Onward Conscript Soldiers
1966 · Not On Label · Australia
- Artist
- Unknown Artist
- Title
- Onward Conscript Soldiers
- Release
- Unreleased
- Year
- 1966
- Label
- Not On Label
- Format
- Unreleased · Unreleased
- Language
- English
- Country
- Australia
- Genre
- Folk · Contemporary Folk
- Primary theme
- Peace, Protest & Anti-War
Lyrics
English: Onward conscript soldiers / Marching as to war / The comrades you are leaving / Were lucky in the draw / Fight like Christian soldiers / It's okay with God / The past you tread, ten million dead / In ages past have trod / Onward then ye conscripts / On to Viet-nam / Why and what you're there for / You could not care a damn / Slay the yellow heathens / Burn their fields of rice / But by this feat we'll send them wheat / At twice the normal price / Earth's foundations quiver / To bombs on Viet-nam / A full class dress rehearsal / For Mao and Uncle Sam / Flourish freedom's banners / Praise dictator Ky / One in faith and politics / And in democracy / Onward conscript soldiers / Through the smoke and flame / Hide the cross of Jesus / Lest he blush with shame / Forward then ye conscripts / Fear not Holt nor Ming / And day by day with LBJ / Your requiem we'll sing
Notes
Anonymous, to the tune of "Onward Christian Soldiers"; read out in Federal Parliament on 21 April 1966 and printed in the book Conscription Yes or No. Printed in Ratbags & Rabblerousers.
Themes
Anti-War · Draft · Satire · Religion · LBJ · Harold Holt · Robert Menzies
From the release Unreleased
In collections
Australian & New Zealand Songs · Draft Songs · Peace, Protest, & Anti-War Songs [War Years]