February 1, 2019 (Friday)
I woke up this morning humming a song about “shilly shallying.” I recognized the song as “American Patrol,” written by F.W. Meacham. It was very popular during World War 2, and was meant to stir up patriotism at home while our military people were “over there” fighting the war. Glenn Miller arranged it as a jazz tune for his band, and it was very popular, but it had been written in 1885 as a march. In 1914, a musical score was published for the piano. (Click here to view it).
Here is the song, with some of the words we heard during WW2:
Part 1:
We must be vigilant, we must be diligent, American Patrol !
Arms for the army, ships for the navy, Let this be our goal !
We must be vigilant, we must be diligent, American Patrol !
Protect our shore-line to the door-line, Of every native soul !
Part 2:
We need your solidarity, Or else divided we will fall.
Protect the popularity, Of peace and happiness for all.
Behind our cause we must keep rallying, Let there be no dilly-dallying,
Keep us free from shilly-shallying ! Hark to Freedom’s call !
Part 3:
The American, American Patrol, The American, American Patrol!
There were other words and other versions of “American Patrol,” sometimes known as “We must be vigilant.”
The presentation below incorporates both original musical themes by Meacham and melodies from American patriotic songs of the era such as “Columbia, the Gem of the Ocean” and “Dixie.” Composed for piano, it was then arranged for wind band and published by Carl Fischer in 1891. The format was intended to represent a military band approaching, passing, and fading into the distance. It typically included an introduction played p or pp, in imitation of bugle calls or drums, then themes played progressively louder until a recapitulation of the first theme(s), gradually dying away and finishing pp, ppp, or even pppp. The original piano version of “American Patrol” follows this scheme.
Here is Glenn Miller’s arrangement:
Here is a version of Glenn Miller’s band in 2016: