‘They Were There! There! There!’
The lyrics of the song ‘They Were There! There! There!’ were written by Private Harley Cohen shortly after his return from Gallipoli in September 1915. He was still recovering from wounds sustained during the Battle of Lone Pine.
Year:c.1916
Location:Gallipoli, Turkey
‘They Were There! There! There!’
The lyrics of the song ‘They Were There! There! There!’ were written by Private Harley Cohen shortly after his return from Gallipoli in September 1915. He was still recovering from wounds sustained during the Battle of Lone Pine.
Year: c.1916
Length: 03:13
Production Company: Zonophone, UK
Credits: Performer: Foster Richardson; Lyrics: Harley Cohen; Music: Bert Rache
Source: National Film and Sound Archive of Australia
Catalogue Reference: 172203 They Were There
Location: Gallipoli, Turkey
Tags: Australia, song, music, popular music, Foster Richardson, Gallipoli, Harley Cohen, Bert Rache
Image Title: Gallipoli Strollers advertisement
Image Source: Brisbane Courier
Harley Cohan, from Mudgee, NSW, studied drama and elocution before enlisting in 1915. In August that year he was wounded at the Battle of Lone Pine, Gallipoli and returned to Australia, where he wrote the patriotic lyrics to ‘They Were There! There! There!’
Set to music by Bert Rache, the song first became a hit for singer Peter Dawson on the Tivoli Circuit. Cohen found success in concert appearances and advertising, and continued to write lyrics, with his last known works published in 1954. In 1916 he co-founded the Gallipoli Strollers, a variety troupe of wounded veterans who toured Australia until the early 1920s. This recording is performed by English radio and concert singer Foster Richardson and was released on the Zonophone label.
Lyrics:
VERSE 1
There’s a land away across the rolling sea
We all know it ‘cos it’s called Gallipoli
April twenty-fifth the day
That they landed from the bay
We will keep that date fresh in our memory
Our Australian troops were landed on the beach
And within an hour those Turks were out of reach
They charged ‘oer dales and hills
And dosed those Turks with pills
Whilst to Allah every one of them did plead
CHORUS
They were there! there! there!
Our Australian boys were there
They never hesitated
Nor for an order waited
Never once looked to the rear
They were there! there! there!
Loyally they did their share
And when again they’re wanted
They’ll be there! there! there!
VERSE 2
It was at the early hour of half past four
That our boys were well established on the shore
Over hills the Turks had fled
But they left a heap of dead
Our brave troops were simply covered in their gore
Many gallant heroes died upon that day
But their bravery will in our memory stay
They did their duty well
They charged into a hell
And for the other troops they paved the way
CHORUS
They were there! there! there!
Our Australian boys were there
They never hesitated
Nor for an order waited
Never once looked to the rear
They were there! there! there!
Loyally they did their share
And for our Anzac Heroes
Let us cheer! cheer! cheer!
(Additional verses not included on this recording)
VERSE 3
Now the Tommies who were sent up to relieve
Marveled at the gains that our boys did achieve
Then our troops went to the sea
Mustered up each Company
But the few that answered roll-call made them grieve
They had only been an hour upon the sand
When the news came flashing through, “We want a hand,
“Australia, we need you!
The Turks are piercing though
So once again those trenches were all manned
ENCORE VERSE
Now the news we did receive was none too bright
When we heard our Anzac boys had ceased to fight
Nine months solid work they’d done
In the broiling heat and sun
We had thought the end of all was well in sight
It grieves us much to know it was all in vain
After thousands of our best have now been slain
But Australia’s name they’ve made
That will never, never fade
And we will sing with all our might this true refrain