It's a Long Way to Berlin, but We'll Get There!
| "It's a Long Way to Berlin, but We'll Get There!" | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Sheet music cover | |
| Song | |
| Released | 1917 |
| Recorded | September 26, 1917 |
| Length | 2:53 |
| Label | Victor |
| Composer(s) | Leon Flatow |
| Lyricist(s) | Arthur Fields |
"It's a Long Way to Berlin, but We'll Get There!" is a World War I era song released in 1917. Arthur Fields wrote the lyrics. Leon Flatow composed the music.[1] Leo Feist, Inc. of New York City published the song. Rosenbaum Studios designed the sheet music cover. It features soldiers marching in formation. There is an inset photo of Maurice Burkhardt, Will J. Ward, Ed Morton, Jimmy Flynn, Willie Weston, or Francis Maguire that varies per edition.[2] There is another version of the cover known as the "Popular edition". It features a photo of Henry Bergman.[3]
The American Quartet recorded the song with conductor Rosario Bourdon. The bass vocals were John H. Meyer and William F. Hooley. The tenor vocals were Billy Murray and Albert Campbell. It was recorded on September 26, 1917 and released under the Victor Record label.[4] Arthur Fields also recorded a version of the song, which was released in 1918 under Edison Blue Amberol.[5]
The song was instantly successful upon its release. It was reminiscent of the 1912 British war song, "It's a Long Way to Tipperary".[6]
The sheet music can be found at the Pritzker Military Museum & Library.[7]
The song is about Rueben Plank, a "husky Yank", who enlists in the army. He is determined to "get that Kaiser Bill". The chorus is what Corporal Plank and his squad sings, directed to Kaiser Wilhelm II:[8]
It's a long way to Berlin, but we'll get there
Uncle Sam will show the way
Over the line, then across the Rhine,
Shouting Hip! Hip! Hooray!
We'll sing Yankee Doodle 'Under the Linden'
With some real live Yankee pep! Hep!
It's a long way to Berlin
But we'll get there
And I'm my way by heck- by heck
References
- ^ Vogel, Frederick G. (1995). World War I Songs: A History and Dictionary of Popular American Patriotic Tunes, with Over 300 Complete Lyrics. Jefferson: McFarland & Company, Inc. p. 197. ISBN 0-89950-952-5.
- ^ Parker, Bernard S. (2007). World War I Sheet Music. Vol. 1. p. 316. ISBN 978-0-7864-2798-7.
- ^ "It's a long way to Berlin, but we'll get there!". pritzkermilitary.org. Pritzker Military Museum & Library. Retrieved March 1, 2016.
- ^ "It's a long way to Berlin, but we'll get there!". National Jukebox. Library of Congress. Archived from the original on January 23, 2017. Retrieved March 1, 2016.
- ^ "It's a long way to Berlin, but we'll get there". UCSB Cylinder Audio Archive. Retrieved March 1, 2016.
- ^ Duffy, Michael (August 22, 2009). "Vintage Audio - It's a Long Way to Berlin, But We'll Get There!". firstworldwar.com. Retrieved March 1, 2016.
- ^ Flatow, Leon; Fields, Arthur (1917). It's a long way to Berlin, but we'll get there!. New York: Leo. Feist, Inc. OCLC 7496052.
- ^ "It's A Long Way To Berlin, But We'll Get There". James Edward Myers World War I Sheet Music Collection. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Archived from the original on December 31, 2015. Retrieved March 2, 2016.
External links
- "It's a Long Way to Berlin, but We'll Get There!" at the Illinois Digital Archives
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