Songs of the Great War

Speranza

Songs of the Great War

1914
Knight and Lyle, “Cinderella: a pantomime”.
HERE WE ARE HERE WE ARE HERE WE ARE AGAIN
Pat & Mac & Tommy & Jack & Joe
when there’s trouble brewing
when there’s something doing
are we downhearted no let 'em all come
HERE WE ARE HERE WE ARE HERE WE ARE AGAIN
we’re fit & well & feeling right as rain
never mind the weather now then all together
hullo hullo here we are again.


1914
Albert Gumble/A. Seymour Brown.
where the honey suckle vine twines itself around the door
a sweetheart mine is waiting patiently for me
I can hear the whippoorwill tell me softly from the hill
her mem'ry haunts you
Rebecca wants you
so come back to SunnyBrook Farm.





There's a farm upon a hill, down in Maine,
And there a little girlie waits for me,
Rebecca is her name.
When we wandered down the lane, Just we two,
And she was grieving when I was leaving
And then I promised to be true.
I can see her just the same, standing there,
And she had on her little gingham gown And ribbons in her hair.
My Rebecca looked so sweet,Dressed so plain,
I knew I'd miss her,I longed to kiss her,
And so I'm going back again.








1914
W. H. Squire/Ada Harris.
there's an old-fashioned house, in an old-fashioned street
in a quaint little old-fashioned town
there’s a street where the cobblestones harass the feet
as it struggles up-hill and then down
& though to and fro through the world I must g
my heart, while it beats in my breast
where'er I may roam, to that old-fashioned home
will fly like a bird to its nest.

in that old-fashioned house, in that old-fashioned street
dwell a dear little old-fashioned pair
I can see their two faces so tender and sweet
& I love every wrinkle that's there.

1914
Felix Arndt. Operatic Nightmare: Desecration No. 2





1914
M: Blance T. Tice, w: Frank Connor.
YOU SEEM TO BE FORGETTING ME
just like the rose forgets the dew
you seem to be forgetting me
for you are not so fond and true
your blush bespeaks of sunkissed cheeks
& happy days that used to be
& through my heart yourr love still seeks
YOU SEEM TO BE FORGETTING ME





Along the distant shores of time,
In days when you and I first met,
My life was crowned with joy sublime,
A joy I never can forget;
We strolled in loveland's mystic realm,
Our path with sweetest flowers strewn,
Like flowers rare that blossomed there,
Fond hopes have faded all too soon.

I call you sweetheart just the same,
As in the golden days gone by,
There's something sacred in the name,
Although it often brings a sigh;
There comes to me by night and day,
Sweet mem'ries of the long ago,
With love so true I dream of you,
Although it grieves me now I know.







1914
Irving Berlin
I love the cows & chickens
but THIS IS THE LIFE THIS IS THE LIFE
I love to raise the dickens
while I'm cabareting
where the band is playing;
I love the homemade cider but I'd rather have wine
no more picking berries me for cocktail cherries
THIS IS THE LIFE THIS IS THE LIFE
THIS IS THE LIFE for mine.





Farmer Brown came to town,
Started to take in the sights:
Cabarets, swell cafes,
Took up most of his nights,
After seven days or so,
After seeing ev'ry show,
After meeting May and Flo,
Farmer Brown remarked:

Missis Brown, out of town,
Wrote to her husband and said: "Please come home,
I'm alone!" When her letter he read,
Farmer Brown took off his coat,
Sat right down and then he wrote,
To his wife a little note,
This is what he said:






1914
Walter Donovan/Arthur Fields.
Aba, daba, daba, daba, daba, daba, dab
said the Chimpie to the Monk
Baba, daba, daba, daba, daba, daba, dab
said the Monkey to the Chimp
all night long they'd chatter away
all day long they were happy and gay
swinging and singing in their hunky tonkey way
Aba, daba, daba, daba, daba, daba, dab
means "Monk I love but you," "Baba, daba, dab,"
in monkey talk means "Chimp I love you too,"
Then the big baboon, one night in June,
He married them, and very soon
They went upon their aba, daba honeymoon. moon.






'Way down in the Congo Land
Lived a happy chimpanzee,
She loved a monkey with a long tail,
(Lordy, how she loved him!)
Each night he would find her there,
Swinging in the cocoanut tree,
And the monkey gay, at the break of day,
Loved to hear his Chimpie say:

Well, you should have heard
that band Play upon their wedding day,
Each Chimp and Monkey had nutshells,
Lordy, how they played them;
And now it is ev'ry night,
High up in the cocoanut tree,
It's the same old thing, with the same old swing,
When the Monk and Chimpie sing:



"Aba, daba, daba, daba, daba, daba, dab"
Said the Chimpie to the Monk,
"Baba, daba, daba, daba, daba, daba, dab,"
Said the Monkey to the Chimp.
All night long they'd chatter away,
All day long they were happy and gay,
Swinging and singing in their hunky tonkey way.
"Aba, daba, daba, daba, daba, daba, dab,"
means "Monk I love but you," "Baba, daba, dab,"
in monkey talk means "Chimp I love you too,"
And now they cry, "This is the life,"
Since they came from their aba, daba honeymoon.



1914
M: Harry Carroll, w: Harold R. Atteridge.

by the sea by the sea BY THE BEAUTIFUL SEA
you and I, You and I, oh! how happy we'll be
when each wave comes a-rolling in
we will duck or swim
& we'll float and fool around the water
over and under, and then up for air
Pa is rich, Ma is rich so now what do we care
I love to be beside your side
Beside the sea, beside the seaside





Joe and Jane were always together,
Said Joe to Jane "I love Summer weather,
So let's go to that beautiful sea,
Follow along, Say you're with me!"
Anything that Joe would suggest to her,
Jane would always think it was best for her,
So he'd get his Ford,Holler
"All aboard Gee I want to be."

Joe was quite a sport on a Sunday,
Though he would eat at Child's on a Monday,
And Jane would lose her millionaire air,
And go to work,Marcelling hair,
Ev'ry Sunday he'd leave his wife at home,
Say "It's bus'ness, honey, I've got to roam,"
Then he'd miss his train, Get his Ford and Jane,
And say "Come with me."





1914
M: F. Henri Klickmann, w: Casper Nathan.
LITTLE LOST SISTER roaming alone
you need the love that you knew way back home
back when the skies are blue
back where all hearts are true
LITTLE LOST SISTER far from the fold
just drop the folks a line
say you'll go home to your mother & brother
LITTLE LOST SISTER mine.




Little girl, you're the sister of someone,
Little girl, you're a daughter too;
Tho' you're bowed down with shame,
there's a home where your name
Is remembered by parents true.
Little girl, you're intended for someone,
For someone whose affection would last;
If love entered your heart, all your woes would depart,
And you'd quickly forget the past.

Little girl, you'd look better in gingham,
Than you look in your stylish gown;
Say "Goodbye" to "White lights"
and their doubtful delights,
Say "Hello" to the old home town.
Little girl, make your life worth the living,
Your true friends are the same as of old;
Leave the city behind, and you're certain to find,
All the blessings this life can hold.







1914
M: Fred Heltman, w: A. H. Eastman

in my dreams I see her
when the shad-ows cast their spells
when the lights are burning low
& love its secret tells
tells the wondrous secret
o my dar-ling I love you
& I wak-en & I won-der
WILL MY DREAMS COME TRUE


My thoughts have strayed
to a lit-tle maid, So far a-way;
A-way a-mong the hills she lives,
And there my heart would stay.
Her eyes are bright,
and her foot-steps light,
And she is fair;
Her smile is sweet and she is neat,
And she has gold-en hair.
I'll go a-way to the hills to-day,
I'll meet her there;
My lit-tle maid with heart so gay,
So light, so free from care.
And I will see what my fate shall be,
For I know well, Though love is blind,
yet love is kind, And love will al-ways tell.


In my dreams I see her,
And I know that she is mine;
And I know she loves me with
A love al-most di-vine;
And I whis-per soft-ly:
"O I love you, yes, I do!"
Then I wak-en and I won-der,
will my dreams come true.



1914
M: Harry von Tilzer, w: Andrew B. Sterling.

ALL ABOARD FOR DREAMLAND
jump on a trolley with Maudie or Mollie
& ALL ABOARD FOR DREAMLAND
it's out of sight
that's the place for sweet-hearts
ice cream and kiss-es, oh
there's where the bliss is
so ALL ABOARD FOR DREAMLAND
on a sum-mer's night.


I know some place to go
when a soft moon beams,
Sweet-hearts all love to call it
the land of dreams;
Just out-side of the town
not so far a-way, Go for a ride,
with your girl by your side,
at the close of day.
Down in Dream-land,
you waltz with your on-ly one,
Then you spoon 'neath the moon
when the dance is done;
When you kiss her good-night,
with a smil-ing face,
She'll whis-per low,
"meet me next Sun-day,
Joe, at the same old place."





1914
Carrie Jacobs-Bond/Fred Jacobs Smith.
Out in life's garden, where sympathy grew,
I found a heart, 'twas the heart of you.
In that same garden devotion grew,
And I found a soul, 'twas the soul of you.
And still farther on, where the flow'rs are few,
I looked for hours, through the mist and dew,
Till I found my ideal, and Mother, my Mother,
My Mother, 'twas you.







1914
M: George W. Meyer, w: Alfred Bryan
THE HIGHT COST OF LOVING THE HIGH COST OF LOVING
it's driving me mad yes driving- me mad
the high cost of living is on- ly a joke
the high cost of loving is keep- ing me broke,
You bor- row from mother, from sister and brother
you try to keep up with the style
ev'ry brick layers daughter, drinks wine just like water
I'll have to stop loving a while.


Billy O' Higgins Was feeling quite sad,
His little sweetheart was treating him bad,
His weekly earnings were fifteen dollars,
That only paid for his shirts collars.
Each time he'd ask her to go to a show,
All of her family wanted to go,
She'd call a taxi to take them all home,
Then you would hear poor Billy moan.
Each night they'd linger around cabarets,
She could spend money in ten different ways,
After each drink, or a moment later,
All of his change she would tip waiter.
When they played music his poor heart would sink,
She'd treat the orchestra all to a drink,
He would sit there and spend dime after dime,
While all that she'd spend was her time.












1914
M: Jerome Kern, w: Schuyler Greene & Herbert Reynolds
Little Lady don't be depressed and blue,
After all we're both In the same canoe
Have no fear, can't you see I'm here?
And till our journey is through,
Little Lady I will take care of you.
Give me your hand, here where we stand,
We're off to Slumberland,
Come, dry your eyes; I'll sympathize
Like a father, mother, brother.
Moon- light is bright, kiss me goodnight,
Just like a sister should,
Then put on your little hood,
And we'll both be, Oh, twice so good!
Like the BABES IN THE WOOD
(SHE) When the babes were lost In the gloomy wood,
It's no wonder they were so very good.
Fourteen angels were watching them,
So all the story books state,
Sandman's coming now, It is getting late.
Give me your hand, I understand
We're off to Slumber With you,
I'll go although- we've no
Angel chorus watching o'er us.
Moonlight is bright, kiss me goodnight,
Just like a brother should,
I'll put on my little hood,
But we'll both be as good!
As the babes In the wood.



