The Man Who Put the Germ in Germany

{{Short description|1918 song by Nora Bayes, Sam Downing and Abe Glatt}}

{{Orphan|date=November 2022}}

{{Use mdy dates|date=October 2022}}

{{Infobox song

| name = The Man Who Put the Germ in Germany

| cover = Germ in germany.jpg

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| caption = Sheet music cover

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| published = 1918

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| label = Waterson, Berlin & Snyder, Inc.

| writer = Nora Bayes, Sam Downing, and Abe Glatt

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"The Man Who Put the Germ in Germany" is a song written in 1918 during World War I. Lyrics and music were composed by Nora Bayes, Sam Downing, and Abe Glatt.{{cite book |last=Vogel |first=Frederick |year=1995 |title=World War I Songs: A History and Dictionary of Popular American Patriotic Tunes, with Over 300 Complete Lyrics |location=Jefferson |publisher=McFarland & Company, Inc. |page=207 |isbn=0-89950-952-5}} Waterson, Berlin & Snyder, Inc. of New York City published the song for both voice and piano.{{cite web |title=The man who put the germ in Germany |url=https://www.loc.gov/item/2013566477/ |website=loc.gov |publisher=Library of Congress |access-date=30 November 2015}} It reached number seven on the US song charts in August 1918.{{cite web |title=Top Songs of 1918 |url=http://www.musicvf.com/top_songs_of_1918 |website=Music VF.com |access-date=8 December 2015}}

On the cover of the sheet music is a large picture of Nora Bayes.{{cite book |last=Parker |first=Bernard S. |year=2007 |title=World War I Sheet Music |volume=1 |location=Jefferson |publisher=McFarland & Company, Inc. |page=393 |isbn=978-0-7864-2798-7}}

The song celebrates America by using word play of famous leaders' names like George Washington and Abraham Lincoln to highlight their achievements. For example, in the chorus:

{{poem quote|And we love our Lincoln too,

for he "linked" the Gray and Blue,

And Washington "washed" tyranny away}}

The use of word play continues throughout the song, even to shine a negative light on Germany and its emperor during World War I, Wilhelm II. The lyrics read:

{{poem quote|But the world is now a flame

At the "Hell" in Wilhelm's name,

The man who put the "Germ" in Germany}}