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If a Mother's Prayers Are Answered, Then I Know You'll Come Back to Me

Title
If a Mother's Prayers Are Answered, Then I Know You'll Come Back to Me - Lyrics
Composer
Klickmann, F. Henri  
Lyricist
Armstrong, Paul B.  
Publisher
Frank K. Root & Co.   
Place of Publication
Chicago (Ill.)  
Lyrics
  • If a mother’s pray’rs are answered, Then I know you’ll come back to me. Verse: Tramp, tramp tramp! The boys will bring back victory, We’ll shout with glee, a jubilee! Tramp, tramp, tramp! They’ll bring Old Glory back again Without a single blemish or a stain. Mother’s hearts free from care hard to bear, See the answer to their pray’r. Refrain
  • My hopes went with you o’er the sea
  • My prayr’s for you, my lad, Are pray’rs for all I had, But liberty was calling, brave me were falling. And we all must have some heavy cross to bear
  • If a Mother’s Prayers are Answered then I Know You’ll Come Back to Me Verse: Tramp, tramp, tramp! The boys are marching on their way, Off to the fray, Hip, hip, hooray! Tramp, tramp, tramp! They’re marching on to victory, Beneath Old Glory, emblem of the free. While the boys over there do and dare, Then each mother breathes a pray’r. Refrain: If a mother’s pray’rs are answered, Then the angels will guard you there
Repository
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Sousa Archives and Center for American Music
Original Location
  • Series 2, Box 16, Folder 1
  • Record Series 12/9/96
Local Identifier
2014_12996_353
Collection Title
James Edward Myers Sheet Music Collection, 1836-1986
Collection
James Edward Myers World War I Sheet Music Collection

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https://digital.library.illinois.edu/items/e9066130-c556-0134-2373-0050569601ca-1

