George M. Cohan, Over There, 1917
Use this primary source text to explore key historical events.
Suggested Sequencing
- Use this Primary Source with the Over There: The U.S. Soldier in World War I Narrative to study military culture and propaganda during World War I.
Introduction
World War I propaganda did not always appear in the form of posters encouraging citizens to do their part for the effort. In fact, the Great War spawned one of the most famous patriotic tunes in the history of the United States, Over There. Written by George M. Cohan immediately after Congress declared war against Germany, Over There was performed by a variety of groups in the United States. Its lyrics encouraged men to join the military and defeat the Germans.
Sourcing Questions
- Who wrote this song?
- Why was it written?
- Listen to the song once before reading the lyrics. How would you describe the tone of the music? How does this affect the message of the song?
| Vocabulary | Text |
|---|---|
| pine(v): to miss and long for the return of | Johnnie, 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 |
| Yank(n): shortened term for Yankee, a nickname for Americans | [Chorus] Over there, over there Send the word, send the word over there That the Yanks are coming The Yanks are coming The drums rum-timing 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 |
| Hun(n):Name for the Germans during World War I. Propaganda referred to them as Huns to invoke images of the ruthless nomadic people known as the Huns who conquered vast areas of central Asia during the 300s and 400s.
|
Johnnie, get your gun Get your gun, get your gun Johnnie 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 |
| [chorus] Over there, over there Send the word, send the word over there That the Yanks are coming The Yanks are coming The drums rum-timing 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 |
Comprehension Questions
- Where is “over there”?
- What does this line suggest about U.S. participation in the war?
- Do you think these were the only two options for the United States entering World War I? Explain.
Historical Reasoning Questions
- Over There mentions a young man’s father, sweetheart, and mother. Why do you think the writer chose those people to include in a song about enlisting?
- Compare the lyrics of Over There with this passage from a British soldier’s diary in 1916 describing the war:
After sentry duty, we passed Major Jones, second-in-command of the battalion, as we crept back to the dugout. Ten minutes later, he was being dug out of about 3ft of earth. He’d gone out to the mine crater after passing us. Death was instant. We’d barely arrived at our dugout when a runner came along and gave the gas alarm. At the same time, shells were raining down. I helped to carry an NCO to the dressing station. His features were blown away but I recognised him by his identity disk as one of my pals. He was one of two brothers. The other, a stretcher-bearer unconscious of his identity, was the one who dug him out.
How do these two documents portray the war differently? Why did Over There not mention details like this about the war?
Over There (audio) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B6hRDS3LvQQ