Irish Version
A satirical version of the song became very popular in Ireland during the Second World War (known in neutral Ireland as the Emergency). The song was a reaction to the widespread rationing of tea, sugar, tobacco and other goods due to the drastic drop in imports, particularly from Britain. It poked fun at Ireland's Taoiseach Eamon de Valera and Minister Seán McEntee who were blamed for the shortages and rationing. The line "the long and the short and the tall" had particular sarcastic resonance because De Valera was tall while McEntee was very short.
The Irish version of the song included the lines:
Bless 'em all,
Bless 'em all.
The long and the short and the tall,
Bless De Valera and Seán McEntee,
They gave us the black flour,
And the half-ounce of tea.
They rationed the cocoa and all,
But they couldn’t ration the porter at all.
They brought starvation
To our little nation,
So cheer up St Vincent de Paul.’
Read more about this topic: Bless 'Em All
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