It's a Long Way to Berlin, but We'll Get There!

"It's a Long Way to Berlin, but We'll Get There!"
Sheet music cover
Song
Released1917
RecordedSeptember 26, 1917 (1917-09-26)
Length2:53
LabelVictor
ComposerLeon Flatow
LyricistArthur Fields

"It's a Long Way to Berlin, but We'll Get There!" is a World War I era song released in 1917, with lyrics by Arthur Fields and music by Leon Flatow.[1][2] Leo Feist, Inc. of New York City published the song.

Rosenbaum Studios designed the sheet music cover. It features soldiers marching in formation. There is an inset photo of Maurice Burkhardt, Will J. Ward, Ed Morton, Jimmy Flynn, Willie Weston, or Francis Maguire that varies per edition.[3] There is another version of the cover known as the "Popular edition". It features a photo of Henry Bergman.[4]

The American Quartet recorded the song with conductor Rosario Bourdon. The bass vocals were John H. Meyer and William F. Hooley. The tenor vocals were Billy Murray and Albert Campbell. It was recorded on September 26, 1917, and released under the Victor Record label.[5] Arthur Fields also recorded two versions of the song. The first was recorded in June 9, 1917 and released under Columbia label.[6] The second version was recorded September 18, 1917 and released under the Edison Diamond Disc label[7], with Billy Murray, John Young, Steve Porter and Donald Chalmers in the chorus.[8] Edison version was later re-released in 1918 for cylinders under the Edison Blue Amberol.[9]

The song was instantly successful upon its release. It was reminiscent of the 1912 British war song, "It's a Long Way to Tipperary".[10]

The sheet music can be found at the Pritzker Military Museum & Library.[11]

The song is about Rueben Plank, a "husky Yank", who enlists in the army. He is determined to "get that Kaiser Bill". The chorus is what Corporal Plank and his squad sings, directed to Kaiser Wilhelm II:[12]

It's a long way to Berlin, but we'll get there
Uncle Sam will show the way
Over the line, then across the Rhine,
Shouting Hip! Hip! Hooray!
We'll sing Yankee Doodle 'Under the Linden'
With some real live Yankee pep! Hep!
It's a long way to Berlin
But we'll get there
And I'm my way by heck- by heck

References

  1. ^ Vogel, Frederick G. (1995). World War I Songs: A History and Dictionary of Popular American Patriotic Tunes, with Over 300 Complete Lyrics. Jefferson: McFarland & Company, Inc. p. 197. ISBN 0-89950-952-5.
  2. ^ "It's A Long Way To Berlin, But We'll Get There". Digital Collections at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Library. Retrieved May 5, 2025.
  3. ^ Parker, Bernard S. (2007). World War I Sheet Music. Vol. 1. p. 316. ISBN 978-0-7864-2798-7.
  4. ^ "It's a long way to Berlin, but we'll get there!". pritzkermilitary.org. Pritzker Military Museum & Library. Retrieved March 1, 2016.
  5. ^ "It's a long way to Berlin, but we'll get there!". National Jukebox. Library of Congress. Archived from the original on January 23, 2017. Retrieved March 1, 2016.
  6. ^ "Columbia matrix 77315. It's a long way to Berlin, but we'll get there / Arthur Fields". Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved January 10, 2026.
  7. ^ "Edison matrix 5790. It's a long way to Berlin, but we'll get there / Arthur Fields". Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved January 10, 2026.
  8. ^ "Chorus in "It's a long way to Berlin, but we'll get there"". Phonostalgia. Retrieved August 13, 2025.
  9. ^ University of California, Santa Barbara Library Department of Special Collections (November 16, 2005). "Cylinder Preservation and Digitization Project". cylinders.library.ucsb.edu. Retrieved January 10, 2026.
  10. ^ Duffy, Michael (August 22, 2009). "Vintage Audio - It's a Long Way to Berlin, But We'll Get There!". firstworldwar.com. Retrieved March 1, 2016.
  11. ^ Flatow, Leon; Fields, Arthur (1917). It's a long way to Berlin, but we'll get there!. New York: Leo. Feist, Inc. OCLC 7496052.
  12. ^ "It's A Long Way To Berlin, But We'll Get There". James Edward Myers World War I Sheet Music Collection. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Archived from the original on December 31, 2015. Retrieved March 2, 2016.
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