The Story Of “You’re A Grand Old Flag”

George M. Cohan’s meeting with a war veteran encouraged him to write a song which soon went on to become a Broadway hit, and a household name, a few years later. “You’re a Grand Old Flag” was, and is, that song. This son rejoices the old glory, magnificence and that it stood, and stands for. With catchy lyrics and a catchy lilt, the song refers a patriotic march.

One day, George M. Cohan found himself standing next to a civil war veteran of the Battle of Gettysburg. He noticed that this man was holding a neatly-folded American flag but that was a bit scruffy looking. The veteran said to him, “She’s a grand old rag”.

This line triggered an idea in Cohan’s brain and he wrote a song using this line. But he faced consternation from people. This was due to the term ‘rag’. People felt that this term was an insult to the Stripes and the Stars and they want it to be taken off from the lyrics. Hence, Cohan changed the term to ‘flag’ from ‘rag’, and the rest, as its said, is an American musical history.

Cohan wrote the song in 1906 for his play ‘George Washington Jr.’, which was premiered at the Herald Square in New York on February 6, 1906. The play featured Cohan, who played the role of a U.S. politician’s son who loves a simple girl from southern States. But his father has altered aims — he wants his son to be linked up with an English woman of their prominence. The entire story is about their battle to attain two very different goals.

Both the song ‘You’re a Grand Old Flag’ and the play were greeted with a huge success. Over the time, the tune moved the Broadway to living rooms because of records and mass music sales. It was the first stage musical that went on to sell over one million copies.

‘You’re a Grand Old Flag’ induces feelings of patriotism and it uplifts people hearing it. The tune is positive and bright. This tune was played on every family piano all across the country.

George M. Cohan was not just only a songwriter. In his career, he also wore the hats of composer, playwright, singer, actor, director, producer and librettist. He was born in the year 1878 in Providence, Rhode Island. Both his parents were stage performers who always travelled around the country. George, along with his elder sister Josephine, also traveled with them. The family kept up a busy tour schedule along with the B.F.Keith Circuits and thumped out around four to five performances a day.

His inspiration and popularity as a real American entertainer gave rise to a film on his life. The film was called ‘Yankee Doodle Dandy’. It showed his upsurge from his vaudeville or burlesque days to the Broadway success when he earned the signature “The Man Who Owned Broadway”.

Today, the Broadway tunes are a lot different from what it was in Cohan’s time, but they still owe a great debt of gratitude to this songwriter and his musicals.

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