Strike Up the Band
George Gershwin, Red Nichols
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Let the drums roll out. Let the trumpet call. While the people shout, Strike up the band. Hear the cymbals ring. Calling one and all. To the martial swing, Strike up the band. There is work to be done,to be done. There's a war to be won, to be won. Come you son of son of a gun. Take your stand. Fall in line, yea bo. Come along, let's go. Hey, leader. Strike up the band.
The easy, fast & fun way to learn how to sing: 30DaySinger.com
2 fans
Written by: ANTOINE DOMINO, DAVE BARTHOLOMEW
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
10 facts about this song
Composer and Background"Strike Up the Band" is a spirited march song composed by George Gershwin, a renowned American composer. Gershwin originally composed the song for a 1927 musical with the same title.
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LyricsThe lyrics of the song were written by Ira Gershwin, George Gershwin's brother. The two often collaborated, setting a benchmark for composers and lyricists in American music history.
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Social CommentaryKnown for its peppy tune and patriotic flavor, "Strike Up the Band" is actually a satirical commentary on the often unethical reality of war and its perpetrators. It suggests that war is merely a profit-making business for those in charge.
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Inspiration"Strike Up the Band" was originally written for the unsuccessful satire on the war business, the 1927 musical "Strike Up the Band," bearing the same name. The musical was about a cheese manufacturer who sponsors a war against Switzerland because they had protested a tariff on imported cheese.
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Success and RevivalThe song and the musical gained immense success only when revived in 1930. The musical was rewritten by Morrie Ryskind who left out the satire, leaving the peppy, energetic march song to become famous.
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Jazz Standard"Strike Up the Band" is now considered a jazz standard. Many musicians have performed and recorded this song, making it a part of standard jazz repertoire.
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Different InterpretationsOver the years after its 1930 revival, several acclaimed artists, including jazz musicians like Ella Fitzgerald and Tony Bennett, have recorded their own interpretations of "Strike Up the Band."
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Use in MediaIn 1940, a film bearing the same name "Strike Up the Band," starring Mickey Rooney and Judy Garland, was released, which featured a faithful rendition of this triumphant song.
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Band Theme SongSeveral big bands have used Gershwin's "Strike Up the Band" as their theme song, most notably Artie Shaw’s Gramercy Five and Stan Kenton's Orchestra.
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EmblematicThe energetic, marching rhythm of "Strike Up the Band" has made it an emblem of the American spirit of resilience and determination. It's widely regarded as one of George Gershwin's most recognizable pieces and continues to be popular at various festive and patriotic affairs.
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"Strike Up the Band Lyrics." Lyrics.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 24 Apr. 2024. <https://www.lyrics.com/lyric/2372716/George+Gershwin/Strike+Up+the+Band>.
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