"There's a Long, Long Trail" is a popular song of World War I. The lyrics were by Stoddard King (1889–1933) and the music by Alonzo "Zo" Elliott, both seniors at Yale. It was published in London in 1914, but a December 1913 copyright (which, like all American works made before 1923, has since expired) for the music is claimed by Zo Elliott. In Elliott's own words to Marc Drogin shortly before his death in 1964, he created the music as an idle pursuit one day in his dorm room at Yale in 1913. King walked in, liked the music and suggested a first line. Elliott sang out the second, and so they went through the lyrics. And they performed it—with trepidation—before the fraternity that evening. The interview was published as an article in the New Haven Register and later reprinted in Yankee magazine. It then appeared on page 103 of The Best of Yankee Magazine ISBN 0-89909-079-6 In the interview, he recalled the day and the odd circumstances that led to the creation of this historic song.

Lyrics

THERE'S A LONG, LONG TRAIL (From the 1914 sheet music)

Recordings

Film

Television

Fiction