Good Bye Daddy Dear Ben Black Analysis

Incorporation of Children’s Attitudes Towards WWI in Popular Early 20th Century Music

As diplomatic relations in Europe began to crumble early in the 20th century war began to seem more and more imminent for America, despite Wilson’s isolation policy. The war ran from 1914 to 1918 and set a precedent for gruesome warfare and achieving victory by any means necessary including: machine guns, chemicals, and trench warfare. While countless history books tell the firsthand accounts of soldiers overseas an interesting, overlooked, facet of the is how the children reacted to it on the home front. Popular early 20th century music depicts an overarching sense of hope, patriotism, and heartache from America’s youth during the war.
Typically, young
Painting and music are both eloquent forms of art and both can tell stories and depict emotions. The sense of childish hope is perfectly depicted on the cover art of “Good-Bye Daddy Dear” by Ben Black. The painting shows a young boy with a smile on his face looking up to his dad in uniform. Hopefulness and positivity radiate off of this black and white image. The young boy seems to be relaxed and content as he looks up to his father and holds his hands. It’s clear that the boy doesn’t seem to grasp the gravity of the fact that he may never see his dad again. The dad is painted as solemn and tough, he has broad shoulders and is standing straight up like a good soldier. The young boy’s sense of hope is derived from the tough image his father puts off. The hopeful smile of the young boy insinuates that he has all the faith in the world for his dad and has no reason to worry for his wellbeing. This powerful sheet music cover embodies the optimistic feelings children had toward the
One piece of artwork that stands out in particular is the cover of “The Bravest Heart of All” by Raymond Egman. The first thing one’s eyes are drawn to is the navy blue background that makes the white lettering and the light images depicted pop off the cover. The blue and white painted on this match the colors of our flag. The image painted on the cover depicts a young boy who is being held by his mother while he waves to a sturdy naval ship sailing off in the distance. All of the images scream America. The young boy is wearing a red bowtie, a white oxford shirt, and blue trousers, the naval ship is menacing and powerful looking with an American flag flowing off the back, and there is a seagull trailing the ship which is a common symbol for freedom. The incorporation of all these elements based off of a song about a young boy whose dad went to war confirm the idea that patriotism was felt by people of all ages during World War