World War I
World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...
era song released in 1918.
Sheet music
Lyrics and music were written by
Edgar Leslie
Edgar Leslie (December 31, 1885 – January 22, 1976) was an American songwriter.
Biography
Edgar Leslie was born in Stamford, Connecticut, in 1885. He studied at the Cooper Union in New York. He published his first song in 1909, starting a ...
and
Harry Ruby
Harry Rubenstein (January 27, 1895 – February 23, 1974), known professionally as Harry Ruby, was an American pianist, composer, songwriter and screenwriter, who was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1970.Waterson, Berlin & Snyder, Co. of
New York, New York
New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on New York Harbor, one of the world's largest natural harb ...
. Artist
Albert Wilfred Barbelle
Albert Wilfred Barbelle (1887–1957) was an American artist known well for his work in advertising, particularly cover art for sheet music of Tin Pan Alley. He also illustrated the first Mickey Mouse book.
Early life
Albert Wilfred Barbelle wa ...
designed the sheet music cover. It features a woman and an American soldier in an embrace, as the soldier is driving a car. A woman, soldier, and Frenchman look on, and a pedestrian runs out of the way. Below this image is an inset photo of
Eddie Cantor
Eddie Cantor (born Isidore Itzkowitz; January 31, 1892 – October 10, 1964) was an American comedian, actor, dancer, singer, songwriter, film producer, screenwriter and author. Cantor was one of the prominent entertainers of his era.
Some of h ...
. It states on the cover, "Successfully introduced by Wellington Cross." It was written for voice and piano. The sheet music can be found at
Pritzker Military Museum & Library
The Pritzker Military Museum & Library (formerly Pritzker Military Library) is a non-profit museum and research library for the study of military history located in a state-of-the art facility in Kenosha, WI. The institution was founded in 2003, ...
.
Recordings
On January 30, 1919, Joseph C. Smith's Orchestra recorded the song in New York. It was released by
Victor Records
The Victor Talking Machine Company was an American recording company and phonograph manufacturer, incorporated in 1901. Victor was an independent enterprise until 1929 when it was purchased by the Radio Corporation of America (RCA) and became ...