World War I - Modern Songs of War and Conflict

In his infamous book The War That Will End War, British author H. G. Wells describes World War I as “a war to exorcise a world-madness and end an age,” one in which soldiers face “the stench of battlefields” and other “horrors” “to make an end of them.” Wells predicts that the war, which would last another five years and kill 8,500,000 troops, would “put an end to militarism in the world for evermore.” Wells was not alone in his optimistic attitude towards the outcome of the Great War; much popular music from this time period reflects a similar confidence in the Allied forces’ abilities to quickly beat the Central Powers. “Au Revoir, But Not Good-bye (Soldier Boy),” “Daddy I Want To Go,” “The Flag That Has Never Retreated,” “Good-bye Broadway, Hello France,” and “Our Country’s In It Now We’ve Got To Win It Now” are just a few representative examples of song titles published during World War I. These and other contradictions abounded in the time leading up to and during World War I. 

Use this guide to explore the Hugo Keesing collection on music and World War I at UMD's Special Collections in Performing Arts.

Photos from the National Archives Catalog

Special Collections in Performing Arts (SCPA) is located in the Michelle Smith Performing Arts Library on the University of Maryland's College Park campus. We collect, serve, and preserve performing arts materials that document performance practice, instruction, and scholarship.