1. 1. Songs with meaningsOh What a Lovely WarA musical
2. 2. What does tomean mean?
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4. 4. Lions led by donkeys?Lions led by donkeys is a phrase used by somepeople to describe the leadership of Britishsoldiers by incompetent generals during WorldWar I
5. 5. The TV series Blackadder Goes Forth
6. 6. The works of poetsWilfred Owen and Sigfried Sassoon
7. 7. The General Sigfried SassoonGood-morning, good-morning! the General saidWhen we met him last week on our way to the line.Now the soldiers he smiled at are most of 'em dead,And we're cursing his staff*1 for incompetentswine.He's a cheery old card, grunted Harry to JackAs they slogged up to Arras*2 with rifle and pack.But he did them both by his plan of attack. *1 The generals staff/officers at headquarters *2 A place in France where a battle was fought in 1917
8. 8. Oh What a Lovely War Devised by theatre workshop in 1963 An upbeat, nostalgic and humorous show Mixes elements of humour, with movingmoments of reflection on the loses of WWI Ties into the work of Bertolt Brecht, whowanted his audiences to critically reflect onperformances
9. 9. Oh Its a Lovely WarOh, 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 is gone,We feel just as heavy as lead,But we never get up till the sergeantBrings 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.
10. 10. Goodbye-eeBrother Bertie went awayTo do his bit the other dayWith a smile on his lipsAnd his Lieutenant pipsUpon his shoulders bright and gay.As the train moved out he said,Remember me to all the birds!And he wagg'd his pawAnd went away to warShouting out these perverted words:Goodbye-ee, goodbye-ee,Wipe the tear, baby dear, from your eye-ee!Tho' it's hard to part I know,I'll be tickled to death to go.Don't cry-ee, don't sigh-ee,There's a silver lining in the sky-ee,Bonsoir, old thing, cheer-i-o, chin, chin,Nap-poo, too-dle-oo,Goodbye-ee.
11. 11. Critiques of Oh What a Lovely War The show appealed to a varied cross section ofthe country and was well received by most However, some people argue that it (and warpoetry) unfairly suggests that the generalswere incompetent and gives audiences aninaccurate image of WWI Still divides opinion on its accuracy
12. 12. The meaning of these songs Nostalgia Acknowledging the sense of humour of thesoldiers To highlight the futility of WWI To encourage audiences to think/reflect onpeople of all nationalities caught up in war
13. 13. When this lousy war is overWhen this lousy war is over,No more soldiering for me,When I get my civvy clothes onOh how happy I shall be
14. 14. Oh What a Lovely WarWilmslow High School10th, 11th & 12th February 2015