Patriotic Public Domain Songs
IMPORTANT: This list is based on USA Copyright Law and is intended only as a help in researching public domain music. This list is NOT sufficient documentation that music is in the Public Domain. To prove PD status in the USA, you MUST find a published copy of the song with a copyright date of 1924 or earlier. Our PD Sheet Music Reprints are exact reprints of books and sheet music published in 1924 or earlier and include music, lyrics, and complete original copyright information. Some of these songs may not be PD in countries other than the USA.
| Title | V=Verse C=Chorus N=Note P=Production w=Words m=Music |
1 - 3 $5 ea 4 up $4 ea | |
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| Patriotic Songs are on this PD list if we have a pre-1925 PD sheet music publication in our library AND if anyone has asked about PD status of the song in the past 20 years. | |||
| Star Spangled Banner | 1814 - m. British Drinking Song, w. Francis Scott Key V - O ! Say can you see by the dawn's early light, What so proudly we hailed at the twilight's last gleaming. C - Oh! Say does that star spangled banner yet wave, O... N - Lyrics: 9/13/1812 at Ft. McHenry | PD Reprint | |
| America | 1832 - m. British National Anthem, w. Rev. Samuel Francis Smith V - My country, 'tis of thee, Sweet land of liberty, Of thee I sing. N - a.k.a. My Country 'Tis of Thee | PD Reprint | |
| America the Beautiful | 1913 - m. Samuel A. Ward, w. Katharine Lee Bates V - O beautiful for spacious skies, For amber waves of grain. | PD Reprint | |
| American Patrol March | 1885 - m. Frank W. Meacham | PD Reprint | |
| Battle Hymn of the Republic | 1861 - m. John William Steffe (?), w. Julia Ward Howe V - Mine eyes have seen the glory of the coming of the Lord; C - Glory! Glory! Hallelujah! His truth is marching on. | PD Reprint | |
| Columbia the Gem of the Ocean | 1843 - m. Thomas a Becket, w. David T. Shaw V - O Columbia, the gem of the ocean, The home of the brave and the free. C - . . . When borne by the red, white, and blue N - Also possible British origin, "Britannia, the Pride of the Ocean" | PD Reprint | |
| Comrades, I Am Dying! | 1864 - w. Manahan, m. Sontag | PD Reprint | |
| Hail Columbia | 1798 - m. Joseph Hopkinson, w. Philip Phile (Pfeil) V - Hail, Columbia, Happy land! Hail ye heroes! Heav'n born band! C - Firm united, let us be, Rallying round our liberty; | PD Reprint | |
| When Johnny Comes Marching Home | 1863 - w.m. Louis Lambert, pseudonymn of Patrick Sarsfield Gil V - When Johnny comes marching home again, Hurrah! Hurrah! We'll give him a hearty welcome then. Hurrah! Hurrah! C - . . . And we'll all feel gay when Johnny comes marching home. N - Possibly derived from Irish Anti-War Song "Johnny, I Hardly Knew Ye" | PD Reprint | |
| Yankee Doodle | 1775 or Ea - m. British War Song,1400s Dutch Harvest Song, w. Unknown V - Yankee Doodle went to town, A-riding on a pony; He stuck a feather in his hat, And called it macaroni. C - Yankee Doodle, keep it up, Yankee Doodle dandy. Mind the music and the step, And with the girls be handy! N - There are numerous versions of the lyrics. | PD Reprint | |
| Yankee Doodle Boy | 1904 - w.m. George M. Cohan V - I'm the kid that's all the candy, I'm a Yankee Doodle Dandy. I'm a Yankee Doodle Dandy, I'm glad I am. So's Uncle Sam. C - I'm a Yankee Doodle Dandy, A Yankee Doodle, do or die; A real live nephew of my Uncle Sam's, born on the Fourth of July. N - a.k.a. Yankee Doddle Dandy | PD Reprint | |
| Yankee Doodle-oodle | m. College Tune, w. Richard D. Ware V - My name is Yankee Doodle and my home's the U.S.A. I'm getting pretty husky now and growing ev'ry day; Columbus brought me over here in fourteen ninety two, And landed me on Plymouth Rock to see what I would do. C - Oh! Yankee Doodle! Doo-dle-de-oo-dle-e-oo! Oh! Yankee Doodle! Doo-dle-de-oo-dle-e-oo-dle-e-oo-dle! N - Tune: Solomon Levi | PD Reprint | |
| You're A Grand Old Flag | 1906 - w.m. George M. Cohan V - There's a feeling comes a-stealing, And it set my brain a-reeling. C - You're a grand old flag, You're a high flying flag, and forever in peace may you wave. | PD Reprint | |
Songs of the Armed Forces
| Title | V=Verse C=Chorus N=Note P=Production w=Words m=Music |
1 - 3 $5 ea 4 up $4 ea | |
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Anchors Aweigh | D: w. 1906 Capt. Alfred H. Miles, USN, m. 1906 2Lt. Charles A. Zimmermann, USMC V: Stand Navy down the field, Sails set to the sky, We'll never change our course, So Army you steer shy-y-y-y C: Anchors aweigh my boys, anchors aweigh. NOTE: See US Naval Academy web site. The words were rewritten in 1926, and any lyrics written after 1922 are NOT PD. |
