Tim Giago: Singing the songs of war and patriotism

Monday, May 27, 2019  

It was one of those rare days when the sun shined in April. I was doing some work in the kitchen of our home and singing a little song that popped into my head.

“Chickaree chick, chala, chala, chickalaromi in a bananika, bawlika, walika can’t you see, chickaree chick is me” went the verse.

My wife was listening and she said, “You’re just making that up aren’t you?” I replied, “No, I’m not that musically inclined.”

I then told her that was one of the songs that came out during World War II. There were many songs back then with crazy lyrics and we think the kids of today have crazy music. In fact Chickaree Chick was a song that was number one on the musical charts in 1945 and it was sung by Sammy Kaye. Even the great vocalist Dinah Shore sang this song.

Because the war was a world war even songs from England and France made their way to America. La Vie En Rose, by Edith Piaf, and Vera Lynn’s White Cliffs of Dover were two great songs. A song by the Andrew Sisters, “I’ll be with you in apple blossom time” was imported to Europe and was a very popular song because of its sentiment.

And there were songs of war and patriotism abounding back then. It has always struck me that there were no great war songs that came out of the Korean War or the war in Vietnam. But during WWII there were several. In fact I don’t believe there were ever any songs related to Korea or Vietnam. We only heard the songs on Armed Forces Radio that were popular in the States at the time.

During WWII there was a song that came out after the United States Air Force started to drop bombs on Europe and Germany in particular. The aircraft artillery took a heavy toll on the bombers and many of them were shot down over Germany and others were banged up so badly that they barely made it back to England. So out of that chaos came a song that went; “Coming in on a wing and a prayer. Though there’s one motor gone we can still carry on, we’re coming home on a wing and a prayer.”

Another song went, “Praise the Lord and pass the ammunition, praise the Lord and pass the ammunition and we’ll all stay free.” There are still some of us old timers who vividly recall these songs of war.

Great songs came out of the Civil War and the War of 1812 like Battle Hymn of the Republic, “Mine eyes have seen the glory of the coming of the Lord.” And even the Star Spangled Banner.

And from World War I came patriotic songs by Irving Berlin. Like Over There; “The Yanks are coming, the Yanks are coming and it won’t be over ‘til it’s over, over there.” And “Pack up your troubles in your old kit bag and smile, smile, smile.” And the sentimental songs of any war like “Til we meet again.”

How many youngsters of today would know what was meant by the song, “Milkman, keep those bottles quiet?” Bottles? Everything today comes in plastic.

It seems that the Forgotten War, Korea, and the War in Vietnam never inspired any great song writers to visualize anything of glory or patriotism in those wars and so the songs never came.

Not even funny songs like Chickaree Chick, chala chala came out of those wars and so on this warm day in April I reverted to singing a song I learned from World War II.

The great songs of the World Wars came about because Americans really needed the inspiration and patriotism, and so what does that tell you about Korea and Vietnam? How many patriotic songs came out of the Gulf Wars? The war in Afghanistan is now in its 18th year, the longest war in American history so surely there should have been some songs of inspiration and patriotism out of that never ending war. Not! It seems the only songs that came of Vietnam were protest songs. Out of Korea, nothing, not even protest songs.

Some of you may recall a song by Barry Sadler called the Ballad of the Green Berets, but that song came out in 1966 before the mass buildup of troops in Vietnam. When he wrote that song there were only Green Berets in Vietnam training the Vietnamese soldiers and Barry was a Green Beret.

And so it goes!

Contact Tim Giago at najournalist1@gmail.com