Office of War Information
When the United States entered the war after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, many Americans were still confused about the purpose of the war and the status of the fighting. To help resolve these issues, President Franklin D. Roosevelt (1882–1945) signed an executive order on June 13, 1942, establishing the Office of War Information (OWI). The OWI established the National Wartime Music Committee (NWMC) with the goal of finding an effective war song to uplift the listeners at home and boost the spirits of the troops. The OWI felt strongly that music could serve as “very friendly propaganda,” and efforts of this type targeted several kinds of listeners.42 First, the OWI hoped to persuade neutral countries that the United States was “cultivated, forward-looking, powerful, and democratic.” The Allies were a second propaganda target: the OWI felt that music performed by American musicians that celebrated the nation’s allies would help to strengthen those military ties.
When the United States entered the war after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, many Americans were still confused about the purpose of the war and the status of the fighting. To help resolve these issues, President Franklin D. Roosevelt (1882–1945) signed an executive order on June 13, 1942, establishing the Office of War Information (OWI). The OWI established the National Wartime Music Committee (NWMC) with the goal of finding an effective war song to uplift the listeners at home and boost the spirits of the troops. The OWI felt strongly that music could serve as “very friendly propaganda,” and efforts of this type targeted several kinds of listeners.42 First, the OWI hoped to persuade neutral countries that the United States was “cultivated, forward-looking, powerful, and democratic.” The Allies were a second propaganda target: the OWI felt that music performed by American musicians that celebrated the nation’s allies would help to strengthen those military ties.
Tin Pan Alley during the War
During the persistent search for a new war song, there was not one that stood out from the rest. Still, Tin Pan Alley produced pieces that spoke to different people in different ways, which, collectively, helped to sustain national morale. These songs focused on a wide range of topics, such as patriotism, tributes to specific branches of the military, bashing enemies, coping with rationing, romance, bond drives, factory safety, and saying goodbye. Quite a few songs gave tribute to various divisions of the Armed Forces, or even to certain individuals. Some of these pieces were newly written during the war years; most of the “official” service tunes were older, but enjoyed a surge of popularity during the war. Several of the big bands released swing versions of the military tunes, which had a considerable amount of radio airplay. The service songs were woven into hundreds of wartime films as well, reflecting the nation’s continuing support for these servicemen.
During the persistent search for a new war song, there was not one that stood out from the rest. Still, Tin Pan Alley produced pieces that spoke to different people in different ways, which, collectively, helped to sustain national morale. These songs focused on a wide range of topics, such as patriotism, tributes to specific branches of the military, bashing enemies, coping with rationing, romance, bond drives, factory safety, and saying goodbye. Quite a few songs gave tribute to various divisions of the Armed Forces, or even to certain individuals. Some of these pieces were newly written during the war years; most of the “official” service tunes were older, but enjoyed a surge of popularity during the war. Several of the big bands released swing versions of the military tunes, which had a considerable amount of radio airplay. The service songs were woven into hundreds of wartime films as well, reflecting the nation’s continuing support for these servicemen.
Listening Companion - Listening Example 7:
“Praise the Lord and Pass the Ammunition!” (1942) Frank Loesser
Frank Loesser probably came closer than anyone else to writing “the” Tin Pan Alley war song of the era when he composed “Praise The Lord and Pass the Ammunition!” in 1942, based on a true story (perhaps). The piece spent three months on the top-ten best sellers’ list, with sales of over 450,000 copies of the sheet music in a two-month period alone.44 (In time, purchasers bought some 750,000 copies of the sheet music; Loesser donated his royalties to the Navy Relief Society.) Millions of recordings were sold, and the version by Kay Kyser and his Orchestra (used as Listening Example 7) was the biggest seller, going to number one on the charts.
“Praise the Lord and Pass the Ammunition!” (1942) Frank Loesser
Frank Loesser probably came closer than anyone else to writing “the” Tin Pan Alley war song of the era when he composed “Praise The Lord and Pass the Ammunition!” in 1942, based on a true story (perhaps). The piece spent three months on the top-ten best sellers’ list, with sales of over 450,000 copies of the sheet music in a two-month period alone.44 (In time, purchasers bought some 750,000 copies of the sheet music; Loesser donated his royalties to the Navy Relief Society.) Millions of recordings were sold, and the version by Kay Kyser and his Orchestra (used as Listening Example 7) was the biggest seller, going to number one on the charts.
Frank Loesser probably came closer than anyone else to writing “the” Tin Pan Alley war song of the era when he composed “Praise The Lord and Pass the Ammunition!” in 1942, based on a true story (perhaps). The piece spent three months on the top-ten best sellers’ list, with sales of over 450,000 copies of the sheet music in a two-month period alone.44 (In time, purchasers bought some 750,000 copies of the sheet music; Loesser donated his royalties to the Navy Relief Society.) Millions of recordings were sold, and the version by Kay Kyser and his Orchestra (used as Listening Example 7) was the biggest seller, going to number one on the charts.
The song was a milestone for Loesser, since it was the first time he had composed a melody to his lyrics. However, Loesser did not write the repeated text that also serves as the song’s title: that line was credited to a shipboard naval chaplain (the song’s “sky pilot”) who shouted the phrase during the Sunday-morning attack on Pearl Harbor. The anecdote had been widely reported via newspaper and radio, and six months later, Loesser wrote his song based on the incident. He had read a newspaper clipping that attributed the phrase to Captain William A. Maguire (fleet chaplain for the Pacific Fleet), so Loesser included that information with the sheet music for “Praise The Lord and Pass the Ammunition!”