Enrico Caruso - Over There

Well, it's Memorial Day here in the US; I thought it would be nice to play Enrico Caruso's rendition of 'Over There' as a tribute to the US soliders who lost their lives while in military service.

Enrico Caruso was an Italian opera singer and one of the greatest tenors in history. Caruso was also the most popular singer in any genre in the first two decades of the 20th Century and one of the most important pioneers of recorded music. Caruso's popular recordings and his extraordinary voice, known for its mature power, beauty and unequalled richness of tone, made him perhaps the best-known operatic star of his era. He is in my opinion THE best tenor of all time.

"Over There" is a 1917 song popular with United States soldiers in both world wars. It was written by George M. Cohan during World War I.

Here Caruso sings 'Over There' in a recording from WWI.

As I am a military aviation fanatic, I've decided to include photos and a little information on three US fighter aces who lost their lives during WWII.

Hope you enjoy and remember to honor the memory the soldiers who perished in the line of combat.

Category:

Music

Tags:

• enrico
• caruso
• over
• there
• george
• cohan
• ww1
• italian
• tenor
• opera
• memorial
• day
• richard
• bong
• robert
• hanson
• preddy
• ace

[Yoni89]

George Preddy has Donald Duck on his jacket.

Anyone else notice that??

[GermanOperaSinger]

Lots of Disney characters were used as emblems for WWII fighter pilots. Even the Germans used them. Adolf Galland, arguably the greatest German fighter ace against the British over the English Channel, had Mickey Mouse as his logo. He also flew in swimming trunks and an undershirt...but he always wore his medals. His rationale was that he would never be shot down and killed. He never was.

[Yoni89]

Hah, that's great! I never knew that.

Wait swimming trunks and undershirt? That'll save him from being shot down? or the fact that he has his medals on?

I'm missing the logic here.. :S

[GermanOperaSinger]

The fact that he wore his medals. Most wore cloth versions sown on their uniform or tin medals...the real ones they were awarded (usually made of silver or other expensive material) stayed at home with their families. Galland said he didn't have to worry because he'd never be killed in action.

[AIKevorkian]

Enrico Caruso was really THAT good. I wish kids today could hear and appreciate his music.

[cromartie117]

im 15, and i love this song, future US soldier and history teacher

[operacaster]

caruso was amongst the first of the tenors to take chest tone all the way up and consequently make the big sound. before him opera went through the castrotti period or most tenors sang a sort of falsetto on top.

as for the person who posted ''hmmmmm.. no bocelli?''

gratzie per Dio.... :--) but everybody to their own

[agatematt]

Caruso constantly toured the United States filling concert halls where ever he appeared. But there was one city he would not perform in --- San Francisco. He was in that city on the morning of April 18, 1906 when the great San Francisco Earthquake struck. He got out of the city as quickly as possible and vowed never to set foot in it again --- and he never did.

[yesindeed155]

@AIKevorkian I am 17 and I love this stuff. Opera is one of my favorite genres of music!! My dad teaches voice I guess I hear it so much I am used to it and now I am at an age where I can really appreciate it.

[MrsKette]

That's when Americans had "cojones"--they no longer have... .” Just change “Hun with the correct ethnicity and see how long the Thought Police will let you sing...

[bigwillyg1]

Enrico Caruso reminds me of Winchester on M.A.S.H

[CoolFrogNoow]

 Go Compare!

[OperaFanCantor]

@31operafan Caruso certainly did understand every word he was singing. His unique ability to understand the depth of the text and of the music is one of the numerous qualities that set him apart from so many others and allowed him to render the most meaningful interpretation of any song be it an opera aria or a popular song.

[corfield5]

Thank you for posting this ,so used to opera arias. and i love listening to CARUSO .. THE GREATESt TENOR!!! another italian tenor I love listening to born a century later in same Street as Caruso is Raffaele Pierno YOU TUBE : The Pearl Fishers Davies - pierno .they have same accents and vowel sounds ENJOY

[mrmjb1960]

Caruso's Accent on "Over There" always seemed a bit awkward to me..maybe that's why he didn't sing many English tunes.