1914
M: Gus Edwards, w: Blanche Merrill
she lives JUST ’ROUND THE CORNER FROM BROADWAY
in the shadows of Long Acre square
but tho’ she lives next door to Broadway
you never see her there
a little slow perhaps that's so
but just the kind of girl
your mother likes you to know
& I only pray that she'll always stay
JUST ’ROUND THE CORNER FROM BROADWAY
.


There's a goody, goody girlie
that you se most ev'ry day,
she's known as Mary,
Just modest Mary,
You can spot her in a million
as she walks along the way,
My modest Mary,
my own Queen Mary,
She's in in a class all by herself, you bet,
No wise guys, who have tried, have won her yet,
She's the little money earner
of her little Home, Sweet Home
And with her mother, her sweet old mother:
She looks like a country lassie
and she's just a little green
My modest Mary
My pretty Mary,
But you couldn't make me swap her
for a Duchess or a Queen
My modest Mary
my sweetheart Mary
if ever I took Mary down the line,
She'd make ev'ry other girl look like a shine,
And you'd hear the white light reubens ask me
where I found that dream,
And then I'd answer,
I'd proudly answer:



1914


HELLO HELLO WHO’S YOUR LADY FRIEND
who's the little girlie by your side
I've seen you with a girl or two
oh oh oh I am surprised at you
hello hello stop your little games
don't you think your ways you ought to mend
it isn't the girl I saw you with at Uvongo
who who who’s your lady friend


Jeremiah Jones a lady's man was he.
Ev'ry pretty girl he loved to spoon:
Till he found a wife,
And down beside the sea.
Went to Margate for the honeymoon;
But when he strolled a long the promenade
With his little wife, just newly wed.
He got an awful scare
When someone strolling there,
Come up to him and winked and said.


Jeremiah took his wife's mama one night;
Round to see a moving picture show.
There upon the screen,
A picture came in sight
Jeremiah cried "He'd better go,"
For on that picture there was Jeremiah
With a pretty girl upon his knee.
Ma cried, "What does it mean?"
Then pointing to the screen.
The people yelled at Jones with glee.
Jeremiah now has settled down in life.
Said Goodbye to frills and furbelows:
Never thinks of girls
Except his darling wife.
Always takes her ev'rywhere he goes,
By jove, why! There he is you naughty boy!
With a lady too you're rather free.
Of course you'll stake your life
The lady is your wife,
But tell me on the strict Q. T.
Christmas pantomime were Jone's chief delight,
Once he madly loved the Fairy Queen.
There behind the scenes
He spoon'd with her one night.
Someone for a lark pulled up the scenes,
And there was poor old Jones upon the stage.
With his arm around the lady fair.
The house began to roar,
From galltry down to floor.
Then ev'rybody shouted there.




1914
"La Cucaracha" w. (Eng) Stanley Adams m. arr. Juan Y. D'Lorah







1914
The tune of the song was popular in the French army in the 1830s. The original words told of the encounter of an inn-keeper's daughter, named Mademoiselle de Bar le Luc, with a German officer. During the Franco-Prussian war of 1870, the tune was resurrected, and again in 1914 when the Old Contemptibles got to know of it. There are a couple of claims to having written the “Armenteers” lyrics for this song. Edward Rowland and a Canadian composer, Lt. Glitz Rice, is one pair; Harry Carlton and Joe Tunbridge is another. Lastly, many also refer to the famous British songwriter Harry Wincott. The first recording of the song occurred in 1915 by Jack Charman.
Mademoiselle from Armentières
Par ley voo,
Mademoiselle from Armentières
Par ley voo,
Mademoiselle from Armentières,
She hasn't been kissed for forty years,
Hinky, Dinky Par ley voo.
Our top kick in Armentières
Soon broke the spell of forty years,
O Mademoiselle from gay Paree,
You certainly did play hell with me.
One night I had a "beaucoup" jack,
Till a Mademoiselle got on my track.
The Mademoiselle from St. Nazaire,
She never washed her underwear.
The colonel got the Croix de Guerr,
The sunofagun was never there.
Twas a hell of a war as we recall,
But still, 'twas better than no war at all.Farmer have you a daughter fair
Par ley voo,
Farmer have you a daughter fair
Par ley voo,
Farmer have you a daughter fair
Who washes the family underwear
Hinky, Dinky Par ley voo.
With her I flirted, I confess,
But she got revenge when she said "yes"
The doughboy he went over the top
Because he had no place to stop.
From gay Paree he heard guns roar,
And all he learned was 'je t'adore".
The day we sailed away from Brest
I said "Goodbye" and thought the rest.
Twelve long, rainy months or more,
I spent hunting for that war.
Where are the girls who used to swarm
About me in my uniform?


Mademoiselle from Armentières
Par ley voo,
Mademoiselle from Armentières
Par ley voo,
You might forget the gas and shell
You'll never forget the Mademoiselle
Hinky, Dinky Par ley voo.


1914
Ford – Novello.

KEEP THE HOME FIRES BURNING
while your hearts are yearning
tho’ the lads are far away they dream of home
there's a silver lining,
thru the dark clouds shining
turn the dark cloud inside out till the boys come home.
they were summoned from the hillside
they were called in from the glen
& the country found them ready
at the stirring call for men
let no tears add to their hardship,
as the soldiers pass along
& altho’ your heart is breaking
make it sing this cheery song.

1914
"Colonel Bogey - March" m.Kenneth J. Alford -- Major Fredrick Joseph Ricketts, born in London on February 21, 1881. By the time he was 14 he had lost both of his parents. Yearning for a career in military music he lied about his age to join the Royal Irish Regiment. He remained in the army until 1927, when he was commissioned into the Royal Marines as a Director of Music. He retired in 1944 in rather poor health and died in the following year on May 15, 1945. He is renowned as Britain’s “March King” yet unlike John Philip Sousa, who composed at least a hundred and thirty examples, his reputation rests on just eighteen marches. No-one would mistake one of his marches for one of Sousa. One of the most probable explanations for the creation of Colonel Bogey’s march was that Alford was a keen walker and regularly took his walks on the golf course at Fort George in N.E. Scotland 9 miles from Inverness. Alford was serving with the 93rd Highlanders preparing for the call to arms in mainland Europe. While playing golf one of the members whistled the first two notes (B flat and G) instead of calling ‘Fore!’, and with impish spontaneity was answered by Alford with the next few notes. There was little sauntering—Moray Firth’s stiff breezes encouraged a good crisp stride. These little scraps of whistling appeared to ‘catch on’ with the players & from that beginning the quick march was built up.”

1914


God be with our boys tonight
Sanderson.





1914
She only answered ting-a-ling-a-ling
the bells of hell go ting-a-ling-a-ling
for you but not for me:
for me the angels sing-a-ling-a-ling,
they've got the goods for me.
o death where is thy sting-a-ling-a-ling
o grave, thy victoree
the bells of hell go ting-a-ling-a-ling
for you but not for me.


1914
Words by R. P. Weston. Music by Herman Darewski.
SISTER SUSIE’S SEWING SHIRTS FOR SOLDIERS
such skill at sewing shirts our shy young sister Susie shows
some soldiers send epistles
say they'd sooner sleep in thistles
than the saucy soft short shirts for soldiers sister Susie sews.






Sister Susie's sewing in the kitchen on a "Singer",
There's miles and miles of flannel on the floor
And up the stairs,
And father says it's rotten getting mixed up with the cotton,
And sitting on the needles that she leaves upon the chairs.
And should you knock at our street door
Ma whispers, "Come inside."
Then when you ask where Susie is,
She says with loving pride:

Piles and piles and piles of shirts she sends out to the soldiers,
And sailors won't be jealous when they see them,
Not at all.
And when we say her stitching will set all the soldiers itching,
She says our soldiers fight best when their back's against the wall.
And little brother Gussie, he who lisps when he says "yes",
Says "Where's the cotton gone from off my kite?
Oh, I can gueth!"



I forgot to tell you that our sister Susie's married,
And when she isn't sewing shirts
She's sewing other things.
Then little sister Molly says,
"Oh, sister's bought a dolly.
She's making all the clothes for it
With pretty bows and strings."
Says Susie:
"Don't be silly"
As she she blushes and she sighs.
Then mother smiles and whispers with a twinkle in her eyes:






1914
Jerome Kern – From “The Girl from Utah: a musical comedy”.



& when I told them
how beautiful you were
THEY DIDN’T BELIEVE ME
your eyes your cheeks
your mouth, your hair
are in a class beyond compare
you’re the loveliest girl that one can see
& when I tell them
& I certainly going to tell them
that I’m the man whose wife one day you’ll be
they’ll never believe me
they’ll never believe me
that from this brave big world
you’ve chosen me.




Great War parody:
& when they ask us how dangerous it was oh we'll never tell them no we'll never tell them
we spent our pay in some café
& fought wild women night & day
'twas the cushiest job we ever had
& when they ask us & they're certainly going to ask us
the reason why we didn't win the Croix de Guerre
oh we'll never tell them, oh we'll never tell them
there was a front, but damned if we knew where.


1915
THE LUGGAGE VAN AHEAD
A traditional railway song from Australia (Circa 1915)
Click HERE for a Guitar Tab version.
On the midnight express as the train rattled on
All the passengers had gone to bed
All save one young man with a babe on his knee
Who sat there with a bowed down head
One commenced crying just then
As though it's poor heart would break
When an angry man said make that child stop it's noise
It's keeping us all a-wake
Put it out said another don't keep it in here
We've paid for our berths and want rest
But never a word said the man with the child
As he fondled it close to his chest
Oh where is it's mother go take it to her
A young woman softly then said.
I wish to god that I could, was the man's sad reply
But she's dead in the van a-head
While the train rolled onwards the husband sat in tears
Thinking of the happiness of just a few short years
Baby's face brings pictures of a cherished one who's dead
But baby's cries can't waken her
In the luggage van ahead

1915
Bert L. Rule/Ray Sherwood.
why shouldn't birds miss their singing
why shouldn't flow'rs love the dew
why should a miss feel blue from a kiss
& why should a heart beat true
why shouldn't roses love sunshine
sigh for the soft breezes too
why should a lad with a girlie feel sad
& WHY SHOULDN’T I LOVE YOU






My life was full of sorrow until I first met you,
It seems you brought me sunshine and joys I never knew.
But still you seem to doubt me, you think my love untrue,
You mean the world to me, dear,My gem in life is you.

You're just the hidden treasure I've craved and craved for years,
You came to me a rainbow to drive away my tears.
And now because I have you, I wish I could explain,
The love I have to give you, I tell you once again.






1915
F. Wallace Regá
IN THE LAND OF LOVE WITH THE SONG BIRDS
where they sing their pretty tales of love
you could hear the birds sweetly calling
from the mountain roses to the dove
it was near the end of September
that she gave her heart to me in loving words
california how I long to be
IN THE LAND OF LOVE WITH THE SONG BIRDS.




Nightingale sings with joy
In the sunny land of love
where all's in rhyme
There I met sweet Jeanette
On a rocky mountain trail in summertime
Birds above sang of love
As I told life's sweetest tale in three small words,
And each breeze, stealing thro' the trees,
Seemed to bless our lives among the birds.

