Should the Stars In Your Service Flag Turn to Gold (1918 song)

Maine Music Box ^ | 1918 | Dora F. Hendricks and Charles H. Gabriel

[John McDonnell]

Should the Stars In Your Service Flag Turn To Gold (1918)

lyrics by Dora F. Hendricks
music by Charles H. Gabriel
MIDI sequence os002.mid by John McDonnell

Should the stars in your service flag turn to gold,
If from somewhere in France comes the message you fear,
Should the anguish of death on your heart be rolled,
Creep close to God and you will hear
His great heart throbbing, as soft and low
He whispers: "Child, I know, I know!
"Your very best for the world you've done:
"I, also, gave my beloved Son,
"I, also, gave my beloved Son."

Like a beacon in Bethlehem's midnight sky
Gleamed a Star, while a wonderful chorus rang.
Though the angels could see cruel Calvary,
Yet how glad and sweet was the song they sang!
And so God's whisper comes soft and low:
"Ah, child, dear child, I know, I know!
"Your very best for the world you've done:
"I, also, gave my beloved Son,
"I, also, gave my beloved Son."

Should the stars in your service flag turn to gold,
The stars in the sky will reflect the brave story,
And as long as truth lives, the tale will be told
By the gleam of the pure shining stars in Old Glory!
O listen and hear God whisper low:
"Yes, child, dear child, I know, I know!
"Your very best for the world you've done:
"I, also, gave my beloved Son,
"I, also, gave my beloved Son."

[John McDonnell]

There is a collection of Charles H. Gabriel songs at: http://www.angelfire.com/ks/landzastanza/chg.html .

[RJR_fan]

When he was 50, Thomas W. Wilson had an adulterous affair. Something changed in his psyche, and from that point on he was incapable of sin. Everything he did was righteous. He was so righteous, that he even expected to outperform Jesus. The Galilean, you recall, could only preach the value of “peace on earth.” However, he, Mr. Wilson, had a “scheme” to make that pious aspiration actually happen.

After leading us to meddle ina European quarrel, Mr. Wilson sacrificed thousands of American lives to delay European peace, and to set the state for WW II.

[Fiji Hill]

Thanks for sharing this tune.

Charles H. Gabriel, an Iowa farm boy and self-taught organist who went on to become a great Methodist music director, composer, and lyricist, wrote or co-wrote some of my favorite hymns, including “He Is So Precious To Me” (1902), “Lord, Like the Publican I Stand” (1914), and “Jesus, Rose of Sharon” (1922).

[Fiji Hill]

That collection of Gabriel songs is quite impressive.

One of the most beautiful performances of a sacred tune that I have ever heard is the Old Fashioned Revival Hour Chorus Choir's rendition of Gabriel's "He Is So Precious To Me" on the program's broadcast of September 7, 1947. A recording of this is available here, if you click on CD005, which is erroneously dated 9/7/1949.