Keep the Home-Fires Burning

KEEP THE HOME-FIRES BURNING

(‘Till the boys come home)

Ivor Novello and Lena Guilbert Ford

VERSE 1

They were summoned from the hillside,

They were called in from the glen,

And the Country found them ready

At the stirring call for men.

Let no tears add to their hardship,

As the Soldiers pass along

And although your heart is breaking,

Make it sing this cheery song.

REFRAIN

Keep the Home-fires burning,

While your hearts are yearning,

Though your lads are far away

They dream of Home;

There’s a silver lining

Through the dark cloud shining,

Turn the dark cloud inside out,

Till the boys come Home.

VERSE 2

Over seas there came a pleading,

“Help a Nation in distress!”

And we gave our glorious laddies,

Honor made us do no less.

For no gallant Son of Freedom

To a tyrant’s yoke should bend,

And a noble heart must answer

To the sacred call of “Friend!”

LENA GUILBERT FORD

The song was written in England, in collaboration with his American-born friend and lyricist, Lena Ford.

She was born in 1870 as Lena Guilbert Brown. She lived in Pennsylvania until she moved with her mother and son to London, England around 1898. It was in London that she met and began to collaborate with composer Ivor Novello.

During the war, she opened her home to injured soldiers and took care of them. Tragically, she and her son were both killed in a Zeppelin bombing raid in 1918. They were the first United States citizens to die in a German bombing attack.

IVOR NOVELLO

Ivor Novello composed this iconic piece in 1914 after his mother encouraged him to write a patriotic song. She expected a song to replace Tipperary, which she felt was becoming over-played and tiresome. Hesitant at first, he was inspired to adapt a song his mother had written titled “Keep the Flag A-Flying”.

It is estimated that Novello made 15,000 pounds off the song and its success turned him into a star overnight. The song is more down to earth than many patriotic tunes of the day. It carries a melancholy tone that was just realistic enough, without being critical of the war. The catchy tune caught on amongst soldiers and civilians alike. 

Novello enlisted in the air force, but after crashing several planes, he was released from service.