Life During Wartime
To fully understand the importance of music during World War 2 it is helpful
to understand the state of culture and society at that time. Dancing was a primary
source of socializing among couples of all ages and one of the acceptable venues
for courtship among young people. It was a time filled with uncertainty and danger,
regardless of where on the globe you were located. The overseas soldiers were faced
with danger all around , knowing that just one bullet or one bomb could kill them.
Back on the home front, rationing and wartime shortages combined with fear and worry
for the safety of soldiers to make life difficult for everyone. Everywhere you looked
was a poster encouraging greater sacrifice and greater support for the war effort.
It was indeed a conflict that left nobody untouched or unaffected.
The Effect of the Music on Soldiers
The music of the war era played a special role. At times sentimental, at other
times patriotic, music was a source of comfort, inspiration and reminders of happy
times in the past and happier times to come in the future. The music typically told
a story to the listener, mixing the occasional fact with a lot of hope and inspiration
to provide a temporary escape from the ugly world of war.
Many a soldier took with him to war a picture of his sweetheart and dreamed of
dancing the night away with her. The music of the day helped to connect him with
a more sane life back home and helped to keep his morale up during the darkest of
times. Back home, war information was often slow in coming and not always complete
so the people working long hours in war production or other related industries turned
to music as a way to soothe their worries and refresh their spirits.
Dancing Soldiers
 One of the favorite forms of entertainment for soldiers was dancing during leave
time. In locations around the world, soldiers sought out opportunities to spend
a few hours dancing with local girls. It was quite common for cities and towns to
host dances for soldiers as way of saying thank you for protecting them. Further
behind the lines and in larger cities like London the USO would sponsor dances for
soldiers on leave.
Back home in the United States most soldiers headed to Europe departed from one
of the larger cities on the east coast, like New York City. There they could spend
their last few days before sailing in dance houses where there was no shortage of
girls with whom to dance. It should be pointed out that in those days dancing was
just about the only suitable way for a man and a woman to touch, hold hands and
otherwise be close to each other. It was the most acceptable avenue to bond and
enjoy emotional closeness. Thus, social dancing like swing (lessons generally consisted moves
copied from other dancers or made up on the floor) were extremely popular and seen as a socially
appropriate activity. |
