First World War.com - Vintage Audio - Keep The Home Fires Burning

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Sheet music to "Keep the Home Fires Burning" Vintage Audio: Keep The Home Fires Burning
Updated - Sunday, 17 November, 2002

Reproduced below are the lyrics to the hugely popular wartime song written in 1914, Keep The Home Fires Burning, music by Ivor Novello and words by Lena Ford. The song is also popularly known as Till The Boys Came Home.

The obvious sentimentality of the song lent it increased popularity for families at home than to soldiers serving on the various wartime fronts.

The song's tremendous success brought Ivor Novello overnight fame, launching a hugely successful post-war career; although he also served with the Royal Naval Air Service (RNAS) as a pilot from 1916.

Two versions of the song are available here. Click here to listen to a recording performed by popular wartime vocalist John McCormack in 1917 (MP3 format 457kb); Click here to listen to a recording by Stanley Kirkby made a year earlier in 1916 (MP3 format 679kb).

Keep the Home Fires Burning

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 hardships
As the soldiers pass along,
And although your heart is breaking
Make it sing this cheery song:

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 clouds shining,
Turn the dark cloud inside out
'Til the boys come home.

Overseas there came a pleading,
"Help a nation in distress."
And we gave our glorious laddies
Honour bade 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."

By 1918 the percentage of women to men working in Britain had risen to 37% from 24% at the start of the war.