Abstract
Poem - Praise the Lord and Pass the Ammunition was promoted in Australia in 1943 as a ‘new war dance’. An American patriotic song by Frank Loesser, it was composed as a response to the attack on Pearl Harbour. The 1943 version by Kay Kyser and His Orchestra reached number 1 on the U.S. Billboard chart. You can listen to it here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UCpwMQ8cRRc The image is from the popular tabloid Pix Magazine 10 April 1943: https://nla.gov.au/nla.obj-477302637/view?partId=nla.obj-477311854#page/n15/mode/1up The dance is an example of wartime propaganda and the influence of American popular culture in Australia. It was hoped that this kind of entertainment would provide a safety valve for the emotions of young people caught up in the fear of war.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Journal | Burrow |
| Volume | February 2021 |
| Publication status | Published - Feb 2021 |