Whippoorwills sing their lay
To the gleaming stars above when day is through;
And their song all night long
Is a message sweet of love my heart tells you.
Morning breaks, lark awakes,
And it bids the drowsy rose to lift her head,
While the wren, In the shady glen,
Tells the blinking owl the night has fled.






1915
Jack Caddigan & James A. Brennan.
IN THE GOLDEN SUMMERTIME
good old golden summertime
out on the river each night we go
drifting along in the moonlight's glow
with that old sweetheart o' mine
it's then life seems divine
ev'ry breeze thro' the trees
spreads that old love disease
IN THE GOLDEN SUMMERTIME





When you hear the Robin sing,
And you feel the touch of Spring,
When the skies are turning blue,
Life looks awfully good to you
Thoughts of nooks with story books,
Gee, how good the old beach looks,
When that summer girl sets your heart awhirl,
That's the time.

When the leaves begin to fall,
Summer gone beyond recall,
Home again you're feeling blue,
There's not much that a chap can do,
Thoughts of moonlight walks you knew,
And your summer sweethearts too,
How you long for it, gee, you're strong for it,
Summer time.






1915
M: Anatol Friedland, w: L. Wolfe Gilbert.
MY LITTLE DREAM GIRL
you pretty dream girl
sometimes I seem girl
to own your heart
each night you haunt me
by day you taunt me
I want you I want you
I need you so
don't let me wak-en
learn I'm mis-tak-en
find my faith sha-ken
in you sweet-heart.
I'd sigh for, I'd cry for
sweet dreams for-ev-er
MY LITTLE DREAM GIRL goodnight.


The night-time, the night-time is call-ing me,
It's dream-time, sweet dream-time, for you and me.
I'm long-ing, I'm long-ing to close my eyes,
for there a sweet vis-ion lies.
While shad-ows are creep-ing through dark-est night,
In dream-land, sweet dream-land, there's your love-light.
It's beam-ing, it's gleam-ing and all for me,
your vis-ion I long to see.



1915
M: Halsey K. Mohr, w: Ballard MacDonald.
one thing sets me off my mind
it's a military band playing a tune from yankee land
just a ragtime hitchy koo or Alexander
go on Mister Band Commander play it for me
the "Robert E. Lee
when they start to play the Lonesome Pine
it carries me back to old Virginia down in Dixieland
& "On the Mississippi" sounds like an angel chorus
PLAYED BY A MILITARY BAND.


When I was young, my fam'ly said
That I had nothing in my head,
But "Rum-Tum-Tum-Tum-Tiddeley-um!"
The moment I would hear a band I'd grab my nursie by the hand,
And toddle to the sound of the drum;
All my life the bugle and fife, the trombone and bassoon,
Will keep me going when they're blowing any raggy tune,
They never play in vain,The minute they start a strain,
I want to hear more, and I yell "encore"
And they've got to play it again

Each time I'd hear a martial strain,
I'd keep time on the window pane,
With "Rum-Tum-Tum-Tum-Tiddeley-um!"
I'd follow any old parade,
The sufragettes, or boys' brigade,
If only they'd a fife and drum;
Kubelik is awfully slick, and Paderewski too,
They're all right in their line of work
but that's where they get thru,
I must admit their class With classical tunes surpass,
But melodies gay from the U.S.A.
Why you've got to play 'em on brass;





1915
Harry Jentes/Chas McCarron & Alex Gerber.

At the Fountain of Youth,
At the Fountain of Youth,
I saw thin old ladies turn right into babies,
Old ginks with kinks started to shrink,
Got gay when they started to drink,
At the Fountain of Youth,
At the Fountain of Youth,
You ought to see what I saw there,
One old maid by the name of Kitty,
Dived right in and came out so pretty.
Mother Machree looked like a chicken to me.
Down at the Fountain of Youth.





In bed the other night, before I dimmed my light,
I started reading hist'ry.I came upon a myst'ry,
About a fountain rare, no one was ever there,
A place where you could get back youth.
Explorers looked for it most ev'rywhere.
I fell asleep and dreamed that I was there,

Suppose the things I dreamed, were really what they seemed,
Ther'll be no coffin makers, Goodbye to undertakers,
And chorus girls who wed old millionaires,
instead would wed a wealthy healthy youth.
To the poor "Old Ladies Home" the boys would troop.
Because it would look like a chicken coop;







At the Fountain of Youth,
At the Fountain of Youth,
I saw old rheumatics doing acrobatics,
Even saw old Rockfeller there,
He was busy combing his hair,
At the Fountain of Youth,
At the Fountain of Youth,
That wasn't all that I saw there,
One old man who had fought life's battle,
Came out shaking a baby's rattle, telling the truth,
I saw him cut his first tooth,
Down at the Fountain of Youth.




1915
M: Clarence M. Jones, w: Arthur J. Lamb.
look in my heart & you will find
ONLY YOU ONLY YOU
close to my heart I want to bind
ONLY YOU ONLY YOU
tho' sorrow comes you need not mind
love shall be ever true
I want to leave all the world behind
& have ONLY YOU


Once my life was as dark as night
Once the sun never gave me light
Once the stars never seemed to shine,
Then you came like a dream divine
Now this world is a place of bliss
I never dreamed a dream like this!
The skies of life are fair to view
Since I have known only you.
When your life's in the twilight gray
When your life is a Winter's day
When your life is so cold and drear,
Ah! then I'll bring the summer dear
In my fond arms you still shall rest
Lips to lips shall again be prest!
When life is old. love shall be new
That's why I want only you!



1915
M: Sigmund Romberg, w: Harold Atteridge.
Oh, those Ro- mans
All they knew was mirth and laugh- ter
Oh, those Ro- mans
No one wor- ried what came af- ter
Ev- 'ry one had such fun"
Steal- ing pleasure
each one was a grafter,
Those days olden
in the time of Julius Caesar
all were golden
ev-'ry girl they met, they'd squeeze her
they would spark, in the dark
waiting the morn- ing sun
OH THOSE DAYS when Rome was in her glo ry
On, those that wise men put in stor- y
Noth- ing they were think- ing of
But to drink and then make love, the day long
Oh, those days of all those haugh- ty
with their naugh- ty ways
When you saw their dresses cut so low
You would think it was a burlesque show
Back in Roman days.

1915
M: Sigmund Romberg, w: Harold Atteridge.
Pan was quite a man, back in the ages,
And some boy in hist'ry's pages,
Oh, he was a shepherd
Back In Arcady he was a winner,
And of ragtime the beginner
When his reed pipe he would play
Oh, all the country crowned him when he would play.
They all would get a- round him to hear his lay.
Oh that RAGTIME PIPE OF PAN
Oh, how he played that music man!
And when he played on his pipe,
All the animals came round to see,
His little reed seemed to feed them up on melody,
On his reed when he'd lead,
Most ev- 'ry one would start a dancing;
Oh, that ragtime Shepherd King!
His pipe he'd bring and make it sing most anything;
He played that rag in a c1assical way,
He was some ragpicker back in his day,
When he played upon the rag- time pipe of Pan,



1915
M: Victor Herbert.

Ah! dear one! How oft-en I think of the past!
Can it be you for-get? Per-chance
'twas a pas-sion to won-drous to last,
But I dream of it yet! I see you a-gain,
as you gazed in my eyes With joy all a-light!
So fond-ly you'd fold me as soft-ly you told me Of Love
through the star sprink-led night.
Sweet sum-mer breeze, whis-per-ing trees,
Stars shin-ing soft-ly a bove;
Ros-es in bloom, waft-ed per-fume,
Sleep-y birds dream-ing of love.
Safe in your arms, far from a-larms,
Day-light shall come but in vain.
Ten-der-ly pressed close to your breast,





Kiss me, KISS ME AGAIN KISS ME AGAIN
Kiss me! KISS ME AGAIN




1915

SAVE YOUR KISSES TILL THE BOYS COME HOME
when the boys come home they'll be ev'rybody's darling
you must say goodbye to the fellows dress'd in flan-nel
keep your love for the boys who are over the channel fighting
they've all missed you for a long long while
& they're lone-ly over the foam so girls
save all your little kisses till the boys come home.


All the girls are lone-ly, Lone-ly ev'-ry where!
Va-cant co-sy cor-ners, No-thing do-ing there!
Nev-er mind, nev-er mind, Don't you wor-ry or sigh
Tho' your best boy's gone on the rat-a-plan;
He'll come back a Mil-i-ta-ry man
And he'll be the first to catch your eye
Nev-er mind, lit-tle gir-lie, nev-er mind!
You can wait a-while, girls, Till the oys come back!
If he's Sol-dier Tom-my! If he's Sai-lor Jack!
Nev-er mind, nev-er mind, Oh! there's com-ing a day
When the bands will play and the flags will fly;
"Stay at-homes" will look and won-der
why You're proud of the boy who went a-way
Wear a smile, lit-tle gir-lie, just a while.








1915


Underneath the lantern
By the barrack gate,
Darling I remember
The way you used to wait.
T'was there that you whispered tenderly
That you loved me;
You'd always be
My Lili of the lamplight,
My own Lili Marlene.
Time would come for roll call,
Time for us to part,
Darling I'd caress you
And press you to my heart,
And there 'neath that far-off lantern light,
I'd hold you tight,
We'd kiss good night,
My Lili of the lamplight,
My own Lili Marlene.
Orders came for sailing,
Somewhere over there.
All confined to barracks
was more than I could bear.
I knew you were waiting in the street,
I heard your feet
But could not meet
My Lili of the lamplight
my own Lili Marlene.
Resting in our billets
Just behind the lines,
Even tho' we're parted,
Your lips are close to mine.
You wait where that lantern softly gleams,
Your sweet face seems
To haunt my dreams,
My Lili of the Lamplight,
My own Lili Marlene


.






