The song became popular during the First World War, having already been adopted by the Royal Sussex Regiment as an unofficial "nick" march. William Ward-Higgs, a native of Lancashire, lived at Hollywood House in South Bersted for only five or six years. One version of the tune's origins is that Ward-Higgs grew to love his adopted county so much he produced a marching song in its praise. In another version Ward-Higgs composed the song specifically for the wedding of his sister-in-law Gladys when she became engaged to Captain Roland Waithman of the 2nd Battalion of the Royal Sussex Regiment. It may well have come from a poem written by Rudyard Kipling in 1902 entitled Sussex, the final stanza of which is: The song was published in 1907, and Captain Waithman performed it in concerts at Ballykinlar Camp in Ireland where the battalion was then stationed. The song never became the regimental march: this was always "The Royal Sussex". It was, however, the first march used by the Royal Air Force, as their Officers Training School No. 1 was in a hotel in St Leonards-on-Sea. During the liberation of Singapore at the end of World War II in 1945, the Royal Marine band of the heavy cruiser HMS Sussex played "Sussex by the Sea" as the ship entered harbour. Enthusiasm for "Sussex by the Sea" goes far beyond Sussex. King Hussein of Jordan would insist the tune be played whenever he visited the military academy at Sandhurst. The march continues to be played at band concerts all over the world and, despite the Royal Sussex Regiment's amalgamation into the Queen's Regiment and later the Princess of Wales's Royal Regiment, it is still played on ceremonial occasions. "Sussex By The Sea" is the regimental march of the 25th Battalion, Royal Queensland Regiment, Australia.
Lyrics
First Verse Now is the time for marching, Now let your hearts be gay, Hark to the merry bugles Sounding along our way. So let your voices ring, my boys, And take the time from me, And I’ll sing you a song as we march along, Of Sussex by the Sea! Chorus For we're the men from Sussex, Sussex by the Sea. We plough and sow and reap and mow, And useful men are we; And when you go to Sussex, whoever you may be, You may tell them all that we stand or fall For Sussex by the Sea! Refrain Oh Sussex, Sussex by the Sea! Good old Sussex by the Sea! You may tell them all we stand or fall, For Sussex by the Sea. Second Verse Up in the morning early, Start at the break of day; March till the evening shadows Tell us it's time to stay. We're always moving on, my boys, So take the time from me, And sing this song as we march along, Of Sussex by the Sea.
Chorus and Refrain Third Verse Sometimes your feet are weary, Sometimes the way is long, Sometimes the day is dreary, Sometimes the world goes wrong; But if you let your voices ring, Your care will fly away, So we'll sing a song as we march along, Of Sussex by the Sea. Chorus and Refrain Fourth Verse Light is the love of a soldier, That's what the ladies say – Lightly he goes a wooing, Lightly he rides away. In love and war we always are As fair as fair can be, And a soldier boy is the ladies' joy In Sussex by the Sea. Chorus and Refrain Fifth Verse Far o'er the seas we wander, Wide thro’ the world we roam; Far from the kind hearts yonder, Far from our dear old home; But ne'er shall we forget, my boys, And true we'll ever be To the girls so kind that we left behind In Sussex by the Sea. Chorus and Refrain
In 1957, Joe Haddon wrote a two verse version dedicated to Sussex cricket. Chorus:
Brighton & Hove Albion F.C. & Sussex County Cricket Club
In more recent years, the song has been taken up by both Brighton & Hove Albion F.C. and Sussex County Cricket Club. It is the clubs' official song, but sometimes with a changed chorus - or, more recently, just humming the verses. The song was often simplified to: Since 2011 when the football club moved to Falmer Stadium, a loud, rousing version by the Grenadier Guards has been used as the teams enter the field of play, with the original lyrics of the first verse and refrain appearing on the big screen. The music is cut for the last three lines which are sung by the crowd alone followed by applause: ... Good Old Sussex By the Sea You can tell them all that we stand or fall For Sussex by the Sea.
Christ's Hospital
uses the tune as its school march.
1939 Sussex People's March of History
Marching through Eastbourne in the 'Sussex People's March of History' of 1939 with banners that included Jack Cade's rebellion in 1450, the Swing Riots of 1830 and the Battle of Lewes Road, which was a significant incident in Brighton in the General Strike of 1926, 400 protesters led by Ernie Trory of the Sussex Communist movement sang the following words to Sussex by the Sea.
