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Henry Lawson wrote this poem about the thousands of troops seen parading through the streets with great fanfare before going off to fight in World War 1 (1914 – 1918) . This is a fairly strong anti-war poem, written quite early in the war. It was written in 1915, the same year as the campaign at Gallipoli, which cost so many lives, but before the huge battles that caused the great losses on the Western Front, where many more Australians died.

The original poem has only the words “Oh my brothers”, but modern versions add “Oh my sisters”.

Tune by Ade Monsbourgh. Cello, flute and backing vocals by Lillian Penner.

lyrics

The Route March (1915)
by Henry Lawson (1867 – 1922)
-----------------------------------
[V.1]
Did you hear the children singing, Oh my brothers ? Oh my sisters ?
Did you hear the children singing as our troops went marching past ?
In the sunshine and the rain,
As they'll never sing again —
Hear the little school-girls singing as our troops went swinging past ?
------------------------------------------
[V.2]
Did you hear the children singing, Oh my brothers ? Oh my sisters ?
Did you hear the children singing for the first man and the last ?
As they marched away and vanished,
To a tune we thought was banished —
Did you hear the children singing for the future and the past ?
-----------------------------------------
[V.3]
Shall you hear the children singing, Oh my brothers ? Oh my sisters ?
Shall you hear the children singing in the sunshine or the rain ?
There'll be sobs beneath the ringing
Of the cheers, and 'neath the singing
There'll be tears of orphan children when Our Boys come back again !
=========================

credits

from Henry Lawson (the poet in song) Vol​.​3, track released April 10, 2021
Tune by Ade Monsbourgh. Cello, flute and backing vocals by Lillian Penner.

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The Queensland Tiger

The Queensland Tiger covers traditional Australian ballads mainly from 19C.: e.g. Henry Lawson, Banjo Paterson, Breaker Morant, Charles Thatcher, etc…. true to the original works.
website : www.thequeenslandtiger.com or Youtube channel : The Queensland Tiger ... more

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