| dbo:abstract
|
- "Two Little Boys" is a song written by American composer Theodore F. Morse and lyricist Edward Madden. It was written in 1902 and became a popular music hall song of the time, especially by Scottish singer Harry Lauder. It describes the story of two boys who grow up to fight in a war. The incident described in the song almost certainly refers to an incident in the Boer War, in March or April 1900, described in a book written about the war by two members of an English volunteer regiment published in 1902. The incident is described on page 60, and involved members of the Australian contingent. "It was during one of these patrols that the Boers, lying in wait for the Australians, fired into them, killing one of their horses; the dismounted man sprang up behind a comrade and galloped away pursued by the Boers. Suddenly in front appeared a strong barbed wire boundary fence, five or six strands high. The Boers made sure of their prey; but the Australians, riding without hesitation at the wire, cleared it, every one of them, the horse carrying two men as gallantly as the rest. Needless to say, these were no Cape ponies or Argentines, but fine Australian horses; indeed it was impossible not to be filled with admiration at the way this contingent was mounted, many of the horses in the ranks being high-class steeplechase animals of bone and substance, and of a very fine stamp." It could also refer to the American Civil War, ranks so blue meaning the union side of the war. In 1969, it became a surprise No. 1 top-selling single for entertainer Rolf Harris in the United Kingdom. (en)
|
