[Sheet music] Over there

Sheet music for the song titled 'Over there', with words and music composed by George M Cohan. The song was written in April 1917, after Cohan heard the news that America had entered the war, and reportedly took about half an hour to write. Other reports imply that he recieved 25 000 pounds for the manuscript.

This edition features a copyright date of 1916 on the cover, with 1917 printed on subsequent pages. This copy of the sheet music features a photograph of Winifred La France on the cover and sold for 2/-. France performed this song in the pantomime, Aladdin, written by J&N Tait, Bailey and Grant who secured the Australian rights to the song and paid 5000 pounds for the privilege. This is the Australian version of the song, which features an extra verse, and was published by Chappell & Co Limited, Melbourne. This edition describes the song on the front cover as 'The great American war song' and reserves all performing and mechanical rights for its reproduction. This edition also features advertising excerpts for two songs written by Hadyn Wood titled 'Silver Clouds' and 'A love song'. An advertising preview for another song, written by Frederic Weatherly and Don Coates, titled 'Our little home', appears on the back cover.

George Michael Cohan was the composer of 'Yankee Doodle Dandy' and had been part of a family vaudeville act, with his parents and sister, called The Four Cohans. By the age of eight he was playing the violin and performing as a dancer. He produced his first successful musical, 'Little Johnny Jones', in 1904 at the age of 26. His first song, 'Why did Nellie come home', was published ten years earlier. Over the course of his career, he produced more than 40 musical plays with several of these appearing on Broadway. There is now a statue erected in his honour in New York City.

Towards the bottom of this page is a sound recording of this sheet music, or a parody, that was created as part of the Music and the First World War project. More information about this recording, including names of the performers, can be found on the catalogue record for the sound recording. A link to the catalogue record for the sound recording can be found at the bottom of this page, under the heading ‘Related objects’ where it can be identified with the prefix [sound recording].