What Did You Join the Army For?

DESCRIPTION: "What did you join the Army for? Why did you join the army? What did you join the army for? You must have been bloody barmy." Or "What did we join the army for... Skilly and duff, skilly and duff, Surely to God we've had more than enough."
AUTHOR: unknown
EARLIEST DATE: 1917 (Nettleingham-TommysTunes)
KEYWORDS: army soldier food
FOUND IN:
REFERENCES (2 citations):
Brophy/Partridge-TommiesSongsAndSlang, p. 45, "What Did You Join the Army For?" (1 text)
Nettleingham-TommysTunes, #18, "Why Did We Join the Army?" (1 text, tune referenced)
Roud #10566
CROSS-REFERENCES:
cf. "Let the Toast Pass (Here's to the maiden of bashful fifteen)" (tune)
NOTES [84 words]: Albert Smith and Ian Smith, Mosquito Pathfinder, 2003 (republished 2001 by Stackpole Books as part of Lewis Brandon, Albert Smith, and Ian Smith, Night Flyer/Mosquito Pathfinder: Night Operations in World War II) has an item,
Why did we join, why did we join,
Why did we join the bloomin' Air Force,
Ten bob a week, bugger all to eat,
Bloody great boots makin' blisters on yer feet...." (p. 223 in the Stackpole edition)
I don't think it's the same song, but there might be a common inspiration. - RBW
Last updated in version 6.8
File: BrPa045A

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