The
Colonel Bogey March is one of the most successful
marches ever published. It was written in
1914 by
Kenneth Alford.
Supposedly, the tune was inspired by a military man and
golfer who whistled a characteristic two-note phrase (a descending minor third interval) instead of shouting "Fore!". It is this phrase that begins each line of the melody.
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It was composed by Lieutenant F J Ricketts (
1881-
1945), a military bandmaster who was Director of Music for the Royal Marines at Plymouth. At that time Service personnel were not encouraged to have professional lives outside the armed forces, Ricketts published 'Colonel Bogey' and his other compositions under the pseudonym Kenneth Alford.
The sheet music was a million-seller and the march was recorded many times. It was used in the movie
The Bridge on the River Kwai, and to this day, it is still strongly identified with its use in the movie, symbolizing indomitability in the face of oppression and hardship. There was a minor diplomatic flap in the early 1970s when the march was played—perhaps to cause embarrassment, perhaps not—during a visit by the Japanese prime minister to
Australia.
"Colonel Bogey" is the
authorized march of
The King's Own Calgary Regiment (RCAC) of the
Canadian Forces.
Many humorous or satirical verses have been sung to this tune, most of them vulgar. The most famous date from
World War II and are variants on "
Hitler has only got one ball."
The tune was used to great effect in an episode of the
UK cult TV series The Avengers and in the U.S. movies "
The Parent Trap," "
The Breakfast Club," and "
Spaceballs."
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