Over There

George M. Cohen, 1917

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

Johnny, 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.

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,

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

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

Johnny, show the “Hun” 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.

Make your Mother proud of you

And the old red-white-and-blue

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,

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

A song forever intertwined with American patriotism and World War I especially, Nora Bayes’ “Over There” was named to the National Recording Registry in 2005.

“Over There” was the work of prolific Broadway tunesmith George M. Cohan who supposedly wrote the tune while on a train, inspired by a rash of war-related headlines on the newspapers around him.  It would prove to be Cohan’s only song ever written not specifically for a stage musical.  It would also prove to be the final piece of Cohan’s patriotic, if unofficial, musical

triptych, positioned after “Yankee Doodle Dandy” (written in 1904) and “You’re a Grand Ole Flag” (written in 1906).

From the National Recording Registry, more at:

http://www.loc.gov/rr/record/nrpb/registry/essays/OVER%20THERE.pdf