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Caissons Go Rolling | D: w. 1908 Edmund L. Gruber, m. 1908 Edmund L. Gruber V: Over hill over dale we have hit the dusty trail, As our caissons go rolling along. C: For it's Hi! Hi! He! In the field artillery, Shout out your numbers loud and strong.! NOTE: U.S. Army Official Song |
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The Marines Hymn | D: w. early 1900s Unknown, m. 1859 Jacques Offenbach (1819 - 1880) V: From the halls of Montezuma, to the shores of Tripoli, We fight our country's battles in the air, on land and sea. C: . . . United States Marine. T: Gendarmes' Duet from Genevieve de Brabant NOTE: U. S. Marine Corps Official Song |
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Navy Hymn | D: w. 1860 William Whiting, m. 1861 Rev. John Bacchus Dykes (1823 -1876) V: Eternal Father, strong to save, Whose arm hath bound the restless wave. C: Oh, hear us when we cry to Thee, For those in peril on the sea! T: Melita |
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Semper Paratus (Always Ready) NOT PUBLIC DOMAIN |
D: w.m. 1927 - Capt. Francis S.Van Boskerck V: From Aztec shore to Arctic zone, To Europe and Far East. NOTE: U.S. Coast Guard Official Song *** NOT PUBLIC DOMAIN IN USA *** |
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The U.S. Air Force NOT PUBLIC DOMAIN |
D: w.m. 1939 - Capt. Robert Crawford V: Off we go into the wild blue yonder, Climbing high into the sun; NOTE: United States Air Force Official Song *** NOT PUBLIC DOMAIN IN USA *** |
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Hail to the Chief | D: w. 1810 Sir Walter Scott (1771 - 1832), m. c1810 James Sanderson (1769 - 1841) V: Hail to the chief who in triumph advances! Honor'd and bless'd be the evergreen Pine! NOTE: Official Song of the President of the United States, PD Lyrics from "The Lady of the Lake" |
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Reveille | D: Middle Ages or Earlier | |
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Taps | D: 1860s or Earlier |
John Philip Sousa Marches
| Title | V=Verse C=Chorus N=Note P=Production w=Words m=Music |
1 - 3 $5 ea 4 up $4 ea | |
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| Beau Ideal March | 1894 - m. John Philip Sousa | PD Reprint | |
| Charlatan | 1897 - m. John Philip Sousa | PD Reprint | |
| Congress Hall | w.m. John Philip Sousa | PD Reprint | |
| Diplomat | 1904 - m. John Philip Sousa | PD Reprint | |
| Directorate | w.m. John Philip Sousa | PD Reprint | |
| El Capitan March | 1896 - m. John Philip Sousa | PD Reprint | |
| Free Lance | 1906 - m. John Philip Sousa | PD Reprint | |
| Gladiator | 1886 - m. John Philip Sousa | PD Reprint | |
| Hail to the Spirit of Liberty | 1900 - m. John Philip Sousa | PD Reprint | |
| Hands Across the Sea | 1899 - m. John Philip Sousa | PD Reprint | |
| High School Cadets | 1890 - m. John Philip Sousa | PD Reprint | |
| Imperial Edward | 1902 - m. John Philip Sousa | PD Reprint | |
| Invincible Eagle | 1901 - m. John Philip Sousa | PD Reprint | |
| Jack Tar | 1903 - m. John Philip Sousa | PD Reprint | |
| King Cotton | 1895 - m. John Philip Sousa | PD Reprint | |
| Liberty Bell | 1893 - m. John Philip Sousa N - March | PD Reprint | |
| Manhattan Beach March | 1893 - m. John Philip Sousa | PD Reprint | |
| March Past of the Corcoran Cadets | 1890 - m. John Philip Sousa | PD Reprint | |
| March Past of the National Fencibles | 1888 - m. John Philip Sousa | PD Reprint | |
| March Past of the Rifle Regiment | 1886 - m. John Philip Sousa | PD Reprint | |
| Picador March | 1889 - m. John Philip Sousa | PD Reprint | |
| Semper Fidelis | 1888 - m. John Philip Sousa | PD Reprint | |
| Stars and Stripes Forever - March | 1897 - m. John Philip Sousa | PD Reprint | |
| Stars and Stripes Forever - Song | 1898 - w.m. John Philip Sousa V - Let martial note in triumph float, And liberty extend it might hand C - Hurrah for the flag of the free, May it wave as our standard forever | PD Reprint | |
| Thunderer | 1889 - m. John Philip Sousa | PD Reprint | |
| Washington Post | 1889 - m. John Philip Sousa N - March | PD Reprint | |
| White Plume | m. John Philip Sousa N - March | PD Reprint | |
| Yorktown's Centennial | m. John Philip Sousa N - March | PD Reprint |
