Many of them tell of a soldier's homesickness for his native land. Others bring a message of optimism: this war will be over soon, and we'll all be back home. Another group expresses the emotions of those left at home, yearning for their loved ones to return safely. Then you've got the straightforwardly cheerful marching songs, such as 'Pack Up Your Troubles...'. Songs about war can express a wide range of emotions, from optimism and patriotism to, at times, a yearning sadness. Here are our ten best war songs, about the many sides of war.
Best war songs
1. Pack Up Your Troubles in Your Old Kit Bag
When the brothers and music hall stars George Henry Powell and Felix Powell first wrote this song, they thought it was “piffle” and abandoned it in a drawer marked 'duds'. But when, in 1915, they heard about a contest to find a marching song for the troops, they revisited it - and scored an overnight hit.
More than a century later, ’Pack Up Your Troubles’ is still one of the most emblematic British marching song of World War One. That's as much for its morale-boosting message about the importance of smiling and literally soldiering on, as for its simplicity.
Written in G major, it’s easily playable on a wide variety of instruments. Plus, its references to ‘kit bags’ and ‘lucifers’ (a match used for lighting cigarettes) would have struck a chord with regular soldiers, who would have been very familiar with these items. The song continues to earn royalties to this day.
2. It’s a Long Way to Tipperary
First performed in 1912 by Jack Judge, the Irish music hall song 'It's a long way to Tipperary' is up there with ‘Pack up Your Troubles’ in terms of fame. Its message, however, is quite different, focusing on a yearning for home - in this case, the Irish town of Tipperary, where Judge’s grandparents came from.
The song was recorded by Irish tenor John McCormack in November 1914, which helped secure its worldwide popularity. Since then it has been covered by artists ranging from Julie Andrews to Tiny Tim. Such is the song’s continuing popularity that welcoming signs in Tipperary still read "You've come a long way.”
3. We’ll Meet Again
This song, sung by the legendary Vera Lynn during Word War Two, is more plaintive than ‘Pack up your Troubles’, but its message is the same: keep smiling through.
Dame Vera Lynn’s signature song captured the optimism of wartime Britain when the singer recorded it in 1939. Though very much a product of its time, the song had something of a renaissance during the pandemic in 2020, thanks to the Queen. In her television address to the nation, Elizabeth referenced its very human message: ‘We will be with our friends again. We will be with our families again. We will meet again.’
4. The White Cliffs of Dover
Another Vera Lynn classic here, this one written by Walter Kent following the Battle of Britain in 1940, when the Royal Air Force and German Luftwaffe had been fighting over southern England (hence the name).
At a time when neither America nor the Soviets had yet joined the war, 'The White Cliffs of Dover' boosted morale with its promise of a time when war would be over and peace would rule over the white cliffs. It still serves as a symbol of hope.
5. Lili Marlene
This is an unusual one, because it was sung by both sides of the conflict during the Second World War. Written in 1915 as a love poem by the German schoolteacher Hans Leip, 'Lili Marlene' first found popularity among the German forces after a recording of the song by the German singer-songwriter Lale Andersen was played on the radio in 1941.
But many Allied soldiers also made a point of listening to the song at the end of the day, not least Fitzroy Maclean (also a writer and politician). He described the song's effect in early 1942 during the Western Desert Campaign: ‘Husky, sensuous, nostalgic, sugar-sweet, her voice seemed to reach out to you, as she lingered over the catchy tune, the sickly sentimental words.’
More best war songs
6. Keep the Home Fires Burning
Like ‘It’s a Long Way to Tipperary’, Ivor Novello’s 1914 song speaks of homesickness.
There is a misconception that Ivor Novello's mother wrote the lyrics. In fact the real author was Novello’s friend and collaborator: the American lyricist Lena Guilbert Ford, who spent much of the war looking after soldiers in her home.
Sadly Ford and her 30-year-old son were killed during a German air raid in London, after their home in Warrington Crescent, Maida Vale was hit by one of 18 bombs that fell on the city on the night of 7/8 March 1918. But her legacy lives on the form of this cosy yet melancholic little song, which quickly became a hit, especially after being immortalised in a 1917 recording by the Irish tenor John McCormack - known to many as the Pavarotti of his day.
7. Kiss Me Goodnight Sergeant Major
With its focus on the the universal longing for tenderness and affection, this 1939 song offered a some kind of levity to those enduring the hardships of the Second World War. Though written by composer-lyricist duo Art Noel and Don Pelosi, it really owes its popularity to a recording by the beloved English comedian, actor and singer Arthur Askey. A former member of Royal Welch Fusiliers during the First World War, Askey was motivated by a deep sense of empathy for the serving soldiers.
8. When Johnny Comes Marching Home
Sung by both sides of the American Civil War, this song expresses the longing for the safe return of friends and relatives from combat. It was written by the Irish-American bandleader Patrick Gilmore who served during wartime as bandmaster for the 22nd New York Regiment.
Gilmore later acknowledged that the music was not original. He described it in this way in an 1883 article in the Musical Herald:
‘A musical waif which I happened to hear somebody humming in the early days of the rebellion, and taking a fancy to it, wrote it down, dressed it up, gave it a name, and rhymed it into usefulness for a special purpose suited to the times.’ Still, he recognised a winner when he heard it: the song continues to soar in popularity and to stand as a symbol of hope in troubled times.
Best war songs: two from World War II
9. Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy
Another World War II song here, this one from the other side of the pond. ‘Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy’ became an instant hit when it was first performed by the American close harmony swing group The Andrews Sisters in the 1941 comedy film, Buck Privates. Telling the story of a young boy who was drafted into the military, it painted a positive picture of war, thanks in large part to its perky rhythm and upbeat melody.
10. I’ll Be Home for Christmas
Although it was originally written to honour World War II soldiers overseas who longed to be home at Christmas time, this 1943 song by the American lyricist Kim Gannon and composer Walter Kent has gone on to become a Christmas staple. That said, it did have a bumpy time taking hold in the UK, where it was initially banned from broadcast by BBC managers, who believed that its lyrics might lower morale amongst British troops.
