Keeping Score: How ‘The Dam Busters March’ took flight
There are plenty of songs that could convincingly replace ‘God Save the King’ as the UK’s national anthem.
‘Rule Britannia’ is a popular (if incredibly problematic) favourite, while ‘Jerusalem’, a musical adaptation of a William Blake poem, regularly serves as a standalone anthem for England. There’s the Sex Pistols’ version of ‘God Save the Queen’, although we’re not sure how that would go down with the wider public. Then there’s this piece, one that has had a long-standing association with the country’s military exploits: ‘The Dam Busters March’.
This soaring call to action never fails to evoke images of warplanes flying overhead, while onlookers from the ground cheer and wave tiny Union Jacks with frenzied fervour. The piece’s trademark motif begins quietly, hooking listeners in with a sense of calm before erupting with the crescendo as a final charge. It makes for a stirring listen through and through.
The ‘March’ has become so wrapped up in British culture that it’s easy to forget it actually started out in film. It was written for the 1955 war movie The Dam Busters, based on the real exploits of the RAF’s 617 Squadron and their mission to blow up German dams during World War II. The film, which starred Richard Todd and Michael Redgrave, has long played second fiddle to its theme tune, which is a bit of an irony, really, given the composer didn’t even want to touch it at first.
Eric Coates had trained as a violinist before moving into composing. He wrote pieces of light music for orchestras, rarely ever straying into the more frivolous spheres of theatre or ballet. He was a bit less hostile towards cinema, making the odd contribution across the 1940s and 1950s, but preferred to keep his music separate. That was, until his country came calling.
As per various reports, Coates’ son Austin recounted in a BBC interview that his father initially turned down the producers’ requests to write something for The Dam Busters. It wasn’t until they told him that the project was of “national importance” that he finally agreed. By some coincidence, the composer had been working on an idea that emulated the work of Edward Elgar, the man behind ‘Land of Hope and Glory’. When he found out more details about the movie, he knew that his triumphant march would be perfect for celebrating one of Britain’s finest hours.
Aided by the film’s monster success (or perhaps the other way around), the composition quickly became embedded in British pop culture. A recording by the RAF’s Central Band reached the top 20 in the UK charts, and the music has wormed its way into TV shows, radio shows, adverts, football chants, and more. The film itself would go on to inspire Star Wars, with John Williams no doubt taking notice of its excellent score.
As with all things pertaining to war and nationalism, ‘The Dam Busters March’ has a complicated legacy to say the least. Trying to separate the socio-political overtones that have become associated with the piece is almost impossible, but that’s not Coates’ fault. His job was to write a piece of music that would inspire, that would remind a nation of one of their biggest victories over an evil regime. To that end, he passed with flying colours.
