Rauner Special Collections Library: World War I

Sheet music about WWI abounds at Rauner, with nearly three hundred distinct items appearing in the online catalog. The songs range in content from unquestioning patriotism to direct challenges of the war effort. The collection also includes emotional pleas for peace from the families of soldiers, morale-boosting war choruses, and exhortations for the home front. Representative examples include:

• “America, here’s my boy” (Sheet Music SC 4141).
• “I didn’t raise my boy to be a soldier” (Sheet Music SC 3775).
• “Bring back my daddy to me” (Sheet Music SC 4157).
• “Keep your head down, Fritzie boy” (Sheet Music SC 4523).
• “What are you doing to help the boys?” (Sheet Music SC 4657).

To find these materials in the Dartmouth Libraries Online Catalog, enter “World War, 1914-1918 – Songs and music” in the search field and then select Rauner under the Locations heading in the left-hand column.