1915





outside the barracks
by the corner light
I always stand & wait for you at night
we will create a world for two
I'll wait for you
the whole night thru
for you LILI MARLEEN
for you Lili marleen



beugler tonight
don't play the call to arms
I want another evening with its charms
then we will say goodbye & part
I'll always keep you in my heart
with me, Lili marleen
With me, lili marleen





give me a rose
to show how much you care
tie to the stem
a lock of golden hair
surely tomorrow
you'll feel blue
but then will come
he love that's new
for you, lili marleen
For you, lili marleen

when we are marching
in the mud & cold
& when my pack
seems more than I can hold
my love for you renews my might
I'm warm again
my pack is light
it's you Lili marleen
It's you, lili marleen








vor der kaserne
vor dem grossen tor
stand eine Laterne
und steht sie noch davor
so woll'n wir uns da
wieder seh'n
bei der Laterne
wollen wir steh'n
bie einst
LILI MARLEEN
unsere beiden schatten
sah'n wie einer aus
dass wir so lieb
uns hatten das sah
man gleich daraus
und alle Leute soll'n es seh'n
wenn wir
bei der Laterne steh'n
wie einst
LILI MARLEEN
schon rief der Posten
sie blasen Zapfenstreich
es kann drei Tage
kosten Kamerad
ich komm' ja gleich
da sagten wir
aufwiederseh'n
wie gerne wollt' ich
mit dir geh'n mit dir
LILI MARLEEN
deine Schritte kennt
sie deinen zieren Gang
alle Abend
brennt sie
doch mich vergaß sie lang
und sollte mir ein Leid
gescheh'n wer wird
bei der Laterne steh'n
mit dir
LILI MARLEEN
aus dem stillen Raume
aus der Erde Grund
hebt mich wie im Traume d
ein verliebter Mund
wenn sich die späten
Nebel dreh'n
werd' ich
bei der Laterne steh'n
Wie einst
LILI MARLEEN











1915
PACK UP YOUR TROUBLES IN YOUR OWN KIT BAG
& SMILE SMILE SMILE
while you’ve a Lucifer to light your fag
smile, boys, that’s the style
what’s the use of worrying? it never was worthwile, so
PACK UP YOUR TROUBLES IN YOUR OWN KIT BAG
& SMILE SMILE SMILE.
1915
w. Gustave Kahn m. Egbert Van Alstyne
MEMORIES MEMORIES dreams of love, so true.
o'er the sea of memory, I'm drifting back to you.
childhood days, wildwood days, among the birds and bees.
you left me alone, but still you're my own!
in my beautiful MEMORIES

1915

I'm gonna buy a PAPER DOLL that I can call my own
a doll that other fellas cannot steal
& then those flirt flirty guys with their flirty flirty eyes
will have to flirt with dollies that are real
when I come home at night she'll be waiting
she'll be the truest doll in all this world.
I'd rather have a PAPER DOLL to call my own
than have a fickle-minded real-life girl.
I tell you boy, it's tough to be alone
& it's tough to love a doll that's not your own
I'm thru with all of them
I'll never fall again,
'cos this is what I'm gonna do
1916
When Verdi plays the hurdy gurdy
Tony Verdi has a raggy hurdy gurdy
when he plays a sweet Italian melody
He'll bring folks back to Italy
You can find him, when you hear him grindin', grindin' when you're near him.
You'll be hearing harmony from far across the sea
The neighbors can't resist that macaroni twist.
When Verdi Verdi plays the hurdy gurdy
I want to be where I can see
The monk he snap the fingers.

Like the rag-go singers

Beppo Beppo, do the one-a step-a,

With Rose Marie

You fee-a bad, you feel-a sad, you feel-a much-a pain

And quick-a just-a like-a dis, you feel-a glad again.

When Verdi, Verdi plays the hurdy gurdy Down in Little Italy.

Pep and mama start-a sin gin' Yama Yama

Keep a swingin' when they hear his raggady hurdy gurdy
melody.
1916
Ira Schuster/Howard Johnson & Alex Gerber.
KEEP YOUR EYE ON THE GIRLIE YOU LOVE
there's a beau that you know nothing of
who may be there to call, when you're out of sight
of course, she may not fall, but mabe she might
never leave her for more than a day
'cause there's hundreds that lose 'em that way
so keep your eye upon your girl Bill
if you don't some other fellow will.






Take a tip from one who knows, all you single men,
If you've a girl to call your own,
Don't ever leave her all alone.
If temptation comes her way, will she pass it by?
That's a question, so my suggestion is,
Watch her on the sly.

It's a tough thing nowadays, picking out a girl,
So when you find your heart's delight,
Take my advice and treat her right,
Girls are fickle as can be, change their minds each day,
Do a rave to 'em, be a slave to 'em,
That's the wisest way.







Keep your eye on the girlie you love,
Just be sure that she's your turtle dove,
Don't take a chance and introduce your best pal,
For if she likes him best, goodbye to your gal
She may kiss you goodnight by mistake,
Call you Clarence, when your name is Jake,
So keep your eye upon your girl,
Bill If you don't some other fellow will.





1916
Charles K. Harris.
Would you care If I should leave you
Would you care if we should part
I'm wearing my heart away for you
It cries aloud, "My love be true.
'mid the green fields of Virginia
in the vale of Shenandoah
while the music is playing In the grand ball room
she has fallen by the wayside,She has gone beyond recall
just break the news to mother, you know how much I love her
then kiss her dear, sweet lips for me and break the news to her.





Fondest mem'ries crowd around me,
As I dream of bygone days,
And those dear sweet songs we used to sing and play;
All you hear today is ragtime And the same old tango tunes,
How I long to hear the songs of yesterday.
We would sing them in the twilight,
How they thrilled us through and through,
I remember dear old mother singing too;
How we all joined in the chorus And we tried to harmonize,
Those dear heart throb songs we love of yestrday.










I love her, yes, I love her just the same,
Although she's fled and has disgraced my name.
Always in the way so they always say,
On the way to Madeline, The moon was softly shining.
There'll come a time some day,When I have passed away.
Somewhere, the sun is shining, Somewhere, a little rain.
After the ball is over, If you could read them all,
Many a heart it is breaking after the ball.






1916
William H. Perrins.
AT THE END OF A BEAUTIFUL DAY
if you're glad, 'cause your heart seems to say
that you've been true and kindly
you've righted a wrong
& you've given your smiles to help others along
if there's somebody's burden of care
that you're willing and ready to share
then your heart's made of gold
& your joys are untold
AT THE END OF A BEAUTIFUL DAY.





There are millions of people today,
Who are seeking to find out the way,
Where real happiness lies,On the earth,
In the skies,
Or within the blue depths of a true woman's eyes.
There are some that want riches and pow'r,
And they seek for them 'most ev'ry hour,
How I wish they but knew for that happiness true,
There is only one way, and I'll tell it to you.

There are kings in their palaces grand,
There are magnates with acres of land,
There are those that have schemes,
But they fade,Into dreams,
And then 'most ev'rybody has something it seems,
But none of them happiness bring,
And that is life's most precious thing,
But this much is true that for me and for you,
There is only one pathway for us to pursue.






1916
Max Clay
most ev'ry fellow meets a girl in the summertime
that he thinks divine in the summertime
down at the beach each evening they can be always
found on a roller coaster, bump the bumps or merrygo rounds
& ev'ry lad and lass in the summertime
just love to sit around and spoon
& almost ev'ry pretty Miss likes a little hug
& kiss when the good old summertime comes round.





The good old summertime is here,
the dearest time in all the year,
That ev'rybody welcomes back again.
When the moon is bright above,
take your little lady love,
For a quiet stroll in lover's lane,
Birds are singing voices ringing
ev'rythings in rhyme,
Each girl and boy is filled with joy
just because it's summertime,

The good old summer always brings a lot
of new engagement rings to lovers who have never met before.
At the mountains or the beach, meet a dainty little peach,
Later on he's yours forever more,
Stars are gleaming love is dreaming
life is just sublime,
The peaches all just seem to fall
in the dear old summertime,








Most ev'ry fellow meets a girl in the summertime,
That he thinks divine in the summertime,
Down at the beach each evening they can be always
found on a roller coaster, bump the bumps or merrygo rounds
and ev'ry lad and lass in the summertime
just love to sit around and spoon,
If you care about your rep.,
Don't forget to watch your step,
when the good old summertime comes round.




1916
Harry Carroll/Ballard MacDonald
all the little flowers nod their pretty heads
when my sweettie passes by
all the little birdies in the trees
honey bees, Hum and sing and ev'rything
& all the little children on their way to school
meet her and greet her with a smile
is it any wonder that I love her
when like the sunny skies above her
SHE IS THE SUNSHINE OF VIRGINIA.




Somewhere a heart is calling,
In Virginia far away,
Where the bluebird's mating,
There my sweetie's waiting,
I'm returning home today,
If you've got a heart within "ya,"
My little girl is bound to win "ya,"
Just like the sunshine of Virginia!


There in the Blue Ridge Mountains,
In Virginia far away,
There my heart is lying,
Where the pines are sighing,
I am longing for the day,
When off to the church I take her,
My little wife for life I'll make her,
She'll be my sunshine of Virginia.






1916
Fred Fischer/Joe McCarthy, Howard Johnson.
Ire-land must be Heav-en
for an an-gel came from there
I nev-er knew a liv-ing soul
one half as swe-et or- fair,
For her eyes are like the star-light
And the white clouds match her hair
Su-re IRELAND MUST BE HEAVEN
FOR MY MOTHER CAME FROM THERE.







I've oft-en heard my dad-dy
speak of Ire-land's lakes and dells,
The place must be like Heav-en,
if it's half like what he tells;
There's ro-ses fair and sham-rocks there,
and laugh-ing wa-ters flow;
I have nev-er seen that Isle of Green,
But there's one thing sure I know.


I've pict-ured in my fond-est dreams
old Ire-land's vales and rills,
I see a stair-way to the sky,
formed by her ver-dant hills;
Each wave that's in the o-cean blue
just loves to hug the shore,
So if Ire-land is-n't Heav-en,
then sure, It must be right next door.




1916
Edgar Allen
down IN THE CITY OF BROKEN HEARTS
where ev'ry one plays a diff'rent part
maybe you'll find her 'ere it's too late
drifting along on the tide of fate,
down in the town where a careless smile
oft hides a ear that starts
find her & whisper her dear mother's name
IN THE CITY OF BROKEN HEARTS.


On the pathway of folly she's drifting along
In the city of fortune and sorrow and song
when a voice whispers "May" just a voice from the past,
someone told me to say, When I found you at last
From the city of sorrow she's turning to roam
Down he pathway that leads back to mother and home
To the loved ones who wait, she has gone back to stay
From the town where each light means a heartache they say.







1916


Walkin' the Dog


Words and Music by: Shelton Brooks

Now listen honey 'bout a new dance craze
Been 'rigimated for about ten days
It's there, "It's a Bear" And it's a new step,
a funny twostep,
In ev'ry Cabaret and dancing hall
You see them doing it, yes, one and all
If you'll just give me a chance
I'll introduce this dance.

get 'way back & snap your fingers
get over Sally, one and all
grab your gal, and don't you linger
do that slow drag 'round the hall
do that step, the "Texas Tommy" drop
like you're sitting on a log
rise slow, that will show
the dance called WALKIN' THE DOG.


You all were crazy 'bout the "Bunny Hug,"
"Most ev'rybody was a "Tango Bug."
But now, and somehow;
The funny Dog walk, is all the town talk,
In ev'ry private home this dance is known,
I cslled a friend of mine up on the 'phone,
Hearing on this graphophone:
This "Doggone" raggy tone.




1916
"La Cumparsita" w. Carol Raven m. G. H. Matos Rodriguez (words written 1932)







1916
w.m. A. J. Mills, Fred Godfrey & Bennett Scott


TAKE ME BACK TO DEAR OLD BLIGHTY
put me on the train for London town
take me over there
drop me ANYWHERE,
Liverpool, Leeds, or Birmingham, well, I don't care
I should love to see my best girl
cuddling up again we soon should be WHOA!!!
Tiddley iddley ighty
Hurry me home to Blighty
Blighty is the place for me





Jack Dunn, son of a gun, over in France today,
Keeps fit doing his bit up to his eyes in clay.
Each night after a fight to pass the time along,
He's got a little gramophone that plays this song:
Bill Spry, started to fly, up in an aeroplane,
In France, taking a chance, wish'd he was down again.
Poor Bill, feeling so ill, yell'd out to Pilot Brown:
"Steady a bit, yer fool! we're turning upside down!"
Jack Lee, having his tea, says to his pal MacFayne,
"Look, chum, apple and plum! it's apple and plum again!
Same stuff, isn't it rough? fed up with it I am!
Oh! for a pot of Aunt Eliza's raspb'ry jam!"
One day Mickey O'Shea stood in a trench somewhere,
So brave, having a shave, and trying to part his hair.
Mick yells, dodging the shells and lumps of dynamite:
"Talk of the Crystal Palace on a Firework night!



