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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.
The title is adapted from a phrase President Wilson uttered in his war message in April 1917. De Vivo first printed his lyric as a broadside; then, with music by Levy, it became the first title issued by De Vivo’s short-lived publishing firm. Despite massive advertising and limited use in vaudeville, the song was not successful.
Times Music Pub. Co.
145 W. 45th St.
Historical Note
This is the second of two printings, distinguished by back covers.
An expensive marketing campaign began with a full-page advertisement in Variety on February 1st; plugs and smaller advertisements in trade journals followed, culminating in a two-page spread in the Clipper on March 6. Despite this, the only performances seem to have been by the minor vaudevillian Reine Davis.
No piano rolls or recordings have been found.
Musical Note
A conventional but somewhat awkward march song, this makes effective use quotations: the lyrics refer to “Over There,” with the phrase placed in quotes, and the last melodic phrase in the verse paraphrases Cohan’s melody. The penultimate phrase of the refrain quotes the opening of “La Marseillaise,” continuing directly into the second phrase of “Columbia, the Gem of the Ocean.”
Dedication
Dedication
Subject - Topic
World War, 1914-1918
Songs and music
Popular music
Patriotic music
Democracy
Songs and music
Marches (Voice with piano)
Statue of Liberty (New York, N.Y.)
Pictorial works
Subject - Geographic
United States
Subject - Temporal
1911-1920
Lyrics
[verse 1] America, you’ve taken a big task / To you all Nations, for freedom ask, / From coast to coast, Across the plains, / Our boys are mustered to make our claims; / And when they get going “Over There” / You’ll hear the good news flashed ev’rywhere.
[refrain 1] America, you’ll make the world safe for democracy, And down autocracy / With ninety millions true, All fighting for you, Under the Red, White and Blue. / Thro’ shot and shell they’ll conquer as in days of long ago and vanquish ev’ry foe; / When Old Glory rises o’er the top, Our boys “Over There” will never stop / ’Til America, has made the world the wide world safe for democracy!
[verse 2] America, you see it’s up to you, / Our boys are going to see it through, / In France they’ll fight, And have no fear, / They’re fighting for all that they hold dear; / And when they return with vict’ry won / You’ll welcome your heroes one by one.
[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.
Artist
Pfeiffer, E. H. [Edward Henry]
Cover Description
The Statue of Liberty, above the clouds, facing forward, light rays and stars streaming from her torch; below and at her sides are two globes, one picturing the northwestern hemisphere, the other the southeastern. Blue and red on white; signed BL.
The title is adapted from a phrase President Wilson uttered in his war message in April 1917. De Vivo first printed his lyric as a broadside; then, with music by Levy, it became the first title issued by De Vivo’s short-lived publishing firm. Despite massive advertising and limited use in vaudeville, the song was not successful.
Times Music Pub. Co.
145 W. 45th St.
Historical Note
This is the second of two printings, distinguished by back covers.
An expensive marketing campaign began with a full-page advertisement in Variety on February 1st; plugs and smaller advertisements in trade journals followed, culminating in a two-page spread in the Clipper on March 6. Despite this, the only performances seem to have been by the minor vaudevillian Reine Davis.
No piano rolls or recordings have been found.
Musical Note
A conventional but somewhat awkward march song, this makes effective use quotations: the lyrics refer to “Over There,” with the phrase placed in quotes, and the last melodic phrase in the verse paraphrases Cohan’s melody. The penultimate phrase of the refrain quotes the opening of “La Marseillaise,” continuing directly into the second phrase of “Columbia, the Gem of the Ocean.”
Dedication
Dedication
Subject - Topic
World War, 1914-1918
Songs and music
Popular music
Patriotic music
Democracy
Songs and music
Marches (Voice with piano)
Statue of Liberty (New York, N.Y.)
Pictorial works
Subject - Geographic
United States
Subject - Temporal
1911-1920
Lyrics
[verse 1] America, you’ve taken a big task / To you all Nations, for freedom ask, / From coast to coast, Across the plains, / Our boys are mustered to make our claims; / And when they get going “Over There” / You’ll hear the good news flashed ev’rywhere.
[refrain 1] America, you’ll make the world safe for democracy, And down autocracy / With ninety millions true, All fighting for you, Under the Red, White and Blue. / Thro’ shot and shell they’ll conquer as in days of long ago and vanquish ev’ry foe; / When Old Glory rises o’er the top, Our boys “Over There” will never stop / ’Til America, has made the world the wide world safe for democracy!
[verse 2] America, you see it’s up to you, / Our boys are going to see it through, / In France they’ll fight, And have no fear, / They’re fighting for all that they hold dear; / And when they return with vict’ry won / You’ll welcome your heroes one by one.
[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.
Artist
Pfeiffer, E. H. [Edward Henry]
Cover Description
The Statue of Liberty, above the clouds, facing forward, light rays and stars streaming from her torch; below and at her sides are two globes, one picturing the northwestern hemisphere, the other the southeastern. Blue and red on white; signed BL.