As a child she was always singing. Edale, in Derbyshire, was the ideal place to nurture this natural ability, with an abundance of communal song. Having played the fiddle a small amount at school, Bella attended a Folkworks Youth Summer School in Durham age 13. Motivated by the number of young people playing folk music, she was inspired to begin working on folk fiddle. She also met many of her great friends and musical companions.
Some of these new friends arranged to meet up again, and on New Year's Day a year later The Pack was formed. Initially The Pack was a way for this group of people to get free tickets to festivals. The spirited performances and complex arrangements of the 12 piece band proved a resounding success, and they went on to play many of the scene's greatest stages, including Cambridge Folk Festival main stage in 2003. In 2002, the only Pack album 12 Little Devils was released, with fRoots calling it "... a genuine feel good album. Get yours now!".
Hardy released her debut solo album Night Visiting in 2007, to critical acclaim. Mojo gave her a 4* 'Brilliant' rating, fRoots wrote "Bella Hardy is more than a new generation folk revivalist... Her potential is massive", and Taplas Magazine noted "...her debut CD solo album is a piece of wondrous beauty and inventive incisiveness". In 2008 she was nominated for the Horizon Award at the BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards. She was also nominated for Best Original Song the same year with Three Black Feathers, which Jim Moray went on to record on his 2008 album Low Culture.
Hardy released her second solo album In The Shadow of Mountains in 2009 at the Cambridge Folk Festival. Again it gained critical acclaim. English Dance and Song Magazine wrote "It's astounding and somewhat daunting to realise this is only Bella's second album... Surely no-one has any right to be writing songs with the sophistication of 'Sylvie Sovay', so early in their career..."
Jolly Good Luck to the Girl That Loves a Soldier
Bella Hardy Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
But here's a home fire burns bright
To those that say go and those that say no
Jolly good luck to the girl that loves a soldier
To the VADs, munitionettes, and Land Army girls
To Wakefield's Nelly Spindler lost at Passchendaele
To the sweethearts of the Tommies, to the sweethearts of the Hun
Jolly good luck to the girl that loves a soldier
To the widows of the frenchmen mortar buried at Verdun
To Maria Bochkareva and her death battalion
To all those who think that having
One as big as theirs will stop the bomb
Jolly good luck to the girl that loves a soldier
To our Little Mother and our sickened state
To our German sister nurses that you call for us to hate
Whilst our streets are cooly littered with white feathers and disgrace
Jolly good luck to the girl that loves a soldier
Jolly good luck to the girl that loves a soldier
To those stood waiting hand in hand and those who wait alone
To those who know the inconsolable despair of the unknown
To those whom only shells of men or ghosts of men come marching home
Singing "Glory glory hallelujah..."
Bella Hardy's song "Jolly Good Luck to the Girl That Loves a Soldier" is a tribute to the women who waited and loved soldiers during the First World War. The lyrics acknowledge the harsh reality that the soldiers willingly fought on the battlefield during dark, cold nights while their loved ones saw their husbands, brothers, and sons off with a warm and bright fire at home. The phrase "jolly good luck" is used ironically in the song to highlight the harshness of war and the challenges of waiting for a soldier to return back home.
Further, the lyrics mention the different roles that women took on during the war. The VADs, munitionettes, and Land Army girls all made significant contributions to the war effort on the homefront. The song also mentions the widows of Frenchmen, the women in Maria Bochkareva's death battalion, and even German sister nurses. All these women waited for their loved ones to return home, regardless of which side they were on. The song even mentions the shame that women could be made to feel for not sending their men off to war.
Overall, the song's message is one of empathy for the women who endured the war on the homefront. The final lines of the song, "Glory glory hallelujah," allude to the joy of victory that comes with the end of a war but also serve as a reminder of the terrible losses and sacrifices made along the way.
Line by Line Meaning
It's a cold wind that calls through the darkness
The singer acknowledges that life is difficult during war times and the future is unpredictable.
But here's a home fire burns bright
Despite the uncertainties, hope remains and one can find comfort at home.
To those that say go and those that say no
Regardless of people's opinions about going to war, the singer respects and recognizes both perspectives.
Jolly good luck to the girl that loves a soldier
The artist wishes good luck to women who have fallen in love with soldiers, knowing that their situation is not easy.
To the VADs, munitionettes, and Land Army girls
The artist acknowledges the efforts of women during the war working in different capacities.
To Wakefield's Nelly Spindler lost at Passchendaele
The singer pays tribute to specific women who have died in the war, like Nelly Spindler from Wakefield whom she mentions by name.
To the sweethearts of the Tommies, to the sweethearts of the Hun
The singer recognizes that love knows no boundaries, even during times of war.
To the widows of the frenchmen mortar buried at Verdun
The artist shows empathy towards French women who lost their loved ones in one of the deadliest battles of World War I, the Battle of Verdun.
To Maria Bochkareva and her death battalion
The artist mentions the Russian female soldier Maria Bochkareva and her battalion, drawing attention to women's contributions to the war effort.
To all those who think that having
The artist addresses those who believe that having big weapons can prevent harm, emphasizing the futility of war.
One as big as theirs will stop the bomb
The singer mocks the notion that having technology comparable to the enemy's will prevent harm and death.
Jolly good luck to the girl that loves a soldier
The artist repeats her blessing upon women who have loved ones serving as soldiers.
To our Little Mother and our sickened state
The singer addresses the motherland and the dire state of the war, acknowledging the toll it has taken on the country.
To our German sister nurses that you call for us to hate
The singer notes the irony of the government's call to hate German nurses, highlighting the importance of seeing past propaganda.
Whilst our streets are cooly littered with white feathers and disgrace
The singer criticizes those who label non-combatants as cowards, epitomized by the white feather symbol, and calls it a shameful practice.
Jolly good luck to the girl that loves a soldier
The artist reiterates her wish for good fortune to women with romantic partners in the military.
To those stood waiting hand in hand and those who wait alone
The artist acknowledges the different experiences of waiting for loved ones to return, with or without support.
To those who know the inconsolable despair of the unknown
The singer empathizes with those who have lost their loved ones without knowing their fate.
To those whom only shells of men or ghosts of men come marching home
The singer acknowledges that sometimes soldiers return from war as mere shadows of themselves or not at all.
Singing "Glory glory hallelujah..."
The artist evokes the religious overtones of the song 'Glory Hallelujah' to express the emotions of the war and the hope of eventual triumph.
Writer(s): BELLA HARDY
Contributed by Camilla G. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Steve
wow!!!
Maggie Topkis
Okay then. Not Vesta Tilley. Quite extraordinary, but not what I was after. But....did I say extraordinary?