1916


green hills o’ Somerset
green hills o’ Somerset
when shall we walk by you
green hills once more.
green hills o' Somerset
green hills o' Somerset
no more we'll walk by you
green hills once more.





the green hills o’ Somerset go rolling to the shore
`twas there we said
that we'd get wed
when spring came round once more
`twas there we kissed & said goodbye
beside the kirkyard wall
& the song the blackbird sang to us
was the sweetest song of all.
the green hills o’ Somerset go rolling to the sea
& still today the violets
are blooming there for me
the shadows kiss the waving grass
beside the kirkyard wall,
but the song the blackbird sings to me
is the saddest song of all.










1916
The Passing Show of 1916.
everybody loves a baby
that's why I’m in love with you
PRETTY BABY pretty baby
& I’d like to be your sister brother dad & mother too
PRETTY BABY pretty baby
won’t you come & let me rock you in my cradle of love
& we'll cuddle all the time
o I want a lovin’ baby
& it might as well be you
pretty baby of mine




1916
Weatherly. Wood.
roses are shining in Picardy in the hush of the silvery dew.
roses are flow'ring in Picardy but there's never a rose like you
& the roses will die with the summertime & our roads may be far apart
but there's one rose that dies not in Picardy’tis the rose that I keep in my heart
she is watching by the poplars,
Colinette with the sea blue eyes,
She is watching and longing and waiting
Where the long white roadway lies.
And a song stirs in the silence,
As the wind in the boughs above.
She listens and starts and trembles.
'Tis the first little song of love...

And the years fly on forever,
'Til shadows veil their skies,
But he loves to hold her little hands
And look in her sea blue eyes.
And she sees the road by the poplars,
Where they met in the bygone years,
For the first little song of the roses
Is the last little song she hears:






1916
Fred Godfrey. He composed the song while serving with the Royal Naval Air Service at Dunkirk during the First World War. "I wrote “Bless ’Em All” while serving in the old R.N.A.S. in France in 1916. And, furthermore, it wasn’t "Bless.'" Although the song is credited to him, it is unclear if he actually wrote the lyrics, and his service record indicates that he joined RNAS January 1917.[1] Les Cleveland (1984) writes that a version of the song titled F*ck 'Em All was a popular protest song by airmen serving on India's North West Frontier during the 1920s, and may have originated from there. It later gained popularity among British and Commonwealth troops during the Second World War, and with a change of lyrics became a patriotic tune after being performed by singers such as Gracie Fields.[2] It was also recorded by George Formby and others.
BLESS’EM ALL bless 'em all
the long & the short & the tall
bless all those sergeants & WO1's
bless all those corporals & their blinkin' sons
cos' we're saying goodbye to 'em all
& back to their billets they crawl
you'll get no promotion
this side of the ocean
so cheer up my lads bless 'em all















1916
Chu Chin Chow. Duet George Robey and Josie Collins.
youth is the time for loving
so poets always say
the contrary I’m proving
look at us two today
love has no charm no meaning
till man has reached his prime
surely it is so
you ought to know
ANY TIME’S KISSING TIME.
1916
Nat D. Ayer. The Bing Boys Are Here. Alhambra. Geo. And F. Robey.
IF YOU WERE THE ONLY GIRL IN THE WORLD & I was the only boy
nothing else would matter in this world today
we would go on loving in the same old day
a garden of Eden just made for two with nothing to mar our joy
I would say such wonderful things to you
there would be such wonderful things to do
IF YOU WERE THE ONLY GIRL IN THE WORLD I was the only boy.
Sometimes when I feel sad
And things look blue
I wish a girl I had
Someone like you
Someone within to build a throne
Someone to call my own
1916
Clifford Grey/Nat D. Ayer, “The Bing Boys Are Here”, Londron.
LET THE GREAT BIG WORLD KEEP TURNING
never mind if I’ve got you
for I only know that I love you so
& there’s no one else will do
you have simply set me yearning
& forever I’ll be true
let the great big world keep on turning (round)
now I found someone like you.



Love they say must come to one and all, of high and low degree
Come what may, I'm waiting for the call, it holds no fears for me
Maybe the day is near
When the thought of my heart I'll hear
If I knew that, someone came for me I'd let the world go by
Someone, who was true as true could be, I'd never want to Sigh
What would I give today?
Just to hear someone so softly say:



1917
Leo Edwards/Ballard MacDonald. Mister Butterfly.







1917
When Patti sang Home Sweet Home.











1917
Arthur Green/William Jerome. If I catch the guy who wrote Poor Butterfly







1917
Will Hart/Ed Nelson
When Yankee Doodle learns to Parlez vous Francais
Parlez vous Francais, in the proper way
He will call each girlie "Ma Cherie,
To evry Miss that wants a kiss he'll say "Wee Wee,
On Ze Be, On Ze Bou, On Ze Boule, Boulevard
With a girl, with a curl you can see him promenade
When Yankee Doodle learns to Parlez vous Francais, "Oo La La,
Sweet Papa" he will teach them all to say.





When Yankee Doodle came to Paris town,
Upon his face he wore a little frown,
To those he'd meet upon the street, he couldn't speak a word,
To find a Miss that he could kiss, it seemed to be absurd.
But if this Yankee should stay there a while,
Upon his face you're bound to see a smile.

Soon Tankee Doodle left old Paris town,
Upon his face there was a coat of brown,
For every man of Uncle Sam was fighting in a trench,
Between each shell, they learned quite well to speak a little French.
When Yankee Doodle gets back to Paree,
He'll break a million hearts take it from me.







1917
Carrie Jacobs-Bond.









I've A COTTAGE IN GOD’S GARDEN
Upon a mountain high
Away from strife and turmoil
And all life's din and cry.
Away from care and sorrow
From all life's tears and woe
A COTTAGE IN GOD’S GARDEN
where I am free to go.
I've A COTTAGE IN GOD’S GARDEN
where my tired feet may rest
& weary though my soul be
my spirit there is blessed.
The wild birds chant their carols
& wild flow'rs bloom galore
out in God's lovely garden
how could I ask for more





1917
C. Lucky Roberts/Lester A. Walton.
Billy Boy
Billy Boy
you're a soldier of renown
Billy Boy,Billy Boy
in a uniform of brown
what a grand old sight
as you battle for the right
Billy Boy
Billy Boy
with a heart so fond and true
for the Red,White and Blue
you are loyal thru & thru
you put the "Brave" in Bravery
you are my pride and joy
now let the bugle blow
come on come on let's go
atta boy my Billy Boy.





Tommy Atkins is a warrior bold
Merrie England loves him more than gold
And to France the hero of today
is fighting in the trenches miles away,
Now Billy Boy has gone across the sea
to help them in their fight for Liberty.

There is Russia with a mighty host,
Of her sturdy cossacks she can boast,
And for valor no one can forget,
those fearless Belgian lads who're fighting yet,
Now Billy Boy it's put right up to you,
to help them win so show what you can do.



1917
Bert J. Wood.
YOU’RE THE BRIGHTEST STAR OF ALL MY DREAMS
with-out you the days so long and drear would seem
'cause I know your heart is mine
I will love you for all time
YOU’RE THE BRIGHTEST STAR OF ALL MY DREAMS.


The night-in-gale was sing-ing, sweet-heart mine,
The skys were bright with sun-set's crim-son glow;
Your eyes were filled with love-light soft-ly shin-ing,
When we were part-ed, love, so long a-go,
I knew your heart was ach-ing, near-ly break-ing,
As ten-der-ly we kissed and made a vow.
You tried so hard to keep the tears from fall-ing:
Sweet-heart in dreams I seem to see you now.


I al-ways will re-mem-ber where we strolled,
To-geth-er by the babb-'ling mead-ow brook.
I al-ways will re-mem-ber how we roamed, Dear;
The paths that led down to that shad-y nook.
I can't for-get your lov-ing, good-night kiss-es,
Or how your bright eyes shone with love so true:
I can't for-get your greet-ings in the morn-ing:
Though far a-way I ev-er think of you.









1917
M: Bert Grant, w: George Graff, Jr.
blue bird carry my happiness back to me
blue bird you've heard me call
won't you answer to my pleading
fly high into the sky
o'er the land o'er the sea
BLUE BIRD go BRING BACK MY HAPPINESS
bring back my sweetheart to me.





Blue Bird,I confess,That I love your story;
You bring hapiness with your melody.
Tell me, is it true, or an allegory?
Blue Bird, can you bring back to me?
The treasure trove, the perfect love,
the days that used to be;
The tenderness of each caress,
my happiness to me?
Bue Bird, can it be,You are love's tale bearer?
Do you hear the plea of two heart apart?
Do you fill the need, make their world seem fairer?
Carry love seed from heart to heart?
If this is so, then Blue Bird go,
and sing your melody;
Below, above, go bring the love,
I'm dreaming of, to me?










1917
John Barnes Wells.
I sometimes think I'd rather crow
And be a rooster, than to roost And be a crow.
But I dunno.
A rooster he can roost also,
Which don't seem fair when crows can't crow,
Which may help some.
Still I dunno.
Crows should be glad of one thing though,
Nobody thinks of eating crow,
While roosters they are good enough
For any one, unless they're tough.
There're lots of tough old roosters tho',
And anyway a crow can't crow.
So mebby roosters stand more show.
It looks that way.
But I dunno!




1917
M: George W. Meyer,w: Edgar Leslie, E. Ray Goetz.









the bells are ringing
FOR ME & MY GAL
the birds are singing
FOR ME & MY GAL


Ev'rybody's been knowing
to a wedding they're going
& for weeks they've been sewing
ev'ry Su-sie & Sal


they're congregating
FOR ME& MY GAL
the parson's waiting
FOR ME & MY GAL


& sometime I'm goin' to build
a lit-tle home for two
for three or four or more
in loveland FOR ME & MY GAL



What a beau-ti-ful day
For a wed-ding in May
see the peo-ple all stare
at the lov-a-ble pair
she's a vi-sion of joy
he's the luck-i-est boy
in his wed-ding ar-ray
hear him smil-ing-ly say



1917
Shelton Brooks.
I'LL BE DOWN TO GET YOU IN A TAXI HONEY
you better be ready about half past eight
now dearie don't be late
I want to be there when the band starts playing
remember when we get there honey
the two steps I'm goin' to have em all
goin' to dance out both my shoes
when they play the jelly roll blues
tomorrow night at THE DARKTOWN STRUTTER’S BALL


I've got some good news Honey
an invitation to the Darktown Ball
it's a very swell affair
all the "highbrowns" will be there
I'll wear my high silk hat & a frocktail coat
you wear your Paris gown & your new silk shawl
there ain't no douby about it babe
we'll be the best dressed in the hall.
We'll meet our hightoned neighbors,
an exhibition of the "Baby dolls,"
And each one will do their best
Just to outclass all the rest,
And there'll be dancers from ev'ry foreign land
The classie, buck and wing, and the wooden clog
We'll winn that fifty dollar prize
When we step out and "Walk the Dog."




