Eric Bogle Music and the Great War

Eric Bogle has written many iconic songs that deal with the futility and waste of war. Two of these in particular âAnd the Band Played Waltzing Matildaâ and âNo Manâs Land (a. k. a. The Green Fields of France)â have been recorded numerous times in a dozen or more languages indicating the universality and power of their simple message. Bogleâs other compositions about the First World War give a voice to the voiceless prominence to the forgotten and personality to the anonymous as they interrogate the human experience celebrate its spirit and empathise with its suffering. This book examines Eric Bogleâs songs about the Great War within the geographies and socio-cultural contexts in which they were written and consumed. From Anzac Day in Australia and Turkey to the âThe Troublesâ in Northern Ireland and from small Aboriginal communities in the Coorong to the influence of prime ministers and rock stars on a world stage we are urged to contemplate the nature and importance of popular culture in shaping contemporary notions of history and national identity. It is entirely appropriate that we do so through the words of an artist who Melody Maker described as âthe most important songwriter of our timeâ. . Language: English