 1956
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817:"De Valera, black flour and the Emergency or, tings I lernt over de Christmas"
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They say there's a troopship just leavin' Bombay, bound for old
Blighty shore,
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Nobody knows what a twerp you have been, so cheer up my lads, bless 'em all.
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Now they say that the sergeant's a very nice chap, oh what a tale to tell.
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sang a song based on "Bless 'Em All" to commemorate their victory in the
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Ask him for leave on a Saturday night; he'll pay your fare home as well.
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in 1940, and it has been covered by a number of other artists including
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There's many a rookie has taken it in, hook, line, and sinker an' all.
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The song was sung and used as an instrumental theme in the 1941 film
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The song is heard being sung in the Officer's Club in the 1949 film
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by fans of various teams, but may be in the form of "Fuck 'Em All".
362:"Bless' Em All" is sung by the pilots of the Polish Brigade of the
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Heavily laden with time-expired men, bound for the land they adore.
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36:
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during the 1920s, and may have originated from there. However,
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The first verse of the song was sung in the propaganda film
134:: "I wrote 'Bless 'Em All' while serving in the old RNAS in
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The song was sung several times in the pub scene of a 1980
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Bless all the corp'rals and their blinkin'/bleedin' sons,
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Bless all the corp'rals and their blinkin'/bleedin' sons,
387:(1943), sung by the Marines on the island as well as
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released by the US and the UK in 1944 (at 40' 38").
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46:
35:
30:
722:"Soldiers' Songs: The Folklore of the Powerless"
232:They say if you work hard you'll get better pay.
897:from Bless ’Em All: The Songs of Fred Godfrey
458:An instrumental version is heard in the 1955
8:
334:The song was used as the title theme to the
236:Clean up your buttons and polish your boots,
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103:. It served as a patriotic song during the
498:being sung by soldiers as they wait to be
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492:"Fuck 'Em All" is heard in the 2007 film
665:Bless ’Em All: The Songs of Fred Godfrey
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626:
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946:Cultural depictions of Éamon de Valera
606:. The song continues to be used as a
511:Give My Regards to Broad Street (film)
353:The song is sung by the characters in
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281:'Cos we're sayin' goodbye to 'em all.
255:'Cos we're sayin' goodbye to 'em all.
221:'Cos we're sayin' goodbye to 'em all.
7:
870:. Andre Deutsch. pp. 137–139`.
584:, who'd been invited to read at the
541:episode "Echoes of the Mind Part I"
283:As back to their billets they crawl,
277:Bless all the sergeants and W.O. 1s,
275:The long and the short and the tall,
257:As back to their billets they crawl,
251:Bless all the sergeants and W.O. 1s,
249:The long and the short and the tall,
203:The long and the short and the tall,
128:, recalling in a 1941 letter to the
728:from the original on 14 August 2011
671:from the original on 27 August 2011
341:The Long and the Short and the Tall
77:The Long and the Short and the Tall
434:A version of the song was sung by
381:The song is heard as a snippet in
87:. The words have been credited to
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559:, set in England in World War II.
417:The song is featured in the film
238:Scrub out the barrack room floor.
219:and their blinkin'/bleedin' sons,
557:The Secret War of Jackie's Girls
545:listens to a record of the song.
449:The song is sung by the POWs in
19:For the 1948 British film, see
16:Song performed by George Formby
843:This Kind of War: The Classic
751:. Andre Deutsch. p. 138.
1:
936:Songs written by Fred Godfrey
693:Let's Do It: The Birth of Pop
804:AFI Catalog of Feature Films
782:AFI Catalog of Feature Films
724:. Buffalo State University.
412:AFI Catalog of Feature Films
234:We've heard all that before.
586:San Francisco Museum of Art
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639:. M. Joseph. p. 142.
444:Battle of Chosin Reservoir
374:In the 1943 Canadian film
170:. It was also recorded by
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868:Sing When You're Winning
815:O'Sullivan, Kevin (ndg)
749:Sing When You're Winning
366:in the 1942 comedy film
941:Songs about politicians
901:George Formby recording
720:Cleveland, Les (1984).
118:Royal Naval Air Service
500:evacuated from Dunkirk
356:Captains of the Clouds
926:Songs of World War II
866:Irwin, Colin (2006).
747:Irwin, Colin (2006).
696:. Faber & Faber.
690:Stanley, Bob (2022).
486:The Proud and Profane
436:United States Marines
921:Songs of World War I
661:"Bless 'Em All page"
633:Palmer, Roy (1990).
438:on the march to the
21:Bless 'Em All (film)
931:George Formby songs
798:Twelve O'Clock High
429:Twelve O'Clock High
399:Twelve O'Clock High
148:North West Frontier
895:Bless ’Em All page
822:2017-03-15 at the
578:Jubilee Hitchhiker
570:William Hjortsberg
440:Hungnam Evacuation
369:To Be Or Not To Be
315:In popular culture
152:Chelsea Pensioners
93:George Formby, Jr.
75:", also known as "
41:George Formby, Jr.
839:Fehrenbach, T. R.
827:Pue's Occurrences
604:1956 FA Cup Final
574:Richard Brautigan
529:All in the Family
452:The Colditz Story
384:Guadalcanal Diary
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131:Daily Mirror
129:
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89:Fred Godfrey
81:Fuck 'Em All
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63:Fred Godfrey
25:
732:7 September
675:7 September
464:Lana Turner
460:Clark Gable
408:Dean Jagger
227:they crawl,
180:Al Stillman
124:during the
916:1917 songs
910:Categories
845:Korean War
837:Lyrics in
615:References
564:Literature
518:Television
442:after the
120:(RNAS) at
495:Atonement
410:. In the
302:Taoiseach
217:corp'rals
207:Sergeants
168:Vera Lynn
101:Vera Lynn
820:Archived
726:Archived
669:Archived
598:Fans of
469:Betrayed
85:war song
83:", is a
847:History
841:(1963)
801:at the
779:at the
535:In the
455:(1954).
393:(1944).
359:(1942).
225:billets
211:W.O. 1s
122:Dunkirk
111:History
79:" and "
47:Written
874:
853:
755:
700:
643:
466:movie
186:Lyrics
136:France
593:Sport
483:film
423:with
402:with
338:film
320:Films
144:India
872:ISBN
851:ISBN
753:ISBN
734:2011
698:ISBN
677:2011
641:ISBN
509:'s "
479:and
406:and
336:1961
209:and
174:and
166:and
99:and
50:1917
37:Song
550:NBC
146:'s
39:by
912::
789:^
767:^
712:^
667:.
663:.
623:^
576:,
555:,
513:".
462:/
182:.
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532:.
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489:.
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71:"
23:.
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