The Parlor Songs Collection
November Edition, Featured Pages
Dedicated to all those who fought for us in WWI and their families,
here are the featured covers this month:
All of the songs featured this month were printed in a large
folio format. Sheet music prior to about 1919 was printed in a much
larger format than today. To help you better appreciate these covers,
I have enlarged the size of the jpg's on the page. I hope you enjoy them.
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When Yankee Doodle Learns To Parlez Vous Francais
1917
Music by: Ed. Nelson, Lyrics by: Will Hart cover artist Barbelle.
When the U.S. entered WWI, everyone was so excited and positve.
The mood of exhuberance spilled over into the music and this song is
one of the greatest from the era.
The cover artist, "Barbelle", became one of the most popular cover
artists during the period when sheet music covers were an art form
in and of themselves. This is one of the more valuable covers from the
collection but the song is a total delight! Be sure to take a minute
to listen to my MIDI version.
Hear the music now! |
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America, Here's My Boy
1917
Music by: Arthur Lange, Lyrics by: Andrew B. Sterling
"The Sentiment Of Every Mother", this song also reflects an age of patriotism
long gone. The song speaks of a mother sending her son off to fight for freedom.
The "mother" speaks of the pride she has in making a sacrifice and
"If I had another, he would be there with his brother".
Ah, for those days of innocence and values where people would make sacrifices
for the good of all. Not today, probably never again.
Listen to the song in my MIDI version |
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Billy Boy
1918
Music by: C. Lucky Roberts Lyrics by: Lester A Walton, Cover artist unknown
The cover on this "Latest and greatest patriotic song" is a very odd color and has such low contrast it is hard to see the photo. It appears the artist was seeking an "olive drab", army
look to add to the mood. Regardless, it is reflective of the era and the song is another patriotic, "marchy" sort of song.
The inside cover states "Dedicated to Col. William Hayward of the 15th New York Infantry."
I am sure there is a great story behind Col. Hayward, if anybody out there knows it, let me know and I will post it here.
Hear "Billy Boy" now! |
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| Sweet Little Buttercup
1917
Music by: Herman Paley Lyrics by: Alfred Bryan Cover artist: unknown
We cannot forget the "home front" during a war. This song is a romantic and whistful "going away" song that
speaks to the sweethearts left behind by the boys going off to war. Of course there is the longing of separation and the hope of survival and renewal
of life after the war. It is sad how many left with those hopes and returned in a box, or not at all.
Enjoy the music, listen now. |
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Nearer My God To Thee
1908
Music by: Louis A Drumheller
Though this song came six years before the war, it was a popular hymn during that period. This also happened to be the
song played by the band aboard the Titanic as she went down in 1912. The war, all wars, resulted in great loss of life and much pain for everyone back home.
Religious hymns helped assuage the pain and helped people deal with their loss. As anyone who has fought knows, on the battlefield you are nearer to God than just
about anywhere else. This song is included as a hymn to all who have sacrificed for others. This version of the hymn has a series of short variations and I have
sequenced it for organ. If you have a wavetable sound card, you should be able to enjoy it as it was intended to be heard.
Listen to this great hymn. |
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