View source for Over There

{{short description|1917 song by George M. Cohan}}
{{About|the song}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=April 2022}}
{{Infobox song
| name          = Over There
| image         = OverThereBayesVtEdu.jpg
| caption       = 1917 sheet music cover with Nora Bayes
| artist        = [[George M. Cohan]]
| written       = April 7, 1917
| published     = June 1917
| released      = July 13, 1917
| genre         = [[War song]], [[march music]], [[Tin Pan Alley]]
| writer        = [[George M. Cohan]]
}}
{{Listen
| filename    = Over There (1917).mp3
| title       = Over There
| description = "Over There" sung in 1917 by [[Billy Murray (singer)|Billy Murray]]
}}
"'''Over There'''" is a 1917 [[war song]] written by [[George M. Cohan]] that was popular with the [[United States Armed Forces|United States military]] and the American public during [[World War I]] and [[World War II]]. Written shortly after the [[American entry into World War I]], "Over There" is a patriotic [[propaganda song]] meant to galvanize American men to enlist in the [[American Expeditionary Forces]] and fight the [[Central Powers]]. The song is best remembered for a line in its chorus: "The [[Yankee|Yanks]] are coming."<ref name="npr2019">{{cite web |last1=Mondello |first1=Bob |title=George M. Cohan, 'The Man Who Created Broadway,' Was An Anthem Machine |url=https://www.npr.org/2018/12/20/677552863/george-m-cohan-the-man-who-created-broadway-american-anthem |website=American Anthem |publisher=NPR |access-date=2022-04-29 |date=20 December 2018}}</ref>

==History==

According to the [[Library of Congress]], Cohan wrote "Over There" during his commute to work on April 7, 1917,<ref>{{Cite web |last=Whitfield |first=Sarah K. |date=2021 |title='Over There' – Nora Bayes (1917) |url=https://www.loc.gov/static/programs/national-recording-preservation-board/documents/Over-There_Whitfield.pdf |access-date=2024-10-14 |website=Library of Congress}}</ref> a day after the U.S. officially abandoned their policy of [[non-interventionism]] and joined the [[Allies of World War I|Allied Powers]]. Its opening verse is derived from "Johnny, Get Your Gun", an 1886 song written by [[Monroe Rosenfeld]], while its rhythm was based on a three-note [[bugle call]].<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |title=Over There |url=https://www.loc.gov/item/ihas.200000015/ |access-date=2023-06-29 |website=Library of Congress}}</ref>

Cohan personally chose [[Nora Bayes]] to premiere "Over There" in June 1917,<ref>{{Cite podcast |url=https://www.npr.org/2017/06/01/531004379/over-there-at-100 |title='Over There' At 100 |website=[[Morning Edition]] |publisher=[[NPR]] |host=[[Rachel Martin]] |date=2017-06-01 |access-date=2024-10-14}}</ref> but the [[Peerless Quartet]] recorded it first on June 6 with [[Columbia Records]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Over there |url=https://www.loc.gov/item/jukebox-656848/ |access-date=2025-01-15 |website=Library of Congress, Washington, D.C. 20540 USA}}</ref> Bayes's rendition was released on July 13.<ref name=":0" /> Though early tests with soldiers saw indifferent reception, the song was popular among the civilian public. Other versions recorded by [[Billy Murray (singer)|Billy Murray]], the [[American Quartet (ensemble)|American Quartet]], and [[Arthur Fields]] were also made. President [[Woodrow Wilson]] described it as "a genuine inspiration to all American manhood". By the end of 1918, over 2 million copies of sheet music were sold.<ref name=":0" />

Though written and intended for World War I, the song has been revived on various occasions during and after [[World War II]].<ref name="npr2019" /> It was not heavily used during the [[Vietnam War]], but it regained some popularity in the 21st century after the [[September 11 attacks]] and throughout the [[war on terror]].<ref>*{{cite book|last=Collins|first=Ace|title= Songs Sung, Red, White, and Blue: The Stories Behind America's Best-Loved Patriotic Songs |url=https://archive.org/details/songssungredwhit00coll/page/138|url-access=registration|publisher=HarperResource|year= 2003|isbn= 0060513047|pages=138–145 |access-date=2022-04-29 |via=Internet Archive}}</ref>

==Lyrics==
[[File:17-cohan-overthere.jpg|thumb|right|Sheet music from 1917 featuring sailor William J. Reilly of the [[USS Michigan (BB-27)|USS ''Michigan'']]]]

[[File:Over There 1.jpg|right|thumb|Cover drawing of soldiers from sketch by Henry Hutt]]
As sung by early 20th-century recording artist [[Billy Murray (singer)|Billy Murray]]:

{{poemquote|'''Verse 1'''

Johnny,{{Efn|"[[John (name)|Johnny]]" is a very common English given name and is used to address any anonymous man or men.}} 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.

