The Rose of No Man's Land by Jack Caddigan

Jack Caddigan

Jack Caddigan , also known as John J. Caddigan, was an American lyricist. Caddigan may in fact be a placeholder name. He collaborated notably with James Alexander Brennan and O.E. "Chick" Story.-Publications:...

 and James Alexander Brennan

James Alexander Brennan

James Alexander Brennan was an American songwriter.. , The New York Times Sometimes identified as Jas. H. Brennan, he collaborated with lyricist Jack Caddigan on several songs published by Leo Feist and O.E. Story...

 is a contemporary song written as a tribute to the Red Cross Nurses at the front lines of the First World War.

Different versions were published by Leo Feist Inc, Herman Darewski

Herman Darewski

Herman Darewski was a British composer and conductor of light music. His most successful work was perhaps The Better 'Ole, which ran for over 800 performances in its original London production in 1917...

, Jack Mendelsohn Music and others in 1918 and 1945. The 1918 Feist edition is in a Patriotic format (four pages at 7 by 10 inches, to conserve paper) and has a French lyric (La rose sous les boulets) by Louis Delamarre. The 1945 Mendelsohn edition is only two pages and in English only. While the main published versions were for piano and voice, other versions were arranged for band, orchestra or male quartette. Mechanicals for the phonograph

Phonograph

The phonograph record player, or gramophone is a device introduced in 1877 that has had continued common use for reproducing sound recordings, although when first developed, the phonograph was used to both record and reproduce sounds...

 and player piano

Player piano

A player piano is a self-playing piano, containing a pneumatic or electro-mechanical mechanism that operates the piano action via pre-programmed music perforated paper, or in rare instances, metallic rolls. The rise of the player piano grew with the rise of the mass-produced piano for the home in...

were also released.

English Lyric

(Jack Caddigan, James Alexander Brennan)

I've seen some beautiful flowers,

Grow in life's garden fair,

I've spent some wonderful hours,

Lost in their fragrance rare;

But I have found another,

Wondrous beyond compare.



There's a rose that grows on "No Man's Land"

And it's wonderful to see,

Tho' its spray'd with tears, it will live for years,

In my garden of memory.



It's the one red rose the soldier knows,

It's the work of the Master's hand;

Mid the War's great curse, Stands the Red Cross Nurse,

She's the rose of "No Man's Land".



Out of the heavenly splendour,

Down to the trail of woe,

God in his mercy has sent her,

Cheering the world below;

We call her "Rose of Heaven",

We've learned to love her so.



There's a rose that grows on "No Man's Land"

And it's wonderful to see,

Tho' its spray'd with tears, it will live for years,

In my garden of memory.



It's the one red rose the soldier knows,

It's the work of the Master's hand;

Mid the War's great curse, Stands the Red Cross Nurse,

She's the rose of "No Man's Land".

French Lyric

(Louis Delamarre)

J'ai vu bien des fleurs s'empourprer,

Au jardin de la vie.

Et souvent j'aime à m'enivrer

De leur senteur be'nie.

J'en sais une au pur eclat,

Sans rival ici-bas.

La rose fleurit sous les Boulets,

En avant du front elle est

De pleurs arrosée

Pour bien des années.

Dans nos coeurs elle restera,

La rose rouge amour du soldat.

Dans cette enceinte où rien ne bouge,

L'ombre qui parâit,

Portant la Croix Rouge,

C'est la Roses des Boulets.