1917
M: Milton Ager, w: Howard Johnson.

China, 'way out near Asia Minor,
No country could be finer beneath the sun;
You gave us silk to dress our lovely women,'Twas worth he price,
And when we couldn't get potatoes, you gave us rice.
We mix chop suey with your chop sticks,
You've taught us quite a few tricks we never knew,
We take our hats off to one thing we've seen,
Your laundries keep our country clean,
CHINA WE OWE A LOT TO YOU.





When I woke up the other morn
I found a new Republic had been born
There was to be democracy in China;
we congratulate her,
But we know old China too,
did an awful lot for me and you,
now her freedom's won,
let's thank her for what she's done.


Now,China we all realize
The magic of your dreamy almond eyes,
It's plain to see our crockery is China;
Ev'ry cup and saucer,
All our Broadway Johns and Janes
Couldn't do without your bamboo canes,
Tho' you're weak in song,
We all know your tea is strong.





1917
M: Raymond Hubbell, w: John L. Golden.
queen of the Nile
you've made my life well worth while
somehow some way some time & some day
I'll pray that I'll win your smile
for my crown I gave
to be your own humble slave
here dear with you on this isle
my BEAUTIFUL QUEEN OF THE NILE


The sphinx has been silent for thousands of years
And guarded the secrets of Egypt right well
But if it would speak, what stories of tears
And tales of sweet love it could tell!
For here In its shadow a wondrous love came
A soldier and siren a tent for their home
The queen of the Nile, Cleopatra her name
And Anthony, bravest of Rome.
He sued her and wooed her o'er desert and ocean
And this was his song of devotion
when Antony came with his thousands of men
to Egypt to rule them, a quer or brave
the Siren she woo'd and subdued him and then
the conqueror soon was her slave
& he who had ruled over Caesar himself
for fair Cleopatra was lowly and mean
gave up claim for fame, for power or pelf
to love and be loved by his Queen
& swains of today sing the same old love story
that Antony sang in his glory.





1917
M: Louis A. Hirsch, w: Otto Harbach.
You start to sway and then you shut your eyes
You're on the way that leads to Paradise
All you can do is to Cling as you swing
And you wing higher, higher
Ev'ry tingling nerve on fire now
You want to shout out loud, you don't know how
you're in a golden cloud,You're GOING UP GOING UP
like a rocket gone insane
sailing in an aeroplane.


The world is always wanting something new,
Sensations only last a day or two
But there's a feeling that I'd like to bet,
If once you've known it you won't soon forget.
A "mile a minute" once was going some,
And "looping loops" supposed to thrill you dumb:
But these are now a turtle's stu pid pace,
Compared to just a little ride in space






1917
Irving Berlin.

Wait till you see me with my sweet-ie
Show-ing her off to the crowd
Look-ing so dream-y at my sweet-ie
Feel-ing so ter-rib-ly proud;
She makes a spec-ial-ty, Of look-ing good to me
She ought to be right in Tif-fan-y's win-dow
She's a jew-el, I know that you'll a-gree.
Wait till I'm mar-ried to my sweet-ie
How hap-py I'll be; I've got the bung-a-low paid for
I've had it 'spec-ial-ly made for
My sweet-ie, Sweet-ie, eet-ie, eet-ie
My sweet-ie and me. me.





I nev-er felt so hap-py be-fore,
A lit-tle ras-cal knocked at my door;
It's Cu-pid that I'm speak-ing of,
I'm in love, So in love;
I must con-fess that right from the start;
I went and lost my heart.
You've seen an ex-hi-bit-ion where they,
Charge you a large ad-mis-sion to stay;
I mean the paint-ings that they show,
Fine, I know, But don't go;
I've got a pic-ture and it's a treat;
You need-n't buy a seat.





1917
Irving Berlin.

all that wor-ries me
is SOMEONE ELSE MAY BE THERE WHILE I’M GONE
in my dreams I see, a coup-le spoon-ing on the lawn
that ver-y thought just keeps me wor-ried;
I lay a-wake till the break of the dawn
I must hur-ry back, 'cause some-one else
may be there, while I'm gone. gone.





I left my dar-ling the oth-er day,
We start-ed quarrel-ing, I went a-way;
But now I wish that I was back.
I love my ba-by, in-deed I do,
And who knows may-be, she loves me too,
But that's just may-be, and that won't do.

I'm wild a-bout her, that's why I'm blue,
I hate to doubt her the way I do;
I may be wrong I may be right.
Al-tho' I wor-ry an aw-ful lot,
If I should hur-ry back to the spot,
She may be wait-ing. She may be, not!








1917
w.m. George M. Cohan
OVER THERE OVER THERE
send the word send the word OVER THERE -
that the yanks are coming the yanks are coming,
the drums rum-tumming everywhere.
so prepare say a prayer
send the word send the word to beware
we'll be over we're coming over,
& we won't come back till it's over
OVER THERE


Johnnie, get your gun,
Get your gun, get your gun,
Take it on the run,
On the run, on the run.
Hear them calling, you and me,
Every son of liberty.
Hurry right away,
No delay, go today,
Make your daddy glad
To have had such a lad.
Tell your sweetheart not to pine,
To be proud her boy's in line.
Johnnie, get your gun,
Get your gun, get your gun,
Johnnie show the Hun
Who's a son of a gun.
Hoist the flag and let her fly,
Yankee Doodle do or die.
Pack your little kit,
Show your grit, do your bit.
Yankee to the ranks,
From the towns and the tanks.
Make your mother proud of you,
And the old Red, White and Blue.



1917
Noel Coward
.
Ev’ry peach
Out of reach
Is attractive
Cause it’s only
And you’ll find that every man
If he can
As he passes by
For the brute
Loves the fruit
That’s forbidden
And I bet you half a crown
He’ll
If he has to climb a bit
To shake it down.
1917


GOODBYE-EE
goodbye-ee
wipe the tear
baby dear
from your eye-ee
tho' it's hard to part I know
I'll be tickled to death to go
don't cry-ee
dont sigh-ee
there's a silver lining in the sky-ee
bonsoir old thing
cheer-i-o chin chin
nah-poo toodle-oo
GOODBYE-EE.






Brother Bertie went away
To do his bit the other day
With a smile on his lips
and his Lieutenant's pips
upon his shoulder bright and gay
As the train moved out he said,
'Remember me to all the birds.'
Then he wagged his paw
and went away to war
Shouting out these pathetic words:
At the hospital at Kew,
The convalescents, dressed in blue,
Had to hear Lady Lee
who had turned eighty-three,
Sing all the old, old songs she knew.
Then she made a speech and said,
"I look on you boys with pride,
And to thank you all I'm going to kiss each one",
Then they all grabbed a stick and cried





1916
M: Herman Paley, w: Alfred Bryan
SWEET LITTLE BUTTERCUP shy little Buttercup
dry your eyes of blue I'll come back to you
when the war is thru safe in your sylvan dell
far from the shot and shell let your lovelight shine
angels guide you watch beside you
SWEET LITTLE BUTTERCUP mine.





Will you miss me little Buttercup,
Said a rustic lad one day,
I must go away,And I must obey.
Come and kiss me lift your two lips up,
There now dearie don't you cry,
Hear the bugles calling,
It is time to say "Good bye."

Stop your crying little Buttercup,
Sang a little bird one night,
Stars are shining bright,
On his mantle white.
Don't be sighing lift your spirit up,
Soon he will be on his way,
Hear the breezes sighing,
Don't you hear them softly say?





1916
Jack Wells.
first you sip the honey from your baby's lip
then you buzz around and take another sip
then you twirl her on her toes
like a bee around a rose
then take a tumble
& do the bumble
get a little closer as you start to sway
if she whispers no sir then you jump away
buzz your busy baby to the melody
& you keep on, keep on





I heard a woodland melody,
As I sat down beneath a tree;
And then a bee came winging, singing, singing,
And he stopped in front of me.
Just then an other bee flew 'round,
And they both sat upon the ground,
Then I heard one say, "I'll show to you,
Something strictly new."

I need a simple melody,
Just like the buzzin' of a bee;
And then you get excited, so delight- ed,
With that charming harmony.
You take your girl upon the floor,
And get the band to play some more,
Then you spin her like a great big top,
Till she hollers "stop!"




1916
Hubbell-Golden. This heartrending song, written about the main character from Pucinni’s Madame Butterfly, was introduced by Haru Onuki in The Big Show, which opened at the Hippodrome Theater in New York on August 13, 1916, closing in September, 1917, after 425 performances. Lyricist John L. Golden, in his 1930 autobiography Stagestruck, recalled the collaboration with Raymond Hubbell on the writing of “Poor Butterfly” during the summer of 1916. Trying desperately to find a cool place in the Hippodrome Theatre to work, the two descended to the elephant pens in the basement, where a pen was cleaned up and a small piano installed. Hubbell, a violinist, began playing a melody for Golden, who had been asked by producer Charles Dillingham to come up with a “Japanese-style” number relating to "Madama Butterfly". Soon Golden, despite the nearby proximity of the elephants and the associated aroma, had created a lyric telling the sad tale of Butterfly waiting for her American lover to return to Japan." Although a Chinese actress/vocalist, Haru Onuki, introduced the song, she was replaced soon after the opening by soprano Sophie Bernard. The number’s popularity, however, came from early performances and recordings by artists such as vocalist Edna Brown, the Joseph C. Smith Orchestra, and especially the Victor Military Band. The song was so popular that over two million copies of the sheet music were sold, and it was played and sung by almost every musical artist of the day. The tune’s huge popularity waned, but it was performed and recorded over the decades. Pianist Zez Confrey, a popular solo artist and bandleader famous for his piece “Kitten on the Keys,” wrote a piano solo in 1921 entitled “Poor Buttermilk,” poking fun at "Poor Butterfly". Golden’s lyric for the verse set the stage for the song in a garden in Japan where a young maiden met an American sailor “’neath the cherry blossoms.” He taught her how to love “the ‘Merican Way” but left, “promising to return some day.” The chorus then finds her waiting underneath the cherry blossoms as the “moments pass into hours,” the hours to years, yet she “smiles through her tears,” hoping for his return. Musical analysis of “Poor Butterfly” Original KeyAb major FormA - B - A – C TonalityPrimarily major Movement. A great deal of chromatic and whole-step, scale-wise motion, punctuated by dramatic leaps of a sixth and more in both directions. The third degree of the scale is often preceded by a chromatic lower neighbor. Comments (assumed background) This song is typical of the sub-genre of sentimental, “pseudo-Oriental” ballads popular between 1910 and ca. 1925. Wide interval leaps over augmented fifth chords add emotion and melodrama, perfectly complimenting the dated lyrics (which would probably be offensive to people of Asian descent today). The melodic line is, however, quite lyrical and lends itself readily to extended harmonies and chord substitutions (several are already “built-in” to the melody, such as the ninth in measure 3 of “A” and the augmented fifth of a V7/VI chord, enabling the insertion of an embellishing IV chord prior to the V7(+5).


poor butterfly
neath the blosooms waiting
poor butterfly
for she loved him so
the moments pass into hours
the hours pass into years
& tho’ she smiles thru her tears
she murmurs low
the moon & I
know that he’ll be faithful
that’ll he come back
to me by-&-by
but if he don’t come
then I’ll never sigh or cry
I must just die
poor Butterfly.





