| "American Patrol" (Introducing the "Red White and Blue") |
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Sheet music cover (1885) |
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| Written by | F. W. Meacham |
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| Written | 1885 |
| Language | English |
| Form | March |
"American Patrol" is a popular march written by F. W. Meacham in 1885. Written originally for piano, it was then arranged for wind band and published by Carly Discher in 1891. Meacham's widow renewed the copyright in 1912. It was later arranged for Glenn Miller's swing band by Jerry Gray in 1941, and was also arranged by composer Morton Gould. It incorporates melodies from other patriotic American songs of the era such as "Columbia, the Gem of the Ocean" and "Dixie". The "patrol" format was popular in the second half of the 19th century and a number of compositions are so entitled "Turkish Patrol", "Ethiopian Patrol", "Owl's Patrol", "Welsh Patrol", "Arab Patrol", and many more. The format was intended to represent a military band approaching, passing, and fading into the distance. It usually involved an introduction played p or pp, imitating bugle calls or drums, then a theme played a little bit louder, then another very loud theme, then a return to the first theme gradually dying away and finishing pp, ppp, or even pppp.
The original piano version of "American Patrol" follows this scheme exactly.
The following words were written in 1940–1945.
The author unknown.
We must be vigilant, we must be diligent,
_____ American Patrol !
Arms for the army, ships for the navy --
___Let this be our goal !
We must be vigilant, we must be diligent,
_____ American Patrol !
Protect our shore-line to the door-line
___Of every native soul !
We need your solidarity
Or else divided we will fall.
Protect the popularity
Of peace and happiness for all.
Behind our cause we must keep rallying.
Let there be no dilly-dallying,
Let there be no shilly-shallying !
Hark to Freedom's call !
The American, the American
The American Patrol !
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Glenn Miller recorded the song in 1942 in a swing arrangement by Jerry Gray. The song was released as a Victor 78 single, 20-1564-A, backed with "Song of the Volga Boatmen". The record reached no. 15 on Billboard in 1942.[1]