Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1918-12-30
Life of War Song
Unknown Quantity

Beginning about twenty 1--WE years
from now. magazine and special fea-
ture" newspaper articles will be pub
lished on the SONGS Of the Yankee SOL
diers in the great war. This is a safe
prediction since 1t was about that
length OF time after the civil war that
writer's began to treat OF similar euo-
ject; and many an article, and even
book, has been written on the songs
OF that war.
The songs Of the old war differed
from those Of the present one In that
they reflected more different shades OF
feeling. Our war has been so short that
there was not room for much more
than one state OF mind; the state OF
mind that Is represented in "OVer
There" over There was just a.
singable up to the very day Of the
armistice as 1t was when the soldiers
began to cross the Atlantic. But the
history OF the four years Of the civil
war with its hopes, disappointments
and renewed determination, can be
traced in tho varying themes OF It's
songs. In the first year OF the civil war
such song az Tramp. Tramp.
Tramp. the boys Are Marching" could
not have been written; it needed the
great losses Of the north to bring It
out.
"Over There" was surely the great
song of this war. as John Browns
Body" was Of the other. George n.
Conan is entitled. not for the hrst
time, to the credit Of having his hand
on the peoples pulse. Of being real
interpreter Of their moods. The Yanks
are coming. the Yanks arc coming. and
we won't come home till IT'S over over
there" and the gay but threatening
melody epitomized the whole struggle
from the American viewpoint. Later
Conan struck another chord. when
You Come Back. and You Will Come
Back. There's Whole World
Waiting for You. but here he
only touched chase. In the earlier
song he struck the national note Is
George F. Root struck it in the old war
with his Rally Round the Flag"
phase I'VE Are Coming Father Abra-
| ham, Three Hundred Thousand More.
We may call Cohan the Root Of this
| war.
Next to Conan must be placed Irving
Berlin, with his Il Hate to Get Up
| tho he wrote others. The two catch
lest lines. those which paraphrase the
bugle call. were not original. having
| been used in the army long before he
entered It.; but it was he who made a
| song around them, song that wa
| sung all over the country by soldiers
| and civilians, sung in France, too. Ivor
| Novelties Keep the Home Fires
| Burning" was written before the war,
but Is entitled to rank as a war song.
/ because 1t was adapted to the purpose
| and the same may be said OF 70.
Ehlott's There's Long. Long Trail
| which the soldiers across the water
| sang on their marches.
"Good-by Broadway, Hello France!"
| was hrst in the field, went well while
it lasted, but was too commonplace to
hold out. AS popular song as any was
Joan OF Arc"
Pack Up Your Troubles In Your
Old Kit Bag" was a. popular among
the soldiers as any song. At home we
sang more sentimental songs, such -
Your Boy and Ny Boy" Hello, Cen
trail. Give Me No Mans Land" Bring
Back Ny Daddy 20 Me" America,
Here's My Boy!" and others which
few collectors OF the future will bother
with; but VIE all Joined the. soldiers
enthusiastically In GeofKrey OHara's
"K-K-K-Katy," which, written by an
army man. has real soldier humor. II
ranks with 1.-The Captain With His
Whiskers Stole q Sly Glance at Me-