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I Didn't Raise My Boy to Be a Soldier

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https://digital.library.illinois.edu/items/e83ebfc0-c556-0134-2373-0050569601ca-4

Rights Information

No Copyright - United States

Supplementary Document

Title
I Didn't Raise My Boy to Be a Soldier - Lyrics
Composer
Piantadosi, Al  
Lyricist
Bryan, Alfred  
Publisher
Leo Feist Inc.  
Place of Publication
New York (N.Y.)  
Year of Publication
1915  
Lyrics
I Didn’t Raise my Boy to be a Soldier Verse: Ten million soldiers to the war have gone, Who may never return again. Ten million mothers’ hearts must break For the ones who died in vain. Head bowed down in sorrow In her lonely years, I heard a mother murmur thro’ her tears: Refrain: “I didn’t raise my boy to be a soldier, I brought him up to by my pride and joy. Who dares to place a musket on his shoulder, To shoot some other mother’s darling boy? Let nations arbitrate their future troubles, It’s time to lay the sword and gun away, There’d be no war today If mothers all would say, “I didn’t raise my boy to be a soldier.” Verse: What victory can cheer a mother’s heart, When she looks at her blighted home? What victory can bring her back All she cared to call her own. Let each mother answer In the years to be, Remember that my boy belongs to me!
Repository
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Sousa Archives and Center for American Music
Rights
No Copyright - United States
Original Location
  • Record Series 12/9/96
  • Series 2, Box 15, Folder 9
Local Identifier
2014_12996_316
Collection Title
James Edward Myers Sheet Music Collection, 1836-1986
Collection
James Edward Myers World War I Sheet Music Collection

Descriptive Information

Title
I Didn't Raise My Boy to Be a Soldier
Composer
Piantadosi, Al  
Lyricist
Bryan, Alfred  
Publisher
Leo Feist Inc.  
Place of Publication
New York (N.Y.)  
Year of Publication
1915  
Date of Copyright
1915-01-04
Lyrics
I Didn’t Raise my Boy to be a Soldier Verse: Ten million soldiers to the war have gone, Who may never return again. Ten million mothers’ hearts must break For the ones who died in vain. Head bowed down in sorrow In her lonely years, I heard a mother murmur thro’ her tears: Refrain: “I didn’t raise my boy to be a soldier, I brought him up to by my pride and joy. Who dares to place a musket on his shoulder, To shoot some other mother’s darling boy? Let nations arbitrate their future troubles, It’s time to lay the sword and gun away, There’d be no war today If mothers all would say, “I didn’t raise my boy to be a soldier.” Verse: What victory can cheer a mother’s heart, When she looks at her blighted home? What victory can bring her back All she cared to call her own. Let each mother answer In the years to be, Remember that my boy belongs to me!
Repository
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Sousa Archives and Center for American Music
Rights
No Copyright - United States
Original Location
  • Series 2, Box 15, Folder 9
  • Record Series 12/9/96
Local Identifier
2014_12996_316
Collection Title
James Edward Myers Sheet Music Collection, 1836-1986
Collection
James Edward Myers World War I Sheet Music Collection
TitleI Didn't Raise My Boy to Be a Soldier
ComposerPiantadosi, Al  
LyricistBryan, Alfred  
PublisherLeo Feist Inc.  
Place of PublicationNew York (N.Y.)  
Year of Publication1915  
Date of Copyright1915-01-04
LyricsI Didn’t Raise my Boy to be a Soldier Verse: Ten million soldiers to the war have gone, Who may never return again. Ten million mothers’ hearts must break For the ones who died in vain. Head bowed down in sorrow In her lonely years, I heard a mother murmur thro’ her tears: Refrain: “I didn’t raise my boy to be a soldier, I brought him up to by my pride and joy. Who dares to place a musket on his shoulder, To shoot some other mother’s darling boy? Let nations arbitrate their future troubles, It’s time to lay the sword and gun away, There’d be no war today If mothers all would say, “I didn’t raise my boy to be a soldier.” Verse: What victory can cheer a mother’s heart, When she looks at her blighted home? What victory can bring her back All she cared to call her own. Let each mother answer In the years to be, Remember that my boy belongs to me!
RepositoryUniversity of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Sousa Archives and Center for American Music
RightsNo Copyright - United States
Original Location
  • Series 2, Box 15, Folder 9
  • Record Series 12/9/96
Local Identifier2014_12996_316
Collection TitleJames Edward Myers Sheet Music Collection, 1836-1986
CollectionJames Edward Myers World War I Sheet Music Collection

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I Didn't Raise My Boy to Be a Soldier - Cover
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I Didn't Raise My Boy to Be a Soldier - Page 2
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I Didn't Raise My Boy to Be a Soldier - Page 3
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I Didn't Raise My Boy to Be a Soldier - Page 4
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I Didn't Raise My Boy to Be a Soldier - Back Cover
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I Didn't Raise My Boy to Be a Soldier - Lyrics
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