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A-M-E-R-I-C-A Means I Love You, My Yankee Land

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https://digital.library.illinois.edu/items/ecebb3d0-c556-0134-2373-0050569601ca-f
No Copyright - United States (RightsStatements.org)

This item is in the public domain.

Supplementary Document

Title
A-M-E-R-I-C-A Means I Love You, My Yankee Land - Lyrics
Composer
Frost, Jack  
Lyricist
Frost, Jack  
Publisher
Frank K. Root & Co.  
Place of Publication
Chicago (Ill.)  
Year of Publication
1917  
Local Identifier
2014_12996_049
Collection
James Edward Myers World War I Sheet Music Collection

Descriptive Information

Title
A-M-E-R-I-C-A Means I Love You, My Yankee Land
Alternative Title
p. [2], top: A-M-E-R-I-C-A Means "I Love You, My Yankee Land"
Composer
Frost, Jack  
Lyricist
Frost, Jack  
Publisher
  • Frank K. Root & Co.  
  • McKinley Music Co.  
Year of Publication
1917  
Date of Copyright
1917-06-22
Physical Description
1 score, voice and piano ([1], [2-3], [1] p.)
Type
Musical notation  
Comment
The publication history suggests this song had little impact, and it received a a rather negative New York Clipper review (October 6, 1917), but there were scattered amateur performances through 1922, at least. The cover image is striking in its marriage of French and British-American text and iconography.
Historical Note
  • “Jack Frost” was the name used by Harold G. Frost for lighter numbers and novelties. McKinley Music Co. is listed as “owners” of Frank K. Root & Co. on the cover and appears as publisher on the back cover.
  • The song was advertised from August 1917 through March 1918, but there was evidently only one printing.
  • There is one recording (Pathé 6463), made in Paris in December 1918 by L’Orchestre Scrap Iron Jazzerinos.
Musical Note
A formally conventional march ballad (marked “marcia”), this title was classed as an applause number by The New York Clipper. The harmonies have chromatic inflections; in the chorus the first of each four-bar phrase is syncopated and rat-a-tat-tat interjections finish many phrases, but the rubato at the climax suggests a ballad. The whole is skilled but unexceptional. The first line of the verse explicitly evokes the 1915 hit spelling song, “M-O-T-H-E-R” (Theodore Morse and Howard Johnson), which this title clearly imitates.
Repository
Sousa Archives and Center for American Music
Rights
No Copyright - United States
Rights Description
This item is in the public domain.
Back Cover Description
  • Advertisement for “Late Popular Successes”. Four rows of samples.
  • Top row: samples and covers for “If you’ve never been in dreamland you’ve never been in love” (© 1917, advertised 1917 06 14) and “Down the sunset trail to Avalon” (© 1917, advertised 1917 02 07).
  • Second row: samples for “The hour of memory” (© 1916 07 12), “Sweet cookie mine” (© 1917 04 19), and “Paradise blues” (© 1916 10 14).
  • Third row: samples for “I ain’t got nobody” (© 1914 04 08), “Let’s go back to dreamy lotus land” (© 1917, advertised 1917 07 20), and “I love that loveable melody” (© 1917, piano roll announced 1917 02 24).
  • Fourth row: samples and covers for “Moonlight blues” (© 1916, advertised 1916 12 “08) and “My fox-trot girl” (© 1917, piano roll announced 1917 04 28).
Local Identifier
2014_12996_049
Collection Title
James Edward Myers World War I Sheet Music Collection
Collection
James Edward Myers World War I Sheet Music Collection
TitleA-M-E-R-I-C-A Means I Love You, My Yankee Land
Alternative Titlep. [2], top: A-M-E-R-I-C-A Means "I Love You, My Yankee Land"
ComposerFrost, Jack  
LyricistFrost, Jack  
Publisher
  • Frank K. Root & Co.  
  • McKinley Music Co.  
Year of Publication1917  
Date of Copyright1917-06-22
Physical Description1 score, voice and piano ([1], [2-3], [1] p.)
TypeMusical notation  
CommentThe publication history suggests this song had little impact, and it received a a rather negative New York Clipper review (October 6, 1917), but there were scattered amateur performances through 1922, at least. The cover image is striking in its marriage of French and British-American text and iconography.
Historical Note
  • “Jack Frost” was the name used by Harold G. Frost for lighter numbers and novelties. McKinley Music Co. is listed as “owners” of Frank K. Root & Co. on the cover and appears as publisher on the back cover.
  • The song was advertised from August 1917 through March 1918, but there was evidently only one printing.
  • There is one recording (Pathé 6463), made in Paris in December 1918 by L’Orchestre Scrap Iron Jazzerinos.
Musical NoteA formally conventional march ballad (marked “marcia”), this title was classed as an applause number by The New York Clipper. The harmonies have chromatic inflections; in the chorus the first of each four-bar phrase is syncopated and rat-a-tat-tat interjections finish many phrases, but the rubato at the climax suggests a ballad. The whole is skilled but unexceptional. The first line of the verse explicitly evokes the 1915 hit spelling song, “M-O-T-H-E-R” (Theodore Morse and Howard Johnson), which this title clearly imitates.
RepositorySousa Archives and Center for American Music
RightsNo Copyright - United States
Rights DescriptionThis item is in the public domain.
Back Cover Description
  • Advertisement for “Late Popular Successes”. Four rows of samples.
  • Top row: samples and covers for “If you’ve never been in dreamland you’ve never been in love” (© 1917, advertised 1917 06 14) and “Down the sunset trail to Avalon” (© 1917, advertised 1917 02 07).
  • Second row: samples for “The hour of memory” (© 1916 07 12), “Sweet cookie mine” (© 1917 04 19), and “Paradise blues” (© 1916 10 14).
  • Third row: samples for “I ain’t got nobody” (© 1914 04 08), “Let’s go back to dreamy lotus land” (© 1917, advertised 1917 07 20), and “I love that loveable melody” (© 1917, piano roll announced 1917 02 24).
  • Fourth row: samples and covers for “Moonlight blues” (© 1916, advertised 1916 12 “08) and “My fox-trot girl” (© 1917, piano roll announced 1917 04 28).
Local Identifier2014_12996_049
Collection TitleJames Edward Myers World War I Sheet Music Collection
CollectionJames Edward Myers World War I Sheet Music Collection

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