Your King and Country Want You

Category

Library Item

Item no

36443

Title

Your King and Country Want You

Description

Song sheet illustration for Your King and Country Want You, composed by Paul Rubens.

Artist / maker

Hassall, John

Date

1914

Size

35.3 x 25.5 cm

Type

Music score; Reproduction

Location

Music Library

'Your King and Country Want You' became one of the most well known recruiting songs for the First World War. Written as 'A Woman's Recruiting Song' as it states on the right hand side, it is designed to persuade men to enrol in military service to aid the war. Written by Paul Rubens, a well known composer and lyricist who penned many pre-war musicals; it had an immediate impact when published in London, in 1914, often heard at recruitment rallies.

The song sheet illustration is very simple, using only a monochrome graphic of a woman on the front with her arms outstretched in a pose of supplication in the very centre of the cover. Above the figure of the woman with the words in bold is the title' Your King & Country Want You'. Paul A. Rubens's name appears at the bottom and on the left hand side of the figure is the statement, 'The entire profits from the sale of this song will be devoted to Queen Mary's Work For Women Fund'.

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Related subjects

Clothing and dress > Garments > Dresses

Clothing and dress > Garments > Workwear

Events > Wars > Recruitment

Events > Wars > World wars

People > Adults > Women