“That Crazy War”
Description
Singer, drafted into World War I, humorously describes awful experiences, saying everyone (including him) was just trying to avoid getting shot "in that war, that crazy war." In one version, he says that if there's another war he'll be hard to find.
Notes
This song seems to have been adapted to fit almost every war in existence. It is fitting, though, that it apparently comes from World War I -- the stupidest, most wasteful conflict of them all.
Some of the versions in Brown hint that this ended up mixing with "Battleship of Maine," and Roud apparently lumps them. - RBW
Historical references
- 1914 - World War I begins in Europe
- 1917 - U.S. enters World War I
Cross references
- cf. "Battleship of Maine" (lyrics)
Recordings
- Lulu Belle & Scotty, "That Crazy War" (OKeh 06103, 1941)
- New Lost City Ramblers, "The Crazy War" (on NLCREP2)
- Jimmy Yates & His Boll Weevils, "Bloody War" (Victor V-40065, 1929)
References
- Cohen/Seeger/Wood, p. 102, "That Crazy War" (1 text, 1 tune)
- Silber-FSWB, p. 275, "That Crazy War" (1 text)
- BrownII 239, "That Bloody War" (4 texts, of which "C" and "D," both short, probably belong here; "A" and "B" are "Battleship of Maine")
- DT, CRAZYWAR*
- Roud #779
- BI, CSW102