Released 1917 | Producer(s) M. Witmark & Sons | |
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Writer(s) Clarence Gaskill, Harry Tally, and Harry Mayo | ||
That's a Mother's Liberty Loan is a World War I era song released in 1917. Clarence Gaskill, Harry Tally, and Harry Mayo wrote the lyrics and composed the music. The song was published by M. Witmark & Sons of New York, New York. On the cover is a vitagraph photo of actors Edward Earle (in uniform) and Mary Maurice facing one another. The song was written for both voice and piano. It was performed by Greek Evans.
The sheet music can be found at Pritzker Military Museum & Library.
Analysis
The message relayed by the song's lyrics is that a mother's son is her "loan for liberty;" likening her son's participation in the war to buying liberty bonds. In fact, giving up one's son was viewed as an "investment" in the country's future. As evidenced by the mother's exclamation in the song, "I think I've done my share!" The chorus is as follows:
"I gave my boy to Uncle SamTo fight for you and me,Just like his dad at GettysburgIn Eighteen Sixty-ThreeIf life must pay for liberty,I'm giving all I own,And when the battle's wonI'll then take back my son.That's a mother's liberty loan!"