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There's a Little Blue Star in the Window

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https://digital.library.illinois.edu/items/f5403c00-c556-0134-2373-0050569601ca-0

Rights Information

No Copyright - United States

Supplementary Document

Title
There's A Little Blue Star In the Window And It Means All The World To Me - Lyrics
Composer
Klickmann, F. Henri  
Lyricist
Armstrong, Paul B.  
Publisher
Frank K. Root & Co.  
Place of Publication
Chicago (Ill.)  
Lyrics
  • There’s a Little Blue Star in the Window and it Means all the World to Me Verse: There’s a little blue star in the window and it means all the world to me. There’s a lad who is true to the Red, White and Blue and he’s serving his Flag o’er the sea. But it does not reflect golden sunshine, never gleams in the dead of night
  • In the brightness of day, as the night wears away, it shines with its own holy light. Refrain: There are stars in the high heavens shining with a promise of hope in their light. There are stars in the field of Old Glory, the emblem of honor and right. But no star ever shone with more brightness, I know, than the one for my boy o’er the sea
  • There’s a little blue star in the window, and it means all the world to me. Verse: When the sun sinks to rest in the evening and the stars in the dark’ning sky, Shine with soft, tender light, till the heavens are bright, then a glorious sight greets the eye. But the brightest of stars in the heavens does not shine with the brillia
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 21, Folder 1
Local Identifier
2014_12996_704
Collection Title
James Edward Myers Sheet Music Collection, 1836-1986
Collection
James Edward Myers World War I Sheet Music Collection