'''Verse 2'''

Johnny, get your gun, get your gun, get your gun.
Johnny, show the [[Hun (pejorative)|Hun]] you're a son of a gun.
Hoist the flag and let her fly;
[[Yankee Doodle]],{{Efn|Also sung as "Like true heroes..."<ref name=Reading>{{Cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=yzzAEFVyd4YC&pg=PA17 |title=Reading Lyrics: More than a Thousand of the Finest Lyrics from 1900 to 1975 |editor1-first=Robert |editor1-last=Gottlieb |editor2-first=Robert |editor2-last=Kimball |publisher=[[Pantheon Books]] |location=New York |isbn=9780375400810 |page=17 |year=2000 |access-date=2022-04-29 |via=Google Books}}</ref>}} do or die.
Pack your little [[Survival kit|kit]], show your grit, do your bit.
Yankee{{Efn|Also sung as "Soldiers..."<ref name=Reading/>}} to the ranks from the towns and the tanks.{{Efn|Short for "[[Wikt:tank town|tank town]]", meaning any town so small its primary purpose was to provide water for [[steam locomotive]]s.}}
Make your mother proud of you
And the old [[Flag of the United States|red, white, and blue]].{{Efn|Also sung as "And to liberty be true."<ref name=Reading/>}}

''Chorus''

Over there, over there,
Send the word, send the word over there
That the [[Yankee|Yanks]] are coming, the Yanks are coming,
The drums rum-tumming 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.}}

== In popular culture ==
* Since 2009, UK [[price comparison|financial services comparison]] website [[Go.Compare]] has used an adapted version of the song for their adverts, sung by [[Wynne Evans]].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.campaignlive.co.uk/article/gocompare-creates-opera-singer-comparethemarkets-meerkat/927523 |first=Fiona |last=Ramsay |title=GoCompare creates opera singer to take on Comparethemarket's meerkat |work=campaign.co.uk |date=18 August 2009 |access-date=18 January 2024 }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.walesonline.co.uk/whats-on/whats-on-news/go-compare-most-annoying-man-9723580 |title=Go Compare: The most annoying man on telly is back |first=Karen |last=Price |date=26 July 2015|work=WalesOnline |access-date=18 January 2024 }}</ref> 
* The song provides the introduction to the [[Kanonenfieber]] song "The Yankee Division March" (with [[Trevor Strnad]]).<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.metal1.info/metal-reviews/kanonenfieber-yankee-division-ep/ |title=Passend zum EP-Titel startet der Quasi-Titeltrack "The Yankee Division March" mit dem in beiden Weltkriegen populären Song "Over There" (George M. Cohan), der vom Einmarsch der "Yanks" kündet|first=Moritz|last=Grütz|date=26 July 2015|work=Metal 1|access-date=18 January 2024 }}</ref>
* In the video game ''[[Hell Let Loose]]'', set in World War II, the song plays when the [[Allies]] faction wins a match.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Saltz |first1=J. D. |title=Welcome to Hell [Let Loose] |url=https://bigbossbattle.com/hell-let-loose-review/ |website=Big Boss Battle (B3) |date=7 September 2021}}</ref>

== See also ==
* [[List of best-selling sheet music]]

==Notes==
{{Notelist}}

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==

{{Commons category}}
{{Wikisource}}
*[https://www.loc.gov/item/jukebox-24786/ Nora Bayes recording July 13, 1917], via U.S. Library of Congress, National Jukebox
*[http://www.firstworldwar.com/audio/overthere.htm Vintage Audio: Over There]
*[https://archive.org/download/BillyMurray_part3/BillyMurray-OverThere.mp3 Rendition by Billy Murray and quartet]
*[https://www.loc.gov/static/programs/national-recording-preservation-board/documents/OVER%20THERE.pdf Library of Congress essay] on recording on the [[National Recording Registry]].
*[https://dmr.bsu.edu/digital/collection/ShtMus/id/1273 Sheet music for "Over There"], Leo Feist, Inc., 1917.
*[https://www.loc.gov/item/ihas.200000015/ Over There from Patriotic Melodies]
{{Billy Murray|state=autocollapse}}
{{Nora Bayes}}

{{Authority control}}

[[Category:1917 songs]]
[[Category:American patriotic songs]]
[[Category:Songs about the military]]
[[Category:Songs of World War I]]
[[Category:Billy Murray (singer) songs]]
[[Category:Songs written by George M. Cohan]]
[[Category:Nora Bayes songs]]
[[Category:Grammy Hall of Fame Award recipients]]
[[Category:Songs used as jingles]]
[[Category:United States National Recording Registry recordings]]
[[Category:American military marches]]