There's a story of a little Japanese
sitting demurely 'neath the cherry blossom trees.
Miss Butterfly her name.
A sweet little innocent child was she,
Till a fine young American from the sea.
To her garden came.
They met 'neath the cherry blossoms ev'ry day
and he taught her how to love in the 'Merican way,
To love with her soul! 'twas easy to learn;
Then he sailed away with a promise to return.
"Won't you tell my love" she would whisper to the breeze
Tell him I'm waiting 'neath the cherry blossom trees.
My Sailor man to see.
The bees and the humming birds say they guess,
Ev'ry day that passes makes one day less.
'Till you come to me.
For once Butterfly she gives her heart away,
She can never love again she is his for aye.
Through all of this world, For ages to come,
So her face just smiles, tho' her heart is growing numb.



1917

all things come home at eventide
like birds weary of their roaming
& I would hasten to thy side
HOMING

o dearest I have wandered far
from day break to the twilight gloaming
I come back with the evening star
HOMING

thou art my hunger & my need
the goal & solace of my roaming
be thou my haven when I speed
HOMING

A. L. Salmon – Teresa del Riego.

1917
Fraser-Simpson, “The Maid of the Mountains”, a musical comedy.

At seventeen he falls in love quite madly with eyes of tender blue
At twenty four he gets it rather badly with yes of a different hue
At thirty five, you’ll find him flirting sadly with two or three or more
When he fancies he is past love it is then he meets his last love
And he loves her as he’s never loved before.












1917
Fraser-Simpson, “The maid of the mountains”, a musical comedy.

If I only had the key to your heart
I’d give you the key to mine
It’d open the door to a wonderful dream
of a life & love divine
no barrier then could keep us apart
& daydreams would all come true
for the key to your heart
is the key to the door
of a paradise of two.
1917
Fraser-Simpson, “The Maid of the Mountains”, a musical comedy.
what’ever befall
I still recall
the sunlight mountain side
where skies are blue
& hearts are true
& love’s the only guide
If faithful to my trust I stay
no thought can fill me with dismay
love holds the key
to set me free
& love will find the way.
1918
Sigmund Romberg/Jean Schwartz/Harold Atteridge, “The Galli Curci Rag”, in “The Passing Show of 1918.”
She can get a look at me.
A little jazz in her wonderful trill.
Tho’ it’s wrong
A melody sweet with the blues.
Altho’ no opera sung ever has it
Ragtime is great when you jazz it.
What a wonderful rag it would be.
Oh Galli-Curci sing a rag for me.
Tho’ it’s wrong what a wonderful song it would be.
The Galli-Curci rag.
Your voice you’d use what a treat to a melody sweet with the blues.
1918
Jack Glogau/Harry Rose.
for I love her and she loves me
& we're wild about each other
she's my squirrel and I'm her nut
no knife in two our love can cut
'cause I love her and she loves me
be lieve me there's no other
& in a year now who can tell
another little nut will start to yell
I love her and she loves me
& we're happy all the time.





Since I've been in this old town,
There's been a lot of talk around,
About the Wild, wild women,
The wild, wild women ev'ry where,
I don't know where they get it,
And I wish that they forget it,
For to me it's neither here nor there.
Now I declare, I really don't know what I'm goin' to do,
'Cause I'm in love with a wild, wild woman too
I don't look the same, folks say,
I'm getting worse yes ev'ry day,
Oh, oh those wild, wild women,
Those wild, wild women drive me mad
There's something great about 'em,
And I can't live without 'em,
They have made the greatest men all fall,
The small and tall,
I really don't know what I'm goin' to say,
It's loving her that makes me look this way.







For I love her and she loves me,
And we're wild about each other,
If I miss seeing her one day,
I know that I would pass away,
'Cause I love her and she loves me,
Be lieve me there's no other,
I'm very glad that I can say,
She made me what I am today,
I love her and she loves me,
And we're happy all the time.




1918
Maceo Pinkard.
don't cry little girl, don't cry
don't sigh, little girl, don't sigh
remember a smile
is always worthwhile
when one comes to say goodbye
some day when your dreams come true
they'll bring happy thoughts to you
your tears as they fall
hurt my heart most of all
please don't cry, little girl, don't cry.





Why are you looking so sad sweetheart,
Your heart is breaking it seems,
It's mighty hard you and I must part,
We only know what it means,
I long for a smile from you,
Although you are sad and blue.

Lift up your eyes and you'll see my dear,
I've saved a smile just for you,
I thought I'd wear it to say "goodbye,"
To one who has been so true,
Remember that tears are vain,
For we two shall meet again.





1918
George L. Cobb.

there's a thorn for ev'ry rose that blossoms
there's a cloud in ev'ry sky of blue
there's a sigh for ev'ry heart that's broken
there are tears for love that proves untrue
ev'ry life should have its share of gladness
it's a part of God's eternal plan
this old world has had enough of sadness
so spread all the SUNSHINE you can.




When clouds are heavy and the sun forgets to shine,
When life seems empty and your heart begins to pine,
Just think of others who are bearing more than you
A kindly act or word will let the sunshine through,
We cannot live in vain,Nor pass this way again,
But ev'ryone beneath the sun can help someone in pain.


Sometimes an old remembered song will bring again,
Joy to a heart that's burdened down with care and pain,
Sometimes a helping hand will lift a fallen friend,
That cheers him on his way untill the journey's end.
We all can do our bit,It doesn't take much grit,
For ev'ryone beneath the sun can use his "sunshine kit."






1918
Charles Shisler











1918
Louis Hirsch/P. G. Wodehouse/Guy Bolton.


Down in the val-ley where sun-beams grow
and stars go to rest when they're old,
Stands, ev-er cov-ered in sun-set glow
a won-der-ful cit-y of gold.
Oft-en I hoped I should see some day
That cit-y that oth-ers have known;
It's eas-y to find if you know the way,
But no-one can find it a-lone.
Dear gold-en cit-y!
Life is hap-py and se-rene there
Where lov-ers go
When it's spell they can't re-sist.
And how I pit-y all the folks
who've nev-er been there:
They'll nev-er know
All the won-ders they have missed
I'm going to stray there:
I've some one now to show the way there.
We'll go and stay there
It's much more sim-ple than it seems.
No one will find us
For we'll leave the world be-hind us
In our dear cit-y, Our cit-y of dreams.
Ma-ny are go-ing there ev-'ry day
and though some have sought it in vain,
No-one who ev-er has found the way
can ev-er for-get it a-gain.
Close to a riv-er whose wav-lets creep
And splash on the sil-ver-y sand,
It's not ver-y far from the Hills of Sleep,
And they are in Fa-ir-y Land.
Dear gold-en cit-y!
Life is hap-py and se-rene there
Where lov-ers go
When it's spell they can't re-sist.
And how I pit-y all the folks
who've nev-er been there:
They'll nev-er know
All the won-ders they have missed
I'm going to stray there:
I've some one now to show the way there.
We'll go and stay there
It's much more sim-ple than it seems.
No one will find us
For we'll leave the world be-hind us
In our dear cit-y, Our cit-y of dreams.







1918
Harry Carroll/Joseph McCarthy.
I'M ALWAYS CHASING RAINBOWS
watching clouds drifting by
my schemes are just like all my dreams
ending in the sky
some fellows look & find the sunshine
I always look and find the rain
some fellows make a winning sometime
I never even make a gain believe me
I’M ALWAYS CHASING RAINBOWS
waiting to find a little blue bird in vain.


At the end of the rain-bow
there's hap-pi-ness
And to find it
how of-ten I've tried
but my life is a race
just a wild-goose chase
& my dreams have
all been de-nied
why have I al-ways
been a fail-ure
what can the rea-son be
I won-der if the world's to blame
I won-der if it could be me?



1918
Bob Carleton
JA DA JA DA
Ja Da Ja Da Jing Jing, Jing
Ja Da, Ja Da
Ja Da, Ja Da, Jing, Jing, Jing.
That's a fun-ny lit-tle bit of mel-o-dy
It's so sooth-ing and ap-peal-ing to me
It goes Ja Da, Ja Da
Ja Da, Ja Da, Jing, Jing, Jing!

You've heard all a-bout
your rag-gy mel-o-dies,
Ev-'ry thing from ope-ra
down to har-mo-ny,
But I've a lit-tle song
that I will sing to you,
It's going to win you
thru and thru.
There ain't much to the words
but the mu-sic is grand,
And you'll be sing-ing it
to beat the band.
Now you've heard of your "Will O' The Wisp,"
But give a lit-tle lis-ten to this; It goes:



1918
Will E. Dulmage/E. J. Myers.
where your caravan is resting
dream away, your dreams will soon come true
like the desert birds anesting
I'll build a tent for two
a tent that's meant for you
so wait for me, my little Cleopatra be
love me like she loved Marc Anthony
where your caravan is resting
IN THE SHADOW OF THE DESERT PALM






Drifting on the great Sahara, in your dusty caravan;
You're far away and today skies are gray,
But soon I'll meet you where the palm trees sway;
The same old Gypsy trail will guide me
to where love's dream began.
Drifting on the great Sahara, do you ever think of me?
In all my dreams, dear, it seems you recall,
The happy days you long for most of all;
Just keep my heart with all its love dear,
In sweetest memory.







1918
Frank H. Grey/Eustice Hale Ball.
(BOY) SINCE I FIRST KNEW YOU thoughts of all others died
since I first knew you only for you I've sighed;
You were just meant for me That I plainly can see
Only for me, since the world began
GIRL: How true, dear, me for you, dear
BOY) Then you'd sing for me Sweet loving lullabies
By the summer sea, As deep'ning daylight dies
your own dear eyes of blue Told me you would be true
ever Since I knew you. you


(BOY)You recall, how the waves were singing
By the sea; To our lives new love came winging
(GIRL) You met me
(BOY) You were fair, little girl dear
Gold your hair, little girl dear
(GIRL) When we spoke, love a- woke
(BOY) Love which comes,dear, Once in a life time
(GIRL)I recall our first sweet meeting
(BOY) I do, too
(GIRL) I recall how our hearts were beating
(BOY) Yes that's true, When I made my proposal
(GIRL) I was at your disposal
(BOY) 'Twas then we planned for our wedding day
my little girlie
We first loved in the mouth of June dear
Long a- go' All the world was in perfect tune, dear
Yes, that's so
Sweet your kiss, at our greeting
Rare our bliss, at our meeting
June it fled,Summer sped
And we parted,Both broken hearted
now again comes the month of roses
joy sub- lime
let's make haste, now that fate dis- poses
while there's time
Then in glee we will marry
And for nothing we'll tarry
our joy will have for us no alloy, my little girlie!



