Break the News to Mother
The originals are not known to the SecondHandSongs editors. If you have more information, contact us.
- Written by
- Charles K. Harris
- Composition date
- 1891
- Language
- English
- Comments
-
Written in 1891, the lyrics were revised in 1897, coinciding with the Spanish-American War, to make the song about a soldier, rather than a fireman. (Several references incorrectly state that the song was revised after the sinking of the USS Maine in 1898). Although frequently called a song of the American Civil War, the work actually post-dates that war and is more accurately associated with the Spanish-American War. The song's popularity was renewed during World War I.
We have been unable to ascertain the first released or recorded version of the work due to a lack of available precise data. Despite the listed release dates, it is possible that any of the versions of this work shown as released in the 1890s could be the first released version. Recording information about these early releases is even harder to obtain. - Licensing
- Request a synchronization license