Did soldiers sing in the trenches?
Yes, Soldiers used songs to bond and to relieve stress and anxiety at the front. They sang songs together in base camps, marches, and on the front lines.
Independent musical activities arose across military lines in response to the dedicated efforts of the appointed army song leaders to lead their men in song in order to combat boredom as soldiers awaited the next bombardment and to divert their attention away from the onslaught they were anxiously anticipating. In the trenches, songs from home were frequently sung.
There were wartime songs like It’s a Long, Long Way to Tipperary and Keep the Home Fires Burning, as well as many songs from modern music halls. Both sentimental ballads and irreverent ditties were popular.
In addition to songs from the home front, which were frequently sung in the trenches, many soldiers parodied them by adding new lyrics to the existing tunes.
