HW: everything there is to know

Carl E. Anderson cea20 at CUS.CAM.AC.UK
Sun Mar 31 07:26:05 EST 1996


>    >> "Over The Top" - I know I'm missing something here - "Hey, Kitchener
>    >- don' t
>    >> you know that mustaches went out with the Beatles"? It's obvious
>    >that the > song basically refers to war, but... "gimme white feather",
>    >etc, etc..., I > don't know.
>    >I think you'll find it's "Gimme white powder" ....
>
> White powder? "Strung on barbed wire", Paul?? Never, never... :)

        No, it's _definately_ "white feather".  During WWI in Britain,
young ladies in Blighty used to give white feathers to young men seen
not in uniform.  The idea was to indicate that they were 'chicken' and would
have to join up if they were to impress the ladies.
        Calvert's "give me white feather" line is intended to portray the
thoughts of a soldier who would far rather be branded a coward than go back
"over the top".

Cheers,
Carl



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