I love the language in these old songs, even if I don’t fully understand them. From Wikipedia: “Pack Up Your Troubles in Your Old Kit-Bag, and Smile, Smile, Smile” is the full name of a World War I marching song, published in 1915 in London. It was written by George Henry Powell under the pseudonym of “George Asaf”, and set to music by his brother Felix Powell. A play presented by the National Theatre recounts how these music hall stars rescued the song from their rejects pile and re-scored it to win a wartime competition for a marching song. It became very popular, boosting British morale despite the horrors of that war. It was one of a large number of music hall songs aimed at maintaining morale, recruiting for the forces, or defending Britain’s war aims. “It’s a Long Way to Tipperary” is a British music hall and marching song written by Jack Judge (and co-credited but not co-written by Harry Williams (Henry James Williams)) that, allegedly, was written for a 5 shilling bet in Stalybridge, on the 30 January 1912 and performed the next night at the local music hall. Judge’s parents were Irish, and his grandparents came from Tipperary.