Friday, 21 May 2010

The War of Fourteen-Eighteen



A musical interlude from Flanders and Swann. Thanks to Philip Lancaster for drawing my attention to it. Even the puzzled comments on YouTube from Americans (for whom the Great War must, presumably, be the war of seventeen-eighteen) are a delight.

Update: In the comments below, Philip Lancaster mentions the Georges Brassens original. So, compare and contrast:

Posted by Tim Kendall at 14:46
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6 comments:

  1. Victoria Janssen21 May 2010 at 15:32

    Neat! Thanks for the link!

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  2. Philip Lancaster21 May 2010 at 15:57

    I have discovered that it is not a F&S original but a translation of a song by the French songwriter George Brassens, 'La Guerre De 14 18'

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  3. Philip Lancaster21 May 2010 at 16:00

    ...although it has been Flanders and Swann'd in being substantially rewritten in their very free 'translation' of the original!

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  4. Ed Leimbacher21 May 2010 at 18:04

    Okay, I'll rise to the bait: American to the cor(e)(ps)(pse), you have me stumped. What is "the war of seventeen-eighteen"? If that signifies the so-called War of the Quadruple Alliance, it meant very little to us (U.S.), as only Florida had any direct involvement, I believe, and that minor action was in 1719. I'd say that "the Great War" for us would be the Civil War/War Between the States/War of the Southern Secession, or whatever the hell you choose to call it. But of course a few of us (U.S.) benighted (and unbeknighted) folk have heard of that Great War over the Pond; even had a few involved in it, if memory serves...

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  5. Ed Leimbacher21 May 2010 at 21:40

    Prosaic P.S.--Of course you meant 1917-18, but I was too busy playing benighted patriot. Not the first time I've been foolish in print!

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  6. Tim Kendall22 May 2010 at 20:16

    Thanks, everyone. Please see the update above: the Brassens original.

    ReplyDelete

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