Descriptive Information

Title
If a Mother's Prayers Are Answered, Then I Know You'll Come Back to Me
Composer
Klickmann, F. Henri  
Lyricist
Armstrong, Paul B.  
Publisher
Frank K. Root & Co. [McKinley Music Co., Owners]  
Place of Publication
Chicago (Ill.)  
Year of Publication
1918  
Date of Copyright
No copyright registered.
Physical Description
1 score ([1], [2]–[3], [1] p.). Folio.
Comment
One of a series of wartime songs by Klickmann and Armstrong, this probably was meant to build on their earlier mother-and-child songs: “When a Boy Says Good Bye to His Mother” and “Will the Angels Guard My Daddy Over There?”
Historical Note
This song seems to have had little impact: no copyright was registered, and it received no attention in the press, in trade magazines, or in advertisements.
Musical Note
  • A typical mother song and march ballad, with a verse marked “Marcia . . . (with spirit)” and a chorus “in slow march time”, this is almost two different pieces. The verse quotes “Tramp, Tramp, Tramp, the boys are marching” in both music and lyrics
  • the introduction includes fanfare figures, and introduction and verse both conclude with a rat-a-tat-tat. The chorus, though still in 2/4, resembles a ballad, with chromatic inflections, secondary dominants, and a leap to the climax on the word “know.”
Subject - Topic
  • World War, 1914-1918 -- Songs and music  
  • Popular music -- 1911-1920  
  • Mothers of soldiers -- Songs and music  
  • Separation (Psychology) -- Songs and music  
  • Soldiers -- Songs and music  
Lyrics
  • My hopes went with you o’er the sea
  • If a mother’s pray’rs are answered, Then I know you’ll come back to me. [Verse] Tramp, tramp tramp! The boys will bring back victory, We’ll shout with glee, a jubilee! Tramp, tramp, tramp! They’ll bring Old Glory back again Without a single blemish or a stain. Mother’s hearts free from care hard to bear, See the answer to their pray’r. [Refrain]
  • If a Mother’s Prayers are Answered then I Know You’ll Come Back to Me [Verse] Tramp, tramp, tramp! The boys are marching on their way, Off to the fray, Hip, hip, hooray! Tramp, tramp, tramp! They’re marching on to victory, Beneath Old Glory, emblem of the free. While the boys over there do and dare, Then each mother breathes a pray’r. [Refrain] If a mother’s pray’rs are answered, Then the angels will guard you there
  • My pray'rs for you, my lad, Are pray’rs for all I had, But liberty was calling, brave men were falling. And we all must have some heavy cross to bear
Musical Genre
  • March ballad
  • Mother song
Repository
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Sousa Archives and Center for American Music
Cover Description
  • US flag mounted on civic building, above and to left of figure
  • framed with red, white, and blue ribbon. Red and blue on white paper
  • unsigned.
  • Gray-haired mother, standing, facing left and looking out through window, watching troops marching away
Back Cover Description
Advertisement for “Late Patriotic Song Successes”. Four rows of samples: Top row: samples and covers for There’s a Little Blue Star in the Window (© 1918, advertised 1918 01 16) I’m Hitting the Trail to Normandy (© 1917 09 15) Second row: samples for Old Glory Goes Marching On (© 1918 04 10) Will the Angels Guard My Daddy Over There? (© 1918 04 10) When a Boy Says Good Bye to His Mother and She Gives Him To Uncle Sam (© 1917 09 04) Third row: samples for When It Comes to a Lovingless Day (© 1918 01 23) Let the Chimes of Normandy Be Our Wedding Bells (© 1918, advertised 1918 05 15) When the Kaiser Does the Goose-step to a Good Old American Rag (© 1917 10 22) Fourth row: samples and covers for A-M-E-R-I-C-A (© 1917 06 22) Giddy Giddap! Go on, Go on (© 1917 09 04)
Performance Medium
voice and piano  
Original Location
  • Record Series 12/9/96
  • Series 2, Box 16, Folder 1
Local Identifier
2014_12996_353
Collection Title
James Edward Myers Sheet Music Collection, 1836-1986
Collection
James Edward Myers World War I Sheet Music Collection
TitleIf a Mother's Prayers Are Answered, Then I Know You'll Come Back to Me
ComposerKlickmann, F. Henri  
LyricistArmstrong, Paul B.  
PublisherFrank K. Root & Co. [McKinley Music Co., Owners]  
Place of PublicationChicago (Ill.)  
Year of Publication1918  
Date of CopyrightNo copyright registered.
Physical Description1 score ([1], [2]–[3], [1] p.). Folio.
CommentOne of a series of wartime songs by Klickmann and Armstrong, this probably was meant to build on their earlier mother-and-child songs: “When a Boy Says Good Bye to His Mother” and “Will the Angels Guard My Daddy Over There?”
Historical NoteThis song seems to have had little impact: no copyright was registered, and it received no attention in the press, in trade magazines, or in advertisements.
Musical Note
  • A typical mother song and march ballad, with a verse marked “Marcia . . . (with spirit)” and a chorus “in slow march time”, this is almost two different pieces. The verse quotes “Tramp, Tramp, Tramp, the boys are marching” in both music and lyrics
  • the introduction includes fanfare figures, and introduction and verse both conclude with a rat-a-tat-tat. The chorus, though still in 2/4, resembles a ballad, with chromatic inflections, secondary dominants, and a leap to the climax on the word “know.”
Subject - Topic
  • World War, 1914-1918 -- Songs and music  
  • Popular music -- 1911-1920  
  • Mothers of soldiers -- Songs and music  
  • Separation (Psychology) -- Songs and music  
  • Soldiers -- Songs and music  
Lyrics
  • My hopes went with you o’er the sea
  • If a mother’s pray’rs are answered, Then I know you’ll come back to me. [Verse] Tramp, tramp tramp! The boys will bring back victory, We’ll shout with glee, a jubilee! Tramp, tramp, tramp! They’ll bring Old Glory back again Without a single blemish or a stain. Mother’s hearts free from care hard to bear, See the answer to their pray’r. [Refrain]
  • If a Mother’s Prayers are Answered then I Know You’ll Come Back to Me [Verse] Tramp, tramp, tramp! The boys are marching on their way, Off to the fray, Hip, hip, hooray! Tramp, tramp, tramp! They’re marching on to victory, Beneath Old Glory, emblem of the free. While the boys over there do and dare, Then each mother breathes a pray’r. [Refrain] If a mother’s pray’rs are answered, Then the angels will guard you there
  • My pray'rs for you, my lad, Are pray’rs for all I had, But liberty was calling, brave men were falling. And we all must have some heavy cross to bear
Musical Genre
  • March ballad
  • Mother song
RepositoryUniversity of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Sousa Archives and Center for American Music
Cover Description
  • US flag mounted on civic building, above and to left of figure
  • framed with red, white, and blue ribbon. Red and blue on white paper
  • unsigned.
  • Gray-haired mother, standing, facing left and looking out through window, watching troops marching away
Back Cover DescriptionAdvertisement for “Late Patriotic Song Successes”. Four rows of samples: Top row: samples and covers for There’s a Little Blue Star in the Window (© 1918, advertised 1918 01 16) I’m Hitting the Trail to Normandy (© 1917 09 15) Second row: samples for Old Glory Goes Marching On (© 1918 04 10) Will the Angels Guard My Daddy Over There? (© 1918 04 10) When a Boy Says Good Bye to His Mother and She Gives Him To Uncle Sam (© 1917 09 04) Third row: samples for When It Comes to a Lovingless Day (© 1918 01 23) Let the Chimes of Normandy Be Our Wedding Bells (© 1918, advertised 1918 05 15) When the Kaiser Does the Goose-step to a Good Old American Rag (© 1917 10 22) Fourth row: samples and covers for A-M-E-R-I-C-A (© 1917 06 22) Giddy Giddap! Go on, Go on (© 1917 09 04)
Performance Mediumvoice and piano  
Original Location
  • Record Series 12/9/96
  • Series 2, Box 16, Folder 1
Local Identifier2014_12996_353
Collection TitleJames Edward Myers Sheet Music Collection, 1836-1986
CollectionJames Edward Myers World War I Sheet Music Collection

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