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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 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 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
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
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 16, Folder 1
Local Identifier
2014_12996_353
Collection Title
James Edward Myers Sheet Music Collection, 1836-1986
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.
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
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.”
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
Subject - Topic
Soldiers -- Songs and music.
Separation (Psychology) -- Songs and music
Mothers of soldiers -- Songs and music.
Popular music -- United States -- 1911-1920.
World War, 1914-1918 -- Songs and music
Lyrics
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
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
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
Musical Genre
Mother song
March song
Repository
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Sousa Archives and Center for American Music
Rights
No Copyright - United States
Cover Description
Gray-haired mother, standing, facing left and looking out through window, watching troops marching away
unsigned.
framed with red, white, and blue ribbon. Red and blue on white paper
US flag mounted on civic building, above and to left of figure
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.
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
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.”
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
Subject - Topic
Soldiers -- Songs and music.
Separation (Psychology) -- Songs and music
Mothers of soldiers -- Songs and music.
Popular music -- United States -- 1911-1920.
World War, 1914-1918 -- Songs and music
Lyrics
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
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
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
Musical Genre
Mother song
March song
Repository
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Sousa Archives and Center for American Music
Rights
No Copyright - United States
Cover Description
Gray-haired mother, standing, facing left and looking out through window, watching troops marching away
unsigned.
framed with red, white, and blue ribbon. Red and blue on white paper
US flag mounted on civic building, above and to left of figure