Songs chosen вЂњendeavored to include a fair proportion of songs according to the following classification: national and patriotic songs, folk songs, popular songs of the day, and hymns.вЂќ 17В Lyrics expressed six recurring themes: вЂњpatriotism, God and religion, love and women, rustic home and nostalgia, the soldier routine, and death.вЂќ 18 Songs were chosen in accordance with the song leaderвЂ™s reports about a song's popularity. In 1918, the second edition was published and was renamed Army Song Book. 16 They asked Lee Hamner, leader of the military entertainment committee of CTCA, for a revised edition. Initially entitled Songs of the Soldiers and Sailors U.S., the first edition was a collection based on those that вЂњwere then popular in the camps, together with others of sure appeal and true value.вЂќ 15 The song leaders wanted more songs published with music notation since the first edition only included text.

In this page, you will find all the songs in the songbook with descriptions on how they relate to the American war effort. Thus, the first song book was published in the fall of 1917. The purpose was to familiarize the soldiers with army songs and encourage their singing. The National Committee was charged to publish an official songbook to be distributed to song leaders, officers, and soldiers. The Annotated Army Song Book Part 1 Songs for the Soldiers

Army of two lyrics