Special Collections
Sheet Music of World War II
Link to a Gallery of World War II Sheet Music
(http://umkcspecialcollections.cdmhost.com/cgi-bin/browseresults.exe?CISOROOT=%2Fp4027coll16)
This gallery of digital images includes 355 scanned reproductions of the covers of hundreds of sheet music titles popular during World War II, including works by both prominent and obscure composers. The song titles have been drawn from the Popular American and Kansas City Sheet Music Collections held in the Department of Special Collections. Different covers of the same song title were scanned as long as the covers were not exact duplicates. Scans of the sheet music itself, including lyrics, have not yet been made available at this site. When visiting the gallery, you can search selected fields or across multiple fields at once, or browse through the collection without formulating a specific search. All of the song titles have been cataloged and appear in the Libraries’ online Merlin catalog. Most of the titles can be found using the subject heading -- World War, 1939-1945 -- Songs and music.
To assist in the enjoyment of this collection, the essay below is presented. The essay text includes links to Merlin catalog records for many popular World War II songs. Some of the Merlin records include links to digitized versions of the songs from recordings held in the Marr Sound Archives. Some links will also take you to the Library’s web exhibit “Voices of World War II” which includes sound files for more than 90 popular songs of the World War II era.
The Sheet Music of World War II
Special Collections’ Popular American and Kansas City Sheet Music Collections contain nearly three hundred titles of music popularized throughout World War II. Illustrated covers convey visions of nostalgia, while words and music contained inside speak to our sensibilities.
The music of World War II has been immortalized, considered to be some of the finest in all of pop music history. Its sounds evoke powerful sentiments of patriotism, hope, and romance. But life amid World War II was anything but hearts and flowers. In the absence of family providers, those at home were struggling to make ends meet while the government used music as a political mechanism to influence the populace into standing courageously (Be Patient My Love), buying bonds (Ev’rybody, Ev’ry Payday), and cooperating during a desperate time for the nation (Get Out and Dig, Dig, Dig). And although the Office of War Information (OWI) attempted to direct songwriters of Tin Pan Alley and Hollywood to create music that would enhance the morale of the American public, nothing seemed to match the spirit of the songs of World War I, such as George M. Cohan’s Over There, a song for which he was awarded a Congressional Medal of Honor in 1941. One of the first World War II songs to be successful was We Did It Before and We’ll Do It Again by George Tobias and Cliff Friend. Praise the Lord and Pass the Ammunition by Frank Loesser was the first song to register as a best seller on the popularity charts. The OWI also cautioned the music industry against using stereotype jingoism, fearing it would pose a threat to post war harmony among the nations. Despite warnings, Tin Pan Alley proceeded to crank out songs such as Der Fuehrer’s Face, You’re a Sap, Mr. Jap, and Let’s put the Axe to the Axis.
For those far from home and loved ones left behind, songs such as Together and I’ll Be Seeing You linked torn relationships and lent comfort and purpose. Some songs spoke to the war efforts of family members on the home front such as Milkman, Keep Those Bottles Quiet, Rosie the Riveter and Fighting on the Home Front, Wins relating the contributions of women in the homes and factories. Others escaped reality temporarily by listening to tunes like Rum and Coca Cola, Cow-Cow Boogie, and big band sounds like Glenn Miller’s In the Mood, reminding them of happier times and juke box Saturday nights. The most revered song of World War II by far was Lilli Marlene. Originally adopted by the Germans, followed by the English and eventually the American troops, Lilli Marlene transcended all languages and cultures. “Lilli” was every soldier’s dream, reminding him of the girl he left behind, becoming the unofficial anthem of the foot soldiers of both forces in the war. Film star Marlene Dietrich sang personally to the American infantryman as “The girl under the lantern.”
It was the second world war and the sounds of music were the sounds of war. For some it was employed as a catalyst for propaganda that instilled fear, manipulating the social and cultural tone of the American populace, telling them when to speak, what to say and addressing their responsibilities to the nation as a whole. For others it was used to strengthen and connect during a time of physical and emotional separation or as a recreational escape. Now, more than fifty years since, World War II and it’s music has again come to the forefront recalling one of the most memorable periods in American history. If one were to tell the story, much could be derived through the sheet music of that era, both on the covers and by the words that dwell within.
– Essay text by Teresa Gipson, Library Assistant II, Department of Special Collections
Special Collections is a non-circulating and non-browsing resource center. The Special Collections Reading Room is open to researchers Monday through Friday during the academic year. Public service hours for the current semester are listed at http://library.umkc.edu/spec-col/index.html#hours but researchers are encouraged to call ahead for verification of hours due to University intersessions and other events. Special Collections is located on the fourth floor of the Miller Nichols Library at 5100 Rockhill Road in Kansas City, Missouri. All inquiries concerning access to the collections should be addressed to Special Collections Library Information Specialists Teresa Gipson or Kelly McEniry.
| Teresa Gipson Special Collections Library Information Specialist Miller Nichols Library 5100 Rockhill Rd Kansas City, MO 64110 (816) 235-1532 Teresa Gipson Fax (816) 333-5584 |
Kelly McEniry Special Collections Library Information Specialist Miller Nichols Library 5100 Rockhill Rd Kansas City, MO 64110 (816) 235-1532 Kelly McEniry Fax (816) 333-5584 |
