They Were All Out of Step But Jim
"They Were All Out of Step But Jim" is an American World War I war song. It rose to popularity in 1918 when released by Billy Murray, charting at #3 in the United States.[1]
| "They Were All Out of Step But Jim" | |
|---|---|
 Sheet music cover for "They Were All Out of Step But Jim" | |
| Song | |
| Published | 1918 |
| Songwriter(s) | Irving Berlin |
Description
The song depicts a mother and father of a soldier gloating to their friends after seeing their son marching. They declare their joy in the chorus, oblivious to the humor of the song's title:
Did you see my little Jimmy marching with the soldiers up the avenue?
There was Jimmy just as stiff as starch like his Daddy on the seventeenth of March.
Did you notice all the lovely ladies casting their eyes on him?
Away he went to live in a tent over in France with his regiment
Were you there, and tell me, did you notice?
They were all out of step but Jim.[2]
The chorus is delivered from the perspective of the soldier's parents rather than that of a more typical war song narrator like the soldier himself, making it stand out from other songs and aiding its popularity. The song's use of humor instead of sentimentality also made it distinctive to audiences.[3]
The lyrics are in line with the musical trend of ethnic humor in early World War I war songs, as Jimmy's unaware mother is made distinctly Irish by her mention to St Patrick's Day and the stereotype of heavy drinking during celebration.[4]
The cover art shows three women watching soldiers march by, with one soldier waving to one of the women.[2]
The lyrics and cover art are in the public domain.
Sheet music and recordings
The song was composed and written by Irving Berlin. It was published by Waterson, Berlin & Snyder Co in New York City in 1918.[2]
Various printings of the score featured the following singers: Miss Queenie Williams, The Dream Girls, and Mabelle Sherman & Arthur Littry.[5]
It was also recorded by Connie Farber.[5]
References
- "They Were All Out of Step But Jim". MusicVF.com. VF Entertainment. Retrieved August 13, 2014.
- Berlin, irving (1918). They Were All Out of Step But Jim. Waterson, Berlin & Snyder Co=New York. OCLC 20266809.
- Bergreen, Laurence (1996). As thousands cheer : the life of Irving Berlin (1st Da Capo Press ed.). New York: Da Capo Press. p. 144. ISBN 0306806754. Retrieved August 13, 2014.
- Edmiston, Fred W. (2009). Coon-sanders nighthawks : "the band that made radio famous.". Jefferson: Mcfarland. p. 15. ISBN 978-0786443277. Retrieved August 13, 2014.
- Paas, John Roger (2014). America Sings of War: American Sheet Music from World War I. Harrassowitz Verlag. p. 220, ISBN 9783447102780.
Further reading
Parker, Bernard S., World War I Sheet Music, McFarland and Company Inc., 2007, p. 692.