In this episode of The A to Z of Wartime Song, hosts Lili Redman and Tom Carradine delve into the rousing WWI anthem “Over There”, written in 1917 by Broadway legend George M. Cohan. They explore the song’s role as a call to arms for newly enlisted American soldiers and examine Cohan’s remarkable life as a performer, playwright, composer and the man who “owned Broadway”. From the showbiz roots of The Four Cohans to a Presidential Gold Medal from FDR, his story is one of theatrical brilliance and patriotic flair. The episode also shines a light on the trailblazing performer Nora Bayes, who debuted the song and lived a life as bold as her voice – from vaudeville stardom to five marriages and fashion statements that shocked society. Lili and Tom also dig into early recordings by Enrico Caruso, Billy Murray and the Peerless Quartet, discuss lyrical nods to “Yankee Doodle” and other flag-waving favourites and reflect on the musical propaganda that helped shape wartime morale on both sides of the Atlantic. SPOTIFY PLAYLIST

You can listen to ALL of the songs that Tom and Lili talk about in the episode on their Spotify playlister here: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/1FQDrBphYqYLAuN6Jm01PN?si=b777dc33a703408a REFERENCES Lincoln 1940s Festival https://www.lincolnbig.co.uk/news-events/events/1940s-festival/ Players’ Theatre https://www.playerstheatre.co.uk/ Wilton’s Music Hall https://wiltons.org.uk/ Tom’s Portable Harmonium https://www.facebook.com/share/v/1Btn7e3pgK/ Go Compare Advert (2009) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tHUNPR_PHpQ George M Cohan https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_M._Cohan Ralph Reader https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ralph_Reader Ralph Reader and the RAF Gang Shows https://blogs.lse.ac.uk/lsehistory/2019/08/15/ralph-reader-and-the-raf-gang-shows/ Over There https://www.loc.gov/collections/patriotic-melodies/articles-and-essays/over-there/ Nora Bayes https://ragpiano.com/perform/nbayes.shtml Levy Sheet Music Collection https://levysheetmusic.mse.jhu.edu/ Ball State University Sheet Music Collection https://dmr.bsu.edu/digital/collection/ShtMus/search Connecticut College Sheet Music Collection https://digitalcommons.conncoll.edu/sheetmusic/ Yanks Film (1979) https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0080157/ Yanks Weekend (Saddleworth) https://www.facebook.com/groups/416876551672249/?locale=en_GB Patricia Hammond – Songs of the Great War https://patriciahammond.com/cd-songs-of-the-great-war/ Patricia Hammond – Over There https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=94BuiFuj9DE Johnson’s Baby Shampoo Advert https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iV7DFrLxeUg Johnny Get Your Gun (1886) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-PC9klhZf0A Yankee Doodle https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yankee_Doodle Macaroni Wig https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Macaroni_(fashion) I’m a Yankee Doodle Dandy (James Cagney 1942) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EKeYS1P9j1c Arthur Sullivan – The Lost Chord (1888) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f9L-L6X4xBY Phoebe Teaches Joey French – Friends https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KRaEiEFarU4 Stars and Stripes For Ever (Piccolo Feature!) https://youtu.be/i9o6412lwGA?si=x01A9stb1LlSj54W&t=115 You’re a Grand Old Flag (James Cagey 1942) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=56qQYwOmkXw Over There – Glenn Miller https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fs6mxSJiz9A EastEnders Sing-a-long (Part 1) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gAfknFpWbng EastEnders Sing-a-long (Part 2) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pbh0Eqz0bU8 EastEnders Sing-a-long (Part 3) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NZ6kpt5sl1w EastEnders Sing-a-long (Part 4) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P9_msS7xjuc Max Bygraves and the Eastenders Cast on The Royal Variety Performance (1986) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ML0Q3AhaQJg Stay Down Here Where You Belong (Tom and Patricia Hammond) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PoGc3O07WPM&t=5s CHAPTERS 00:00 Intro 00:53 Catch Up 03:09 O = Over There 04:16 George M Cohan 09:02 Cohan’s Legacy and Influence on Musical Theatre 12:50 Cohan’s Death 13:11 The Origins of the Song 15:06 Nora Bayes 21:55 Discussing the Sheet Music 25:43 When Did We First Hear It? 27:24 Discussing the Lyrics 31:34 Discussing the Music 33:18 Discussing Recordings: Nora Bayes 36:00 Enrico Carouso 38:13 Billy Murray 39:50 The Peerless Quartet 44:06 Which Is Our Favourite? 45:14 Other Recommendations 50:54 Mentioned in Dispatches 51:21 Teaser for Next Week SOCIAL MEDIA LINKS You can follow the podcast on social media: http://instagram.com/warsongspod https://www.facebook.com/warsongspod Find more information about Lili Redman here: https://liliredman.com/https://www.instagram.com/lili__redman/ https://www.facebook.com/ScalaLil Or Tom Carradine here: https://www.tomcarradine.com/https://www.instagram.com/tomcarradine https://www.facebook.com/mrtomcarradine CONTACT THE PODCAST If there’s a wartime song that you think they should discuss, or if you have a personal or family story connected to one, drop them a line at [email protected]  to be “Mentioned in Dispatches”. LISTENING LINKS Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/7ktQ4nyudmPRLcCNyNxEfv?si=ac9e1babe6834f2b Listen on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-a-to-z-of-wartime-song/id1806037318 If you’ve enjoyed this episode Lili and Tom would be grateful if you’d leave a review and make sure you’ve subscribed and turned on notifications so you’ll never miss an episode.