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America Saved the Day

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https://digital.library.illinois.edu/items/9654cba0-e466-0135-4ad8-0050569601ca-5
No Copyright - United States (RightsStatements.org)

The organization that has made the Item available believes that the Item is in the Public Domain under the laws of the United States, but a determination was not made as to its copyright status under the copyright laws of other countries. The Item may not be in the Public Domain under the laws of other countries. Please refer to the organization that has made the Item available for more information.

Descriptive Information

Title
America Saved the Day
Composer
Brown, Harry Leslie  
Lyricist
Brown, Harry Leslie  
Publisher
Harry Leslie Brown  
Place of Publication
Laconia (N.H.)  
Year of Publication
1918  
Date of Copyright
1918-09-24
Physical Description
1 score, mixed voices and piano ([1], 2-3, [1] p.)
Comment
This is clearly the product of an amateur, but the music is skilled, if simple, and the words are bluntly effective. Brown evidently prepared this edition in an attempt to market the song more widely, with a Boston distributor, but there were no notices in the press and the only performance may have been that described on the back cover.
Historical Note
  • The composer’s name is given on p. 2 as Harry L. Brown.
  • This is the second of two editions; the first is for voice and piano. The second edition reprints the first page of music with a second vocal line added to harmonize the melody and corrective accidentals inserted by hand; the second page has been replaced by a handwritten four-part harmonization on three staves (SA/T/B), with the piano part omitted. The cover text together with the back cover might imply that this edition was prepared specifically for the Camp Devens performance.
  • The back cover reprints an October 16 newspaper article asserting that Brown’s song will be used as the finale for an army minstrel show at Camp Devens, MA, but no other performances have been discovered, nor any recordings or piano rolls.
Musical Note
A waltz song with a rather simple, repetitive melody but with several somewhat unusual chromatic inflections.
Dedication
Dedication
Subject - Topic
  • World War, 1914-1918  
  • Songs and music  
  • Popular music  
  • Patriotic music  
Subject - Geographic
United States  
Subject - Temporal
1911-1920  
Lyrics
  • [verse 1] What Nation stands with outstretched hand, / For peace and justice in ev'ry land, / That's slow to anger and suffers long, / Before it says "stop" to a hated wrong?
  • [refrain 1] America! America! The home of the brave and the free; / America, America, O God, she is trusting in Thee; / To drive from the world cruel despots and dearth, / And establish justice upon the whole earth, / America, America, America saved the day.
  • [verse 2] Foes have arisen since our Nation was born, / Demanding injustice a thing that we scorn; / Torturing the innocent, plund'ring the world, / What Nation said "stop" as the bullets whirled?
  • [refrain 2]
  • [verse 3] Today "Over There" 'mid the shells and the gas, / We are fighting the Hun who cannot pass; / Tho' they stoop to Satan who runs their rig, / Who'll smash their lines and end their jig?
  • [refrain 3]
  • [verse 4] 'Tis God who leads in our Nation's wars, / He holds our hands we keep His laws; / 'Tis He who says go forth and win, / "Peace on earth and good will to men."
  • [refrain 4]
Musical Genre
Waltz Song
Repository
Newberry Library
Rights
NoC-US
Rights Description
The organization that has made the Item available believes that the Item is in the Public Domain under the laws of the United States, but a determination was not made as to its copyright status under the copyright laws of other countries. The Item may not be in the Public Domain under the laws of other countries. Please refer to the organization that has made the Item available for more information.
Cover Description
Text only; U. S. flag above. Blue and red on white; unsigned.
Back Cover Description
Reproduction of an article from The Boston Daily Globe Edition for Camp Devens, Ayer, Mass., October 16, 1918, announcing a performance at Camp Devens and including the full lyric for the song.
Interior Description
  • Cover, penultimate line: Special Edition for Schools, Community Choruses, and the Boys in Trench and Camp
