Daily Kennebec journal., 1899-01-19
SONGS the WAR INSPIRED.
They Arc Of All Sorts and in Great Abun.
dance.

Writers of popular songs began to
Remember the Maine" as soon as the
papers printed ahe news of the disas-
ter, and within two weeks probably a
dozen ballads bearing that title were
nut upon the market. Then tine title
was altered somewhat and we heard
of "Avenge the Lost Maine" DO not
Forget the Maine" Our Noble Battle
ship" and little later. when word
came of the affair at Manila, the va
riety stage songsters began to tell Us
that "We have Remembered the
Maine" THE Maine mas been
Avenged" and I'VE nave not Forgot
ten Our Lost Maine" Very few OF
these songs made any money for their
publishers or authors, hut they had a
certain popularity and their stage sue
cess was immediate.
"Break the News TO Mother" which
nearly every one thinks is one of the
many songs called forth by the war,
cur.ously enough Nvas copyrighted dur
ing the latter part of 1897 and first
sung over a month before the Maine
disaster. However most people DIS
regard such facts and persist in call
jng it one of the songs inspired by the
war. Its author, who is responsible
for after the Bail. wrote shortly al
ter Dewey's victory patriotic song
entitled "Theres no Flag Like the Reu'
White and Blue" but 1t was not AS
popular as Break the News.
For Old Glcry." written ana com
posed by Chcever Goodwin ana WI
liam Furst, was one of The frst songs
10 ne sung while the sinking of the
Maine was awakening patriotism. lhe
chorus goes:
For wen know no North or South,
Ind well know no East or West
Rut wen al Know the one iano
or all the Lands the best
And the Blue and Gray ioScther-
As IN auid lang s$L".
Will stand shoulder TO shoulder
For Old Glory
Many attempts were made TO wf1te .,,,, u
song thae eou,.. take The place OF iTle
StnrSnangled Banner which has AT ias
conquered all criticism and Is recosnlZeu
MS our national anthem. buf. as nlisn,
hav. been expected the aspiring writer >
failed. In Thu Flag That Has Never
krown Deiesat" however. there Is some
respectable verse. The words were WITT
ten by Charles Love Re91anlh am aIto
was composed by Mary Downing sutton.
Here is the chorus:
Uncover when the flag goes by. boys,
'Tis Freedoms starry banner that you
Flag famed in song and story.
Long may II wave. Old Glory! ,.,
lne. flag that has never known defeat.
"Tnere Is Room for One More Star" by
two previously unknown authors. enJoyeo
much popularity when the war began
The idea of the song will be seen from
this quotation: In Old Giorys starry
gemmed azure there's room for one more
"Uncle Sam. Tell Us Why Are You Wait
ing: or. for the Honor of Our Country
ard Our Flag. From severe point OF
view the1e may be little in the words 10
commenSs but the music is martial. oiG-
nitied anG stirring and the song was sung
ali a.is.ountry. TIE chorus is:
Down wfthia foes that Sew our heroes,
Down with the spies a reaeherous
Down with their ships in sEe....nd fire.
Let's avenge our gallant. Atlhe,
Though we die upon the tieid.of battle.
Let our courage never lag;
And strike. strike in freedoms name.
lads,
For the honor of our country and our
flag
In dramatic and lyric incident the war
had its tribute of song. Dewey was eu-
losiZcd score of times. and We heard ol
Our. Nations Hero. Brave Dewey and
His Men,. and Yankee Doodle Dewey.
Some one Rad the questionable taste 20
write The Death of Ensign Bagley."
and it is gratifying to learn that It was
only sung Il few times and met with no
success. There was at least one llobson
song-'Brave Hobson and His Gallant
Little Crcw'-;,nd there may have been
others.
The author of ''On the Banks of the
Wabash, Far Away" began to express
his patriotic emotion through the med:-
um OF song long befor--Mania gay was
entered. and turned out We are Coming
Cuba Coming. ''On the Shores of Ha-
v;tna.' and Our Country, May She Fer
He Right Then he wrote I'VE Fight
is a good. patriotic song, and Your God
Comes First. Your Country Next, Then
Mother Dear In the chorus of the lat
ter song mother bids her son farewell
in these words:
You are going to the war. my boy, and
while YOU are away
Remember that a mothers prayers are
with you night and day.
In battle. lad remember there is no such
word as fear;
Your God comes first your country next.
then mother dear.
u. Brigham Bishop. who wrote when
Johnny Comes Marching Home might
have been counted upon to give US IA pa
triotic song. thoroughly American IN
words and music. and with the dash and
fire OF his rebellion songs. but we were
titled 1t Takes Il Man to Be I; Soldier
had these trivial and commonplace words.
set to music that Il schoolgirl could have
improvised:
III so dressed UP in my suit of blue.
FOR We a heart that is brave and true:
AS any dog. in fact. a cat. can be a gov
ernment diplomat.
That so. ycu know. so off I'll go,
For 1t takes Il man to be soldier.
When we had gained our first land VIC
tories in Cuba the author of 'Unclc Sam.
Why Are You Waiting?" published Good
Boy. Uncle Sam. 1t Didn't Take YOU
Long and added another to the long
list of patriotic songs. He told how the
day. was grandly won in THE tight of
might for right" by those fearless ones.
our Yankee sons, with Yankee guns
and said in the chorus:
long.
Good boy, Uncle Sam. you never ye,
We're wrong:
But we have got the flag. Sam.
But we have got the flag. sam
me nag: the flag. The banner of the
free!
Such are the more unusual of the songs
or the war. Among others which might
Ee %, mentioned are: Fighting Side by
Side, the Blue and Gray She Never
Heard the Story "We'll All Be with
You. Uncle Sam That's the Kind or
Girl to Leave Behind" We're Brothers
True from the North and the south:
Ouf own Native Land Jim and L.
Yankee Reuben Glue Brass Buttons"
The Empty Sleeve Upon a Ragged |
Coat, After the Battle Is O'er.' Its |
ne Engli A speaking Race Against the |