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Lot #383
George M. Cohan

Cohan pens the chorus and lyrics to his iconic 1917 war anthem 'Over There'

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Estimate: $1000+
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Description

Cohan pens the chorus and lyrics to his iconic 1917 war anthem 'Over There'

Magnificent AMQS on an off-white 9.5 x 12.5 sheet of music paper, signed neatly in the lower border in fountain pen by George M. Cohan, who pens over 30 bars of music for the “Chorus of ‘Over There,’" with Cohan adding six lines of lyrics or “words” to the last four staves: “Over there—over there—Send the word, send the word / over there. That the Yanks are coming, the Yanks are / coming, the drums rum-tumming ev’rywhere / So prepare, say a pray’r, 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 fine condition.

Composed in 1917 by Cohan, 'Over There' is a patriotic song that was designed to galvanize young American men to enlist and fight during both world wars. Cohan claimed that he began writing the song the very day newspapers across the country spread word of America's decision to go to war with Germany. 'Over There' quickly grew in both reputation and popularity, and within a few months it became the iconic song of World War I, and then, decades later, the anthem for World War II. A truly exceptional handwritten musical quotation from a songwriter the New York Times declared as 'the greatest single figure the American theatre ever produced—as a player, playwright, actor, composer and producer.'

Auction Info

  • Auction Title: Fine Autograph and Artifacts, Ft. Animation
  • Dates: #608 - Ended May 12, 2021





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