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• Take Me Back to Dear Old Blighty

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  This song, in which a series of soldiers yearn to return to ‘Blighty’, or Britain, was hugely popular in 1917.

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• Never Mind the Food Controller

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  An uplifting music hall song, intended to provide comfort during wartime food rationing.

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• I’m Going Back Again to Yarrawonga

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  "I’ll linger longer in Yarrawonga"

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• The Rose of No Man’s Land

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  A sentimental song composed as a tribute to Red Cross battlefield nurses.

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• What Did You Do in the Great War, Daddy?

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  The subject of a child innocently shaming their father for failing to carry out military service was a commonly used theme of war propaganda.

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• Every Girl is a Fisher Girl

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  This rousing music hall song by Australian-born Florrie Forde, popular during WW1, suggests that every girl is ‘fishing for a mate’.

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• 'When the war is over, mother dear'

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  Though your heart is aching, mother dear
  For your soldier boy never fear
  I’ll come back some day, and kiss your tears away
  When the war is over, mother dear

  In this somewhat maudlin song, written and recorded in England in 1915, a soldier laments being far away from home and from his mother, and promises to return to her.

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• 'If England wants a hand, well, here it is'

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  Comes a message o’er the ocean
  A message to our sunny land
  England calls Australia’s soldiers
  We must answer her command
  If England wants a hand, well, here it is…

  The lyrics of this rousing, patriotic ballad were written by one of Australia’s most popular vaudeville (music hall) performers, with music by a noted Sydney songwriter. 'If England Wants a Hand, Well, Here It Is' was used on the soundtrack of the 1981 Australian feature film Gallipoli.

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• Boys of the Dardanelles

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  Boys of the Dardanelles
  They faced the shot and the shells
  Down in hist'ry their fame will go

  The patriotic ballad ‘ Boys of the Dardanelles ', composed by Australian writer and singer Marsh Little, was particularly effective for encouraging recruitment. This version was performed by the prolific English singer and recording artist Stanley Kirkby.

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• Australia will be there

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  Of all the patriotic songs of WW1, 'Australia Will Be There' is probably the one best known to Australians. It became the marching song of the Australian Expeditionary Forces and was used to rally the troops as they marched away from home. 'Australia Will Be There' was written in 1915 by Walter ‘Skipper’ Francis. The song quotes from ‘ Auld Lang Syne’ in its chorus and is often given its longer title, 'For Auld Land Syne - Australia Will Be There '.

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