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George M. Cohan, Over There, 1917

Use this primary source text to explore key historical events.

Suggested Sequencing


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

  1. Who wrote this song?
  2. Why was it written?
  3. 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.



grit(n): firmness of character

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

  1. Where is “over there”?
  2. What does this line suggest about U.S. participation in the war?
  3. Do you think these were the only two options for the United States entering World War I? Explain.

Historical Reasoning Questions

  1. 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?
  2. 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