  • Cover, bottom: Boston: C. W. Thompson & Co., 2-B Park Street
Performance Medium
Mixed chorus and piano.  
Original Location
Box 163
Local Identifier
nda163_096
Collection Title
James Francis Driscoll Collection of American Sheet Music
Collection
World War I Sheet Music from the James Francis Driscoll Collection of American Sheet Music
TitleAmerica Saved the Day
ComposerBrown, Harry Leslie  
LyricistBrown, Harry Leslie  
PublisherHarry Leslie Brown  
Place of PublicationLaconia (N.H.)  
Year of Publication1918  
Date of Copyright1918-09-24
Physical Description1 score, mixed voices and piano ([1], 2-3, [1] p.)
CommentThis is clearly the product of an amateur, but the music is skilled, if simple, and the words are bluntly effective. Brown evidently prepared this edition in an attempt to market the song more widely, with a Boston distributor, but there were no notices in the press and the only performance may have been that described on the back cover.
Historical Note
  • The composer’s name is given on p. 2 as Harry L. Brown.
  • This is the second of two editions; the first is for voice and piano. The second edition reprints the first page of music with a second vocal line added to harmonize the melody and corrective accidentals inserted by hand; the second page has been replaced by a handwritten four-part harmonization on three staves (SA/T/B), with the piano part omitted. The cover text together with the back cover might imply that this edition was prepared specifically for the Camp Devens performance.
  • The back cover reprints an October 16 newspaper article asserting that Brown’s song will be used as the finale for an army minstrel show at Camp Devens, MA, but no other performances have been discovered, nor any recordings or piano rolls.
Musical NoteA waltz song with a rather simple, repetitive melody but with several somewhat unusual chromatic inflections.
DedicationDedication
Subject - Topic
  • World War, 1914-1918  
  • Songs and music  
  • Popular music  
  • Patriotic music  
Subject - GeographicUnited States  
Subject - Temporal1911-1920  
Lyrics
  • [verse 1] What Nation stands with outstretched hand, / For peace and justice in ev'ry land, / That's slow to anger and suffers long, / Before it says "stop" to a hated wrong?
  • [refrain 1] America! America! The home of the brave and the free; / America, America, O God, she is trusting in Thee; / To drive from the world cruel despots and dearth, / And establish justice upon the whole earth, / America, America, America saved the day.
  • [verse 2] Foes have arisen since our Nation was born, / Demanding injustice a thing that we scorn; / Torturing the innocent, plund'ring the world, / What Nation said "stop" as the bullets whirled?
  • [refrain 2]
  • [verse 3] Today "Over There" 'mid the shells and the gas, / We are fighting the Hun who cannot pass; / Tho' they stoop to Satan who runs their rig, / Who'll smash their lines and end their jig?
  • [refrain 3]
  • [verse 4] 'Tis God who leads in our Nation's wars, / He holds our hands we keep His laws; / 'Tis He who says go forth and win, / "Peace on earth and good will to men."
  • [refrain 4]
Musical GenreWaltz Song
RepositoryNewberry Library
RightsNoC-US
Rights DescriptionThe organization that has made the Item available believes that the Item is in the Public Domain under the laws of the United States, but a determination was not made as to its copyright status under the copyright laws of other countries. The Item may not be in the Public Domain under the laws of other countries. Please refer to the organization that has made the Item available for more information.
Cover DescriptionText only; U. S. flag above. Blue and red on white; unsigned.
Back Cover DescriptionReproduction of an article from The Boston Daily Globe Edition for Camp Devens, Ayer, Mass., October 16, 1918, announcing a performance at Camp Devens and including the full lyric for the song.
Interior Description
  • Cover, penultimate line: Special Edition for Schools, Community Choruses, and the Boys in Trench and Camp
  • Cover, bottom: Boston: C. W. Thompson & Co., 2-B Park Street
Performance MediumMixed chorus and piano.  
Original LocationBox 163
Local Identifiernda163_096
Collection TitleJames Francis Driscoll Collection of American Sheet Music
CollectionWorld War I Sheet Music from the James Francis Driscoll Collection of American Sheet Music

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