Descriptive Information

Title
There's a Little Blue Star in the Window
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.)
Comment
  • successive printings, recordings, and arrangements all confirm that its popularity continued past the end of the war. A blue star service flag was hung in the window of families when one of their members was serving overseas.
  • Copyright dates indicate that this song enjoyed immediate success at the start of 1918
Historical Note
  • the first had been issued in January, 1918. Arrangements for band and for orchestra appeared at least by 1919. The text was included in Feist’s “Songs the Soldiers and Sailors Sing” (© 1918 01 26).
  • This is the second of at least two printings, which followed the Victor and Columbia recordings, released on July 1, 1918
Musical Note
A semi-high-class ballad, gently syncopated in the refrain, this has the usual characteristics: melodic sequence, chromatic inflections, extensive secondary dominants, modal borrowings, and a melodic ossia at the end that reaches for a climax.
Subject - Topic
  • Soldiers -- Family relationships -- Songs and music.  
  • Flags -- United States -- Songs and music  
  • Popular music -- United States -- 1911-1920.  
  • World War, 1914-1918 -- Songs and music  
Lyrics
  • There’s a little blue star in the window, And it means all the world to me. [Verse] When the sun sinks to rest in the evening And the stars in the dark’ning sky Shine with soft, tender light, Till the heavens are bright, Then a glorious sight greets the eye. But the brightest of stars in the heavens Does not shine with the brilliancy As the little one there In the window--my pray'r For my laddie over the sea. [Refrain]
  • In the brightness of day, As the night wears away, It shines with its own holy light. [Refrain] There are stars in the high heavens shining With a promise of hope in their light. There are stars in the field of Old Glory, The emblem of honor and right. But no star ever shone with more brightness, I know, Than the one for my boy o’er the sea
  • There’s a lad who is true To the Red, White and Blue, And he’s serving his Flag o’er the sea. But it does not reflect golden sunshine, Never gleams in the dead of night
  • There’s a Little Blue Star in the Window and it Means all the World to Me [Verse] There’s a little blue star in the window, And it means all the world to me
Musical Genre
Semi-high-class ballad
Repository
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Sousa Archives and Center for American Music
Rights
No Copyright - United States
Cover Description
  • unsigned.
  • monochrome except for flag (2nd printing)
  • simple red and blue border. Red and blue on white throughout (1st printing)
  • below the window, curving up to the right, are flowering morning glory vines
  • on the sill, right, is a potted geranium
  • the top pane of each of the open shutters contains a heart
  • Single blue star on white square on red field, as a flag, hanging down in the center of an open window
Back Cover Description
  • piano roll © 1918 03 20) 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)
  • Advertisement for “Late Patriotic Song Successes”. Four rows: Top row: samples and covers for There’s a Little Blue Star in the Window (© 1918, not located in copyright catalogs
Performance Medium
voice and piano  
Original Location
  • Series 2, Box 21, Folder 1
  • Record Series 12/9/96
Local Identifier
2014_12996_704
Collection Title
James Edward Myers Sheet Music Collection, 1836-1986
Collection
James Edward Myers World War I Sheet Music Collection
TitleThere's a Little Blue Star in the Window
ComposerKlickmann, F. Henri  
LyricistArmstrong, Paul B.  
PublisherFrank K. Root & Co.  
Place of PublicationChicago (Ill.)  
Year of Publication1918  
Date of CopyrightNo copyright registered.
Physical Description1 score ([1], 2-3, [1] p.)
Comment
  • successive printings, recordings, and arrangements all confirm that its popularity continued past the end of the war. A blue star service flag was hung in the window of families when one of their members was serving overseas.
  • Copyright dates indicate that this song enjoyed immediate success at the start of 1918
Historical Note
  • the first had been issued in January, 1918. Arrangements for band and for orchestra appeared at least by 1919. The text was included in Feist’s “Songs the Soldiers and Sailors Sing” (© 1918 01 26).
  • This is the second of at least two printings, which followed the Victor and Columbia recordings, released on July 1, 1918
Musical NoteA semi-high-class ballad, gently syncopated in the refrain, this has the usual characteristics: melodic sequence, chromatic inflections, extensive secondary dominants, modal borrowings, and a melodic ossia at the end that reaches for a climax.
Subject - Topic
  • Soldiers -- Family relationships -- Songs and music.  
  • Flags -- United States -- Songs and music  
  • Popular music -- United States -- 1911-1920.  
  • World War, 1914-1918 -- Songs and music  
Lyrics
  • There’s a little blue star in the window, And it means all the world to me. [Verse] When the sun sinks to rest in the evening And the stars in the dark’ning sky Shine with soft, tender light, Till the heavens are bright, Then a glorious sight greets the eye. But the brightest of stars in the heavens Does not shine with the brilliancy As the little one there In the window--my pray'r For my laddie over the sea. [Refrain]
  • In the brightness of day, As the night wears away, It shines with its own holy light. [Refrain] There are stars in the high heavens shining With a promise of hope in their light. There are stars in the field of Old Glory, The emblem of honor and right. But no star ever shone with more brightness, I know, Than the one for my boy o’er the sea
  • There’s a lad who is true To the Red, White and Blue, And he’s serving his Flag o’er the sea. But it does not reflect golden sunshine, Never gleams in the dead of night
  • There’s a Little Blue Star in the Window and it Means all the World to Me [Verse] There’s a little blue star in the window, And it means all the world to me
Musical GenreSemi-high-class ballad
RepositoryUniversity of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Sousa Archives and Center for American Music
RightsNo Copyright - United States
Cover Description
  • unsigned.
  • monochrome except for flag (2nd printing)
  • simple red and blue border. Red and blue on white throughout (1st printing)
  • below the window, curving up to the right, are flowering morning glory vines
  • on the sill, right, is a potted geranium
  • the top pane of each of the open shutters contains a heart
  • Single blue star on white square on red field, as a flag, hanging down in the center of an open window
Back Cover Description
  • piano roll © 1918 03 20) 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)
  • Advertisement for “Late Patriotic Song Successes”. Four rows: Top row: samples and covers for There’s a Little Blue Star in the Window (© 1918, not located in copyright catalogs
Performance Mediumvoice and piano  
Original Location
  • Series 2, Box 21, Folder 1
  • Record Series 12/9/96
Local Identifier2014_12996_704
Collection TitleJames Edward Myers Sheet Music Collection, 1836-1986
CollectionJames Edward Myers World War I Sheet Music Collection

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