And the Band Played Waltzing Matilda

Eric Bogle's masterful ballad about the ANZAC battle against the Turks at Suvla Bay during the ill-fated Gallipoli campaign. In my opinion, this is such a powerful anti-war song because it simultaneously illuminates the insanity of war while honoring the heroism of the soldiers who fight. Its fatalism is rooted in the post-war experiences of the song's main character, who survives to old age only to be confronted with young people who don't even know what the war was about. With this disconnect, the mindless repetition of the horrors of war are seen to be inevitable. Played by Mark Courtney, recorded at the Howling Coyote, Las Cruces, New Mexico, April, 2009.

Category:

Music

Tags:

• war
• anti-war
• protest
• waltzing matilda
• acoustic
• song
• guitar
• australia
• new zealand
• suvla
• gallipolli
• turkey
• anzac