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What Kind of an American Are You?

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"What Kind of an American Are You?"
Sheet music cover of "What Kind of an American Are You?"
Song
Released1917
LabelBroadway Music Co.
Composer(s)Albert Von Tilzer
Lyricist(s)Lew Brown and Charles R. McCarron

"What Kind of an American Are You?", also known as "What Kind of American Are You?", is a World War I era song released in 1917. Albert Von Tilzer composed the music. Lew Brown and Charles R. McCarron wrote the lyrics.[1] The song was published by Broadway Music Co. of New York, New York. On the cover is a gray drawing of Uncle Sam pointing. A map of the United States is featured on the lower half of the cover.[2] The song was written for voice and piano.[3]

The sheet music can be found at the Pritzker Military Museum & Library.[3]

Analysis

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The song urges Americans (specifically immigrants[4]) to use this war to prove their loyalty to the United States; whether that may be by fighting or by simply standing behind the US's actions. For those who show no support, this question is posed: "What are you doing over here?" It upholds the "us-against-them" mentality; the "them" in this case is Germany.[5] The chorus is as follows:[6]

What kind of an American are you?
It's time to show what you intend to do
If they trample on Old Glory will you think that they are right,
Or will you stand behind your land and fight with all your might?
What kind of an American are you?
That's a question you'll have to answer to
If the Star Spangled Banner don't make you stand and cheer,
Then what are you doing over here?

References

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  1. ^ Vogel, Frederick G. (1995). World War I Songs: A History and Dictionary of Popular American Patriotic Tunes, with Over 300 Complete Lyrics. Jefferson: McFarland & Company, Inc. p. 267. ISBN 0-89950-952-5.
  2. ^ Parker, Bernard S. (2007). World War I Sheet Music. Vol. 2. Jefferson: McFarland & Company, Inc. p. 773. ISBN 978-0-7864-2799-4.
  3. ^ a b What kind of an American are you?. OCLC 72437572. Retrieved January 19, 2016 – via WorldCat.
  4. ^ Fields, Arthur. "What Kind of an American Are You?". The March to War. Archeophone Records. Retrieved January 19, 2016.[dead link]
  5. ^ Seubert, David (April 4, 2007). "Cylinder Radio: Popular Songs of World War I". Cylinder Audio Archive. University of California, Santa Barbara Library. Archived from the original on May 25, 2007. Retrieved January 19, 2016.
  6. ^ "What kind of American are you?". loc.gov. Library of Congress. Retrieved January 19, 2016.
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