[lit-ideas] Private Tommy Atkins: The Implicatures
- From: "Luigi Speranza" <dmarc-noreply@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> (Redacted sender "jlsperanza" for DMARC)
- To: lit-ideas@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Fri, 1 Jul 2016 16:36:28 -0400
On Jul 1, 2016, at 3:07 PM, Mike Geary <jejunejesuit.geary2@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:
s O it's Tommy this, an' Tommy that, an' “Tommy, go away”; But it's “Thank
you, Mister Atkins," when the band begins to play, The band begins to play,
my boys, the band begins to play, O it's “Thank you, Mr. Atkins," when the
band begins to play.
It is said that Julius Caesar used to know the first, second, and third names
of all the soldiers that invaded England and turned her part of Europe.
Apparently Tommy Atkins, a private under Wellington, existed.
Army manuals later used the name as lawyers used John Doe.
Noel Coward was enamoured by "Private Tommy Atkins" as interpolated in the
first ever musical comedy, A Gaiety Girl, and put the catchy memorable refrain
(but I prefer the four verses) to effective use in his "Cavalcade."
Cheers
Speranza
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