We Don't Want the Bacon (What We Want Is a Piece of the Rhine) explained

We Don't Want the Bacon (What We Want Is a Piece of the Rhine)
Cover:We don't want the bacon.jpg
Caption:Sheet music cover at the Pritzker Military Museum & Library
Released:1918
Composer:Jimmie Havens
Lyricist:"Kid" Howard Carr
Harry Russell

"We Don't Want the Bacon (What We Want Is a Piece of the Rhine)" is a World War I–era song released in 1918. The lyrics were written by "Kid" Howard Carr and Harry Russell, and the music composed by Jimmie Havens.[1] The song was published by Shapiro, Bernstein & Co. of New York City. On the cover is a soldier tearing through a large piece of bacon with his bayonet. A fearful-looking Kaiser Wilhelm II is standing on the bacon.[2] It was written for voice and piano.[3]

The song was recorded on September 9, 1918 by the Peerless Quartet. They were conducted by Josef Pasternack. Victor Records issued the song.[4]

The song's title is influenced by the popular saying, "bring home the bacon".[5] This phrase means to be successful, specifically financially successful.[6] In the song, it is emphasized that Americans have thrived in holding their own against any enemy and always "brought home the bacon, no matter what". This time though, their focus is not on bacon, but getting the "Hun". It is apparent in the lyrics that the fear of Germany is downplayed. The chorus is as follows:[7]

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Notes and References

  1. Web site: We don't want the bacon we only want the Rhine. Library of Congress. 7 October 2022.
  2. Book: Parker, Bernard S. . 2007 . World War I Sheet Music . 2 . Jefferson . McFarland & Company, Inc. . 755 . 978-0-7864-2799-4.
  3. Web site: We Don't Want the Bacon . Digital Collections . . 25 February 2016.
  4. Web site: We don't want the bacon . National Jukebox . Library of Congress . 25 February 2016 . https://web.archive.org/web/20160304131014/https://www.loc.gov/jukebox/recordings/detail/id/6824/ . 4 March 2016 . dead.
  5. Web site: We Don't Want the Bacon. What We Want is a Piece of the Rhine. . The Great War: A Baylor University Museum Studies Exhibition . . 25 February 2016 . https://web.archive.org/web/20160303200317/http://contentdm.baylor.edu/cdm/ref/collection/el-mst-wwi/id/187 . 3 March 2016 . dead.
  6. Web site: Bring home the bacon . The Phrase Finder . 25 February 2016.
  7. Web site: Duffy . Michael . 22 August 2009 . We Don't Want the Bacon (What We Want is a Piece of the Rhine) . firstworldwar.com . 25 February 2016.

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