We'll Set the Children Free

DESCRIPTION: "Joey Ward is Premier, but he hasn't long to live, He's sold our country's children, and a Dreadnought he did give." "Don't let a tyrant rule you while there's honest men and true." The demonstrators want peace, "And our children shall be free."
AUTHOR: unknown
EARLIEST DATE: 1912 (Christchurch demonstration against militarism, according to Bailey/Roth-ShantiesByTheWay-NZ)
KEYWORDS: political New Zealand
HISTORICAL REFERENCES:
1906-1912, 1928-1930 - Sir Joseph George Ward (1856-1930) Prime Minister of New Zealand
FOUND IN:
REFERENCES (2 citations):
Bailey/Roth-ShantiesByTheWay-NZ, p. 112, "We'll Set the Children Free" (1 text, tune referenced)
Cleveland-NZ-GreatNewZealandSongbook, pp. 110-111, "We'll Set the Children Free" (1 text, 1 tune)
CROSS-REFERENCES:
cf. "John Brown's Body" (tune) and references there
cf. "Sir Joseph Ward" (subject of Joseph Ward)
cf. "Vote for Joey Ward" (subject of Joseph Ward)
NOTES [84 words]: A song from the election of 1912, which turned Sir Joseph Ward's liberals out of office, so the singers got what they wanted. It didn't keep ANZAC troops from serving at the Dardanelles, though....
The reference in the second line to "a Dreadnought he did give" I assume refers to the battle cruiser "New Zealand," laid down by the British Navy in 1910 and finished in 1912. It was paid for by New Zealand but served with the British Navy for its entire existence, including at the Battle of Jutland. - RBW
Last updated in version 6.5
File: BaRo112

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