1918
Lynn Cowan/Alex Sullivan.

there's the kiss that you get from baby
there's the kiss that you get from dad
there's the kiss that you get from mother
that's the first real kiss you had
there's the kiss of a tender meeting
other kisses you recall
but the KISSES I get from you sweet-heart
are the sweetest kisses of all.


Ev-er since the world be-gan,
Kiss-es have been tempt-ing man,
Though kiss-es have helped to make his-to-ry
It's fun-ny how diff-'rent they can be.
Ev-'ry-one just loves to kiss,
Ev-'ry lad and ev-'ry miss,
Though man-y are bash-ful, we know, it's true,
They all love their hugs and kiss-es too.






1918
Music by: Joe Burns, Arthur Fields, Archie Gottler
Lyrics by: Burns, Fields & Gottler
held back each tear as I kissed mother dear
I held back the tears when I kissed Dad
I held back each tear as I kissed wif-ey dear
But oh, how it made me sad;
I tried to be brave as we part-ed
I held back each tear with a sigh
But when I had to kiss my baby
that's the kiss that made me cry.





Sold-ier boy fought for Old Glo-ry,
Now he is safe-ly home, I begged to hear his sto-ry,
Of hard-ships a-cross the foam.
He said the sad-dest day, Was when I sailed a-way. Most ev-'ry stor-y's worth hear-ing,
Man-y re-main un-told, Each stor-y's tale's en-dear-ing;
And well worth its weight in gold; Sad-dest of all I heard,
Let me re-peat each word:







1918


They Were All Out Of Step But Jim
1918
Jim-my's moth-er went to see her son,
March-ing a-long on pa-rade;
In his un-i-form and with his gun,
What a love-ly pic-ture he made.
She came home that ev-'ning,
Filled up with de-light;
And to all the neigh-bors,
She would yell with all her might:

"Did you see my lit-tle Jim-my march-ing,
With the sol-diers up the av-en-ue?
There was Jim-my just as stiff as starch,
Like his Dad-dy on the sev-en-teenth of March.
Did you no-tice all the love-ly la-dies,
Cast-ing their eyes on him?
A-way he went, To live in a tent;
O-ver in France with his reg-i-ment.
Were you there, and tell me, did you no-tice?
They were all out of step but Jim."

That night lit-tle Jim-my's fa-ther stood,
Buy-ing the drinks for the crowd;
You could tell that he was feel-ing good,
He was talk-ing ter-rib-ly loud.
Twen-ty times he treat-ed,
My! but he was dry;
When his glass was emp-ty,
He would treat a-gain and cry:

"Did you see my lit-tle Jim-my march-ing,
With the sol-diers up the av-en-ue?
There was Jim-my just as stiff as starch,
Like his Dad-dy on the sev-en-teenth of March.
Did you no-tice all the love-ly la-dies,
Cast-ing their eyes on him?
It made me glad, To gaze at the lad;
Lord help the Kai- ser if he's like his Dad.
Were you there, and tell me, did you no-tice?
They were all out of step but Jim."












1918

The oth-er day I chanced to meet a sol-dier friend of mine,
He'd been in camp for sev-'ral weeks and he was look-ing fine;
His mus-cles had de-vel-oped and his cheeks were ros-y red,
I asked him how he liked the life, and this is what he said:

"Oh! how I hate to get up in the morn-ing,
Oh! how I'd love to re-main in bed;
For the hard-est blow of all,
is to hear the bu-gler call;
You've got to get up, you've got to get up,
you've got to get up this morn-ing!
Some-day I'm go-ing to mur-der the bu-gler,
Some day they're go-ing to find him dead;
I'll amp-u-tate his rev-eil-le
and step up-on it heav-i-ly,
And spend the rest of my life in bed."

A bu-gler in the arm-y is the luck-i-est of men,
He wakes the boys at five and then goes back to bed a-gain;
He does-n't have to blow a-gain un-til the af-ter-noon,
If ev-'ry-thing goes well with me, I'll be a bu-gler soon.

"Oh! how I hate to get up in the morn-ing,
Oh! how I'd love to re-main in bed;
For the hard-est blow of all,
is to hear the bu-gler call;
You've got to get up, you've got to get up,
you've got to get up this morn-ing!
Oh! boy the min-ute the bat-tle is o-ver,
Oh! boy the min-ute the foe is dead;
I'll put my un-i-form a-way,
and move to Phil-a-del-phi-a,
And spend the rest of my life in bed."




1918




1918
Girl of Mine
Music and lyrics by: Harold Freeman, Cover Artist: Rolf Armstrong
One of those gorgeous colorful covers from the glory days of sheet music. The colors and realism of the painting are striking. The artist, Rolf Armstrong is one of the most highly regarded cover artists from the period yet sadly, we have only seven known works by him. Listening to the music brings images of those gentler, kinder days.






1918
Irving Berlin. "Yip Yip Yaphank", a musical revue with soldiers dressed in blackface and in drag. Re-used in the Ziegfeld Follies of 1919, where it was performed by Eddie Cantor and Marilyn Miller.
Mandy
There's a minister handy
And it sure would be dandy
If we'd let him make a fee
So don't you linger
Here's the ring for your finger
Isn't it a humdinger?
Come along and let the wedding chimes
Bring happy times
For Mandy and me
I was strolling out one evening by the silv'ry moon
I could hear somebody singing a familiar tune
So I stopped a while to listen
Not a word I wanted to miss
It was just somebody serenading something like this

1918
Puccini, “Gianni Schicchi”
o mio babbino caro
mi piace e bello bello
V’andare in Porta rossa
a comperar l’anello
Si si ci voglio andare
e se l’amassi indarno
Andre sul ponte vecchio
ma per buttarmi in Arno.


1918
HOW YA GONNA KEEP’EM DOWN ON THE FARM
after they've seen Paree
how ya gonna keep’em away from Broadway
jazzin around & paintin' the town
how ya gonna keep 'em away from harm
that's a mysteree
they'll never want to see a rake or plow
& who the deuce can parley-vous a cow
HOW YA GONNA KEEP’EM DOWN ON THE FARM
after they've seen Paree'


Reuben Reuben I've been thinking
said his wifey dear
now that all is peaceful and calm
the boys will soon be back on the farm
Mister Reuben started winking & slowly rubbed his chin
He pulled his chair up close to mother
& he asked her with a grin
Rueben Rueben you're mistaken
Said his wifey dear
once a farmer, always a jay
& farmers always stick to the hay
Mother Reuben I'm not fakin
Tho you may think it strange
But wine & women play the mischief
With a boy who's loose with change














1918
w. Henry Creamer m. Turner Layton
AFTER YOU’VE GONE & left me crying
AFTER YOU’VE GONE there's no denying,
you'll feel blue you'll feel sad
you'll miss the bestest pal you've ever had
there'll come a time now don't forget it,
there'll come a time when you'll regret it
oh babe think what you're doing
you know my love for you will drive me to ruin,
AFTER YOU’VE GONE AFTER YOU’VE GONE away away.



Now won't you listen honey while I say
How could you tell me that you're going away
Don't say that we must part
Don't break your baby's heart
You know I loved you for these many years
Loved you night and day
Oh honey baby can't you see my tears
Listen while I say
Don't you remember how you used to say
You'd always love me in the same old way
And now it's very strange
That you should ever change
Perhaps some other sweetie's won your heart
Tempted you away
But let me warn you tho' we're miles apart
You'll regret some day



1918
Sung widely in London on 11 November of 1918, Armistice Night, at the end of the Great War.
knees up Mother Brown
knees up Mother Brown
under the table you must go
Ee-aye, Ee-aye, Ee-aye-oh
If I catch you bending
I'll saw your legs right off
Knees up, knees up
Never get the breeze up
Knees up Mother Brown
oh my, what a rotten song
what a rotten song
what a rotten song
Oh my, what a rotten song
And what a rotten singer
Too-oo-ooh



There came a girl from France
Who didn't know how to dance
The only thing that she could do
Was knees up Mother Brown

Oh, knees up Mother Brown
Knees up Mother Brown
Knees up, knees up, never let the breeze up,
Knees up Mother Brown

Oh, hopping on one foot
Hopping on one foot
Hopping, hopping, never stopping
Hopping on one foot

Oh, knees up Mother Brown
Knees up Mother Brown
Knees up, knees up, never let the breeze up,
Knees up Mother Brown

Oh, prancing up and down
Prancing up and down
Prancing, prancing, never dancing
Prancing up and down

Oh, knees up Mother Brown
Knees up Mother Brown
Knees up, knees up, never let the breeze up,
Knees up Mother Brown

And whirling round and round
Whirling round and round
Whirling, whirling, never twirling
Whirling round and round

Oh, knees up Mother Brown
Knees up Mother Brown
Knees up, knees up, never let the breeze up,
Knees up Mother Brown

Oh, knees up Mother Brown
Knees up Mother Brown
Knees up, knees up, never let the breeze up,
Knees up Mother Brown













1918
K-K-K-Katy
beautiful Katy
you're the only g-g-g-girl that I adore
when the m-m-m-moon shines
over the cowshed
I'll be waiting at the k-k-k-kitchen door.




Jimmy was a soldier brave and bold,
Katy was a maid with hair of gold,
Like an act of fate,
Kate was standing at the gate,
Watching all the boys on dress parade.
Jimmy with the girls was just a gawk,
Stuttered ev'ry time he tried to talk,
Still that night at eight,
He was there at Katy's gate,
Stuttering to her this love sick cry.
No one ever looked so nice and neat,
No one could be just as cute and sweet,
That's what Jimmy thought,
When the wedding ring he bought,
Now he's off to France the foe to meet.
Jimmy thought he'd like to take a chance,
See if he could make the Kaiser dance,
Stepping to a tune,
All about the silv'ry moon,
This is what they hear in far off France.



1918
Penn




there's a little brown road windin' over the hill
to a little white cot
by the sea

there's a little green gate
at whose trellis I wait

while two eyes of blue

come




there's a grey lock or two
in the brown of the hair
there's some silver in mine too
I see
but in all the long years
when the clouds brought their tears

those two eyes of blue

kept





and if ever I'm left
in this world all alone
I shall wait for my call
patiently
for if heaven be kind
I shall wake there to find

those two eyes of blue

still





smiling thru
at me


1918
“The Passing Show of 1918” – sung by Helen Carrington.
I'MFOREVER BLOWING BUBBLES
pretty bubbles in the air,
they fly so high,
nearly reach the sky
then like my dreams they fade and die.
fortune's always hiding I've looked everywhere,
I'M FOREVER BLOWING BUBBLES
pretty bubbles in the air.



I'm dreaming dreams,
I'm scheming schemes,
I'm building castles high.
They're born anew,
Their days are few,
Just like a sweet butterfly.
And as the daylight is dawning,
They come again in the morning.

When cattle creep,
When I'm asleep,
To lands of hope I stray.
Then at daybreak,
When I awake,
My bluebird flutters away.
Happiness new seemed so near me,
Happiness come forth and heal me