WWII Week! (part 2)

Dear Muse,

It's one thing to sing songs that encourage people to go to war (see previous post). It's another thing to keep their spirits up when they're in the middle of fighting. The following WWII songs were created, I think, for that purpose.

Memorable World War II Songs, part 2

Songs for the Fighting Forces

1. "Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy" - The Andrews Sisters, Songs That Got Us Through WWII

One of the biggest hits the Andrews Sisters ever had - and for good reason. You just wanna DANCE when you hear it!

Source: last.fm via Ariel on Pinterest

2. "Praise the Lord and Pass the Ammunition" - Kay Kyser, V-E Day 50th Anniversary Musical Memories

I think this song is funny: it combines the relatively peaceful idea of praising the Lord with the warlike notion of loading up to blast the enemy away. Actually, it hardly touches on God at all - the message is more about "continue to fight to achieve the ultimate goal of peace and liberty" (chipperly, I might add).

Source: history.com via Ariel on Pinterest

3. "Oh, How I Hate to Get Up in the Morning" - Irving Berlin, Broadway: The American Musical

This lighthearted criticism of life in the army has rather an interesting history. Irving Berlin actually wrote it long before WWII, as part of his 1918 show Yip, Yip, Yaphank. Having been drafted into the army that year, Berlin made the song his personal protest against "the indignities of Army routine"(see Wikipedia article).  He later adapted it for his 1942 play This Is the Army, a morale-booster for WWII combatants. In both the play and the Warner Bros. musical movie that came out a year later, he sang the song himself. If "Hate to Get Up in the Morning" could illustrate WWI and WWII Army life equally well, what does that say about Army morale overall?

Source: reaganrecord.com via Ariel on Pinterest

To be continued!