Anzac Day 2011 - Blue Smoke video free download

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To commemorate ANZAC Day 2011

If you're missing someone you love, this song is for you.

God protect our military personnel.

BLUE SMOKE

By Ruru Karaitiana

Lyrics:

Blue smoke goes drifting by into the deep blue sky

And when I think of home I sadly sigh.

Oh, I can see you there with loving tears in your eyes

As we fondly said our last goodbyes.

And as I sailed away with a longing to stay,

I promised I'd be true and to love only you.

Blue smoke goes drifting by into the deep blue sky

My memories of home will never die.

This is one of my favourite WWII songs, but it's doubly appropriate for me to be recording it to go with images from the Dannevirke cemetery because the song writer was a Dannevirke man.

During the war Karaitiana served in the Middle East as a private with the 28th New Zealand (Maori) Battalion. He led the battalion concert party, and was one of the few survivors of its 17-member choir.

On the writing of "Blue Smoke" he said, "We were on the troopship Aquitania in 1940 off the coast of Africa when a friend drew my attention to some passing smoke. He put the song in my lap."

Back in New Zealand, in 1947 he assembled a quintet, and in 1949 in Wellington they recorded a version of Blue Smoke with singer Pixie Williams. It topped New Zealand radio hit parades for six weeks, and sold more than 20,000 copies within a year.

Small in stature, he was a quiet and private man, but was transformed when on stage. His proudest moments were hearing "Blue Smoke" performed by the National Orchestra, and a version sung in Maori on radio.

More info at http://folksong.org.nz/bluesmoke/index.html