Musical Holocron

The World War I digital sheet music collection is drawn from the Sheet Music Collection at the John Hay Library. It is composed of over 1,800 titles that relate in some way to the events of World War I, and the impact of that war on American society. There are patriotic songs, songs relating to specific military units, romantic songs of love and loss, comic songs, and songs that look to the war’s end. Cover art on the songs is particularly striking. The most famous is perhaps Norman Rockwell’s cover for George M. Cohan’s "Over There". The famed sheet music illustrator Barbelle provided many covers, including the amusing "How ‘Ya Gonna Keep ‘Em Down on the Farm (After They’ve Seen Paree?)". The cover of Richard Whiting’s eternally popular "Till We Meet Again", with its melancholy blue tones, perfectly complements the wistful quality of the music and lyric. Photographs of many famous performers are featured on the covers. Eddie Cantor (“Banjo Eyes”) appears on "Would You Rather be a Co

Learn more: World War I Sheet Music