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America, the Greatest of them All

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https://digital.library.illinois.edu/items/96a4e380-e466-0135-4ad8-0050569601ca-1
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, the Greatest of them All
Alternative Title
p. 2, top: America the Greatest of Them All
Composer
Kaiser, Corporal Otto Riemann  
Lyricist
Kaiser, Corporal Otto Riemann  
Publisher
Corporal Otto Riemann Kaiser  
Place of Publication
New Orleans (La.)  
Year of Publication
1917  
Date of Copyright
1917-11-19
Physical Description
1 score, piano and voice ([1], 2-3, [1] p.)
Comment
Kaiser himself gave several performances of his song to his comrades in the 39th Division, but it appears otherwise to have gone unremarked apart from a notice in a local paper just before publication.
Historical Note
  • The dedicatees were the members of the 39th Division, Louisiana Cavalry, to which Kaiser had been assigned.
  • This is the only known printing. The copyright was registered for a manuscript copy; the publication itself was released after November 23, when a brief newspaper article described it as “shortly to be published.”
  • Despite several local performances, there is no indication that the song was promoted in any way. No piano rolls or recordings have been found.
Musical Note
A sturdy duple-time march (marked "march time"), with typical fanfare figures and rat-a-tat-tat fills, the verse quotes "America" and paraphrases the final couplet from the Star Spangled Banner—or quotes the text of "You're a Grand Old Flag"—in the last two lines.
Dedication
Dedication
Subject - Topic
  • World War, 1914-1918  
  • Songs and music  
  • Popular music  
  • Patriotic music  
  • Soldiers  
  • Songs and music  
Subject - Geographic
  • United States  
  • New Orleans (La.)  
Subject - Temporal
1911-1920  
Lyrics
  • [verse 1] All the boys to war are bravely marching, / Their faces all alight with pride, / While in their hearts they're all rejoicing, / As they march long side by side, / The cannons in the distance roaring, / For the cause so just they're out to save, / It's my country 'tis of thee, / The home of the free and the brave.
  • [refrain 1] America, we're goin' to fight for you, / Do right by you, be white to you, / And you'll find our hearts are staunch and true, / We will fight for dear Old Glory, / And we'll win this war, By gorry! / Kaiser Bill we've got our eyes on you, / And when we're thru, You'll find it's true. / You've tried to bluff us, but you've had your call, / By America, The greatest of them all.
  • [verse 2] While the mothers of the boys are crying, / The boys march 'long in highest glee, / For tho' they know they'll be a-dying, / Still they'll die for victory. / The Kaiser's autocratic ideas, / It will never, never do for us, / It's my country 'tis of thee, / In God and Wilson we will place our trust.
  • [refrain 2]
Musical Genre
March 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, with ornaments and a star in the TR and BL corners. Blue on white; unsigned.
Back Cover Description
Blank.
Performance Medium
Voice and piano.  
Original Location
Box 163
Local Identifier
nda163_062
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, the Greatest of them All
Alternative Titlep. 2, top: America the Greatest of Them All
ComposerKaiser, Corporal Otto Riemann  
LyricistKaiser, Corporal Otto Riemann  
PublisherCorporal Otto Riemann Kaiser  
Place of PublicationNew Orleans (La.)  
Year of Publication1917  
Date of Copyright1917-11-19
Physical Description1 score, piano and voice ([1], 2-3, [1] p.)
CommentKaiser himself gave several performances of his song to his comrades in the 39th Division, but it appears otherwise to have gone unremarked apart from a notice in a local paper just before publication.
Historical Note
  • The dedicatees were the members of the 39th Division, Louisiana Cavalry, to which Kaiser had been assigned.
  • This is the only known printing. The copyright was registered for a manuscript copy; the publication itself was released after November 23, when a brief newspaper article described it as “shortly to be published.”
  • Despite several local performances, there is no indication that the song was promoted in any way. No piano rolls or recordings have been found.
Musical NoteA sturdy duple-time march (marked "march time"), with typical fanfare figures and rat-a-tat-tat fills, the verse quotes "America" and paraphrases the final couplet from the Star Spangled Banner—or quotes the text of "You're a Grand Old Flag"—in the last two lines.
DedicationDedication
Subject - Topic
  • World War, 1914-1918  
  • Songs and music  
  • Popular music  
  • Patriotic music  
  • Soldiers  
  • Songs and music  
Subject - Geographic
  • United States  
  • New Orleans (La.)  
Subject - Temporal1911-1920  
Lyrics
  • [verse 1] All the boys to war are bravely marching, / Their faces all alight with pride, / While in their hearts they're all rejoicing, / As they march long side by side, / The cannons in the distance roaring, / For the cause so just they're out to save, / It's my country 'tis of thee, / The home of the free and the brave.
  • [refrain 1] America, we're goin' to fight for you, / Do right by you, be white to you, / And you'll find our hearts are staunch and true, / We will fight for dear Old Glory, / And we'll win this war, By gorry! / Kaiser Bill we've got our eyes on you, / And when we're thru, You'll find it's true. / You've tried to bluff us, but you've had your call, / By America, The greatest of them all.
  • [verse 2] While the mothers of the boys are crying, / The boys march 'long in highest glee, / For tho' they know they'll be a-dying, / Still they'll die for victory. / The Kaiser's autocratic ideas, / It will never, never do for us, / It's my country 'tis of thee, / In God and Wilson we will place our trust.
  • [refrain 2]
Musical GenreMarch 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, with ornaments and a star in the TR and BL corners. Blue on white; unsigned.
Back Cover DescriptionBlank.
Performance MediumVoice and piano.  
Original LocationBox 163
Local Identifiernda163_062
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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