Remembering Pearl

Harbor
The Town Hall
123 West 43rd Street
New York City, New York
December 7th, 1942
7:00pm
One Year after the Japanese attack on Pearl
Harbor, we gather to remember the ones
we lost. In this recital, we hope to share
the patriotism and pride of the American
People. We as a country must stand in
unity during the hard times of war. Enjoy
an evening of remembrance as we
showcase some of Americas most popular
performers and composers in the heart of
our country.

Natasha Zahor
Ted Miklas
Jenny Lentz
Austin Zielke

God Bless America (1918)

Irving Berlin (1888)
Performed by Kate Smith
Jack Millers Orchestra
Cowards Over Pearl Harbor (1941)
..............Fred Rose (1898)
Performed by Denver Darling
We Did it Before (We Can Do it Again) (1941)...Charles
Tobias (1898)
Cliff Friend
(1893)
Performed by Dick Robertson and his Orchestra
Goodbye Mama, Im Off to Yokohama (1941)J. Fred
Coots (1897)
Performed by Peggy Mann and
Teddy Powell and his Orchestra
The Sun Will Soon Be Setting For
The Land Of The Rising Sun (1941)
.Sam Lerner (1903)
Performed by Frankie Masters and his Orchestra
This Land is Your Land (1940)Woody
Guthrie (1912) Performed by Woody Guthrie
God bless America
Written by one of the most successful songwriters in
history, Irving Berlin, God Bless America is a piece that

has inspired many Americans to celebrate their

country and will do so for years to come. Having lived
through the First World War, Berlin wrote the piece
knowing the importance of freedom and unity of a
country. Often hailed as the new national anthem, God
Bless America tapped into the ever growing unease of
ongoing war and provided peace of mind for American
citizens. The most prominent feature of this piece is
the lyrics, God bless America, my home sweet home,
which create a sense of belonging. During times of
hardship many Americans turn to this piece for
comfort and hope of a better future and will do so for
years to come.

Cowards Over Pearl Harbor

Cowards Over Pearl Harbor was one of the first
documented song about the war and it was recorded
two weeks after the attack on Pearl Harbor. This piece
was written by Fred Rose who was born in Evansville,
Indiana. He began his career as a songwriter in his
teens when he moved to Chicago and is most famous
for his Country songs. This piece was written in a slow
waltz meter, which caught on with radio singers. This
caused music to spread like a wildfire throughout
America and help with recruitment for the war. The
tone of Cowards Over Pearl Harbor is sad and resigned
and begins by describing a peaceful Pearl Harbor
which is then interrupted by hawks of destruction
and cowards dropping death and destruction. The
piece places America in the right with the lyrics Oh,
what will they say to all of their children? and And
how can they look themselves in the face? Not only is

this placing the Japanese in the wrong, it's helping

boost morale for America and for bringing men to arms
for WWII.

We Did it Before (We Can Do it Again)

As many Tin Pan Alley composers competed to get
their songs out to the public days after the attack on
Pearl Harbor, We Did it Before (We Can Do it Again)
was one of the first to debut. Co-writer Charles Tobias
started his career in Vaudeville and founded his own
music publishing firm in 1923 focusing on Tin Pan Alley
songs. The attack on Pearl Harbor was an opportunity
for Tobias to write another Tin Pan Alley song, this time
used as propaganda to unite the American people. This
was the first song to receive air play after the attack
thanks to Charles Tobiass brother-in-law, Eddie Cantor.
Cantor sang the song on his radio show on December
10th, 1941. The song is a reminder of World War I and
the struggles the United States overcame in hopes to
restore unity and acknowledge the work ahead. The
repetition of the lyrics We did it before and we can do
it again portrays confidence in the success of our
country.

Goodbye Mama, Im Off to Yokohama

W. Anthony Sheppard, professor of music at Willams
College and expert of 20th and 21st century music, said
this about the American view on the Japanese after the

attack on Pearl Harbor: Throughout all forms of

American media, the Japanese were referred to
derogatively as Japs and were routinely depicted as
back-stabbing monkeys lurking in the jungle or as
vermin in need of extermination (W. Anthony
Sheppard). After the attack, many songs came out that
used clever rhymes in derogatory ways against the
Japanese. This was the first song that, while included
rhymes of the word Japs, also included rhymes like
mama with Yokohama and please with Jap-aknees. After the song became popular, some marines
and sailors started giving their own variation on the
lyrics. Instead of saying, Were off to Yokohama, the
marines that were sent to Okinawa changed the lyrics
to Were off to Okinawa. Before the United States
entered the war, the American people were against
getting involved. After the Attack on Pearl Harbor,
songs like this were used as propaganda to change the
view of the American people.

The Sun Will Soon be setting for the land of the

rising sun
Written by Sam Lerner Performed by Frankie Masters.
This piece was one of many pieces written in the first
wave of new compositions to surface after the Pearl
Harbor attack. The songs were hastily written by
composers with the motivation to write the song to
inspire the nation. The Sun Will Soon be Setting for the
Land of The Rising Sun was composed on December
7th 1941. The lyrics in this piece suggest that the
Japanese betrayed the United States and that the US
will be striking back. They came chasing after

trouble, And their trouble's just begun, So the sun will

soon be setting, For the land of the rising sun.
Frankie Masters leads a big band in Chicago. His
orchestra is one of the best dance bands to emerge
from the 1930s. The band appears on radio shows and
in movie shorts. The band played for about four
consecutive years in New York, first at the Roosevelt,
then to the Essex House for a year, and then to the
Hotel Taft until the end of 1941. During the New York
hotel engagements, the Masters band would often go
on road tours to capitalize on their popularity.
This Land Is Your Land
Often the best songs are inspired by real life
experiences. For Woody Guthrie, this is no exception.
Spending most of his early life travelling with displaced
farmers in the Dust Bowl during the Great Depression,
Guthrie learned about what it takes to become
successful in America. Even more importantly, Guthrie
came to understand what makes America so great in
the first place: the people of this country. This land is
Your Land is a piece that exemplifies not only the

greatness of America but the dedication her people

show to the country. This folk song uses catchy
melodies and lyrics to instill a message of patriotism
and hope that there will always be a bright future for
our country.