First World War.com - Vintage Audio - Don't Take My Darling Boy Away

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Sheet music to "Don't Take My Darling Boy Away" Vintage Audio: Don't Take My Darling Boy Away
Updated - Sunday, 10 November, 2002

Reproduced below is a song recorded by J. Phillips and Helen Clark in 1916 or early 1917, Don't Take My Darling Boy Away (music by Albert von Tilzer, lyrics by Will Dillon, written in 1915).

American in origin it predated U.S. entry into the war in April 1917 and comprised something of an early recorded war protest song. It was seldom heard once America formally entered the war.

Click here to listen to a recording of J. Phillips and Helen Clark's rendition of the marching song from 1916-17 (MP3 format 750kb)

(Contributed with thanks by Allan Rosson)

Don't Take My Darling Boy Away

A mother was kneeling to pray
For loved ones at war far away
And there by her side, her one joy and pride,
knelt down with her that day

Then came a knock on the door
Your boy is commanded to war
"No Captain please, here on my knees,
I plead for one I adore"

Don't take my darling boy away from me,
Don't send him off to war
You took his father and brothers three,
Now you've come back for more

Who are the heroes that fight your war
Mothers who have no say
But my duty's done so for god's sake leave one!
And don't take my darling boy away.

Tenting tonight, Tenting tonight
Tenting on the old campground

You took his father and brothers three,
Now you've come back for more

Tenting tonight, Tenting tonight
Tenting on the old campground

But my duty's done so for god's sake leave one!
And don't take my darling boy away.

A hero is now laid to rest, A hero and one of the best
He fought with each son, The battles he'd won,
And the battles that proved a test

Though she never went to the war,
She was a hero by far, they gave a gun
But who gave a son,
M. O. T. H. E. R.

Don't take my darling boy away from me,
Don't send him off to war
You took his father and brothers three,
Now you've come back for more

Who are the heroes that fight your war
Mothers who have no say
But my duty's done so for god's sake leave one!
And don't take my darling boy away.

Tenting tonight, Tenting tonight
Tenting on the old campground

You took his father and brothers three,
Now you've come back for more

Tenting tonight, Tenting tonight
Tenting on the old campground

But my duty's done so for god's sake leave one!
And don't take my darling boy away.

"ANZAC" was coined in 1915 from the initials of the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps.