It wouldn't be the Christmas season around here without a nod to the following ... a true story for those unfamiliar with the incident. Every now and then a little truth is nice among the fairy tales.
Does any one know if other countries and cultures produce such maudlin songs for their young and fit aggressors?
Did the Egyptians, Persians, Greeks and Romans sing weepy songs for their sons as they conquered to expand their respective empires? Did the British, Spanish, Germans, or Japanese?
I think that since the draft had ended these maudlin songs need to be replaced with either war protest songs humorous or raging, and true self pity songs.
Andy -- Just a footnote -- what you refer to as the song's "maudlin" notes refer to a real event that happened in real time to real people. This is not just touchy-feely treacle.
Sorta like Zen: there's the encouragement to "stop it" and then, by contrast, there is the actual-factual stopping it.
Andy -- "The Christmas truce was a series of widespread but unofficial ceasefires along the Western Front of World War I around Christmas 1914. The Christmas truce occurred during the relatively early period of the war. Wikipedia"
And yet, we keep doing it.
ReplyDeleteDoes any one know if other countries and cultures produce such maudlin songs for their young and fit aggressors?
ReplyDeleteDid the Egyptians, Persians, Greeks and Romans sing weepy songs for their sons as they conquered to expand their respective empires? Did the British, Spanish, Germans, or Japanese?
I think that since the draft had ended these maudlin songs need to be replaced with either war protest songs humorous or raging, and true self pity songs.
Andy -- Just a footnote -- what you refer to as the song's "maudlin" notes refer to a real event that happened in real time to real people. This is not just touchy-feely treacle.
ReplyDeleteSorta like Zen: there's the encouragement to "stop it" and then, by contrast, there is the actual-factual stopping it.
What incident?
DeleteAndy -- "The Christmas truce was a series of widespread but unofficial ceasefires along the Western Front of World War I around Christmas 1914. The Christmas truce occurred during the relatively early period of the war. Wikipedia"
ReplyDelete