Over There

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"Over There" is a 1917 song popular with United States soldiers in both world wars.

It was written by George M. Cohan during World War I.

Notable early recordings include versions by Nora Bayes, Enrico Caruso, Billy Murray, and Charles King.

From firstworldwar.com "Cohan later recalled that the words and music to the song came to him while travelling by train from New Rochelle to New York shortly after the U.S. had declared war against Germany in April 1917."

This song, as well as It's a Long Way to Tipperary were popular patriotic songs during the First World War. In 1941, President Franklin D. Roosevelt awarded Cohan the Congressional Gold Medal for this and other songs.

Film appearances include Yankee Doodle Dandy starring James Cagney in his Oscar-winning performance. In that otherwise Hollywoodized film, this song was used effectively as an illustration of the creative process: Cohan is watching a military band parade by, and a segment of one of their songs catches his ear, a simple triad that he finds himself whistling. Late at night he is seen slowly working out the complete new song on a piano, note by note. The next scene unveils the song, as Cohan (Cagney) and woman dressed in uniform (Frances Langford) sing it to a large and appreciative audience.

Contents 1 Lyrics 2 References 3 Other 4 External links

[edit] Lyrics

As sung by early-20th century recording artist Billy Murray:

Verse 1

Johnny¹, 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

Verse 2

Johnny, get your gun, get your gun, get your gun

Johnny, show the "Hun" ² you're 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 ³

Make your Mother proud of you

And the old red-white-and-blue

Chorus

Over there, over there,

Send the word, send the word over there

That the Yanks are coming, the Yanks are coming

The drum's rum-tumming everywhere

So prepare, say a prayer,

Send the word, send the word to beware

We'll be over, we're coming over

And we won't come back till it's over, over there

[edit] References

¹ "Johnny" is a very common English given name and is used to address any anonymous man or men.

² Now usually sung as "Johnny on the run..."

³ Short for "tank town", meaning any town so small its primary purpose was to provide water for steam locomotives.

[edit] Other

• Features during the opening sequence in the 1998 war film 'When Trumpets Fade'
• Grandpa Simpson sings this song while showering in the second-season episode The War of the Simpsons

[edit] External links

• Vintage Audio: Over There

Patriotic music of the United States

"America the Beautiful" • "Ballad of the Green Berets" • "Battle Cry of Freedom" • "The Battle Hymn of the Republic" • "Columbia, Gem of the Ocean" • "Eternal Father, Strong to Save" • "For The Dear Old Flag, I Die" • "God Bless America" • "God Bless the USA" • "Hail, Columbia" • "Hail to the Chief" • "The Liberty Bell" • "Lift Ev'ry Voice and Sing" • "My Country, 'Tis of Thee" • "Over There" • "PT-109" • "Stars and Stripes Forever" • "The Star-Spangled Banner" • "There's a Star Spangled Banner Waving" • "This is My Country" • "This Land Is Your Land" • "Yankee Doodle" • "The Yankee Doodle Boy" • "You're a Grand Old Flag" • "Fifty Nifty United States" • "When Johnny Comes Marching Home" Armed services: "The Army Goes Rolling Along" • "Anchors Aweigh" • "The U.S. Air Force" • "Marines' hymn" • "Semper Paratus"