[Sheet music] Let the Great Big World Keep Turning

Sheet music for the song titled 'Let the great big world keep turning', with music composed by Nat D. Ayer and lyrics written by Clifford Grey. The sheet music for the song was first published in 1917. This copy has been collated into a collection of sheet music titled Australian Y.M.C.A. Songs, Vol. IV that was published about 1918. The back page features advertising excerpts from other songs written by Ayer and Grey titled 'If You were the only Girl in the World', 'Let the Great Big World keep turning', 'Someday I'll make you love me' and 'First Love - Last Love - Best Love'.

'Let the great big world keep turning' describes sentimental longing and the desire for love. The song was first recorded by Mr. Ernest Pike during May 1917. It also featured in the George Grossmith and Edward Lauillard's revue ‘The Bing Girls are There’

Nathaniel Davis Ayer, more commonly known as Nat D. Ayer, was born at Boston, USA, on 5 August 1887. The composer, pianist and performer spent much of his career in England, and composed the music for several successful shows during the years of the First World War including 'The Bing Boys are Here', which was one of the biggest West End hits during the war. One of his most famous songs was 'If you were the only girl in the world', which featured in 'The Bing Boys are Here'. He composed songs with Clifford Grey, Harry Williams and A. Seymour Brown.


Clifford Grey was born as Percival Davis and throughout his life was known as Clifford Grey, Tippey Grey and Tippy Gray. Throughout his career, he wrote the lyrics for over 3000 songs. He died of a heart attack after the concert party he was presenting in Ipswich, Suffolk, was bombed during the Second World War.


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].