Charles Hart sings “It's Time For Every Boy To Be A Soldier.”<br /><br />Most ev'ry fellow has a sweetheart<br />Some little girl with eyes of blue<br />My daddy also had a sweetheart<br />And he fought to win her too!<br />There'll come the day<br />When we must pay<br />The price of love and duty<br />Be there, staunch and true!<br /><br />It's time for ev'ry boy to be a soldier<br />To put his strength and courage to the test<br />It's time to place a musket on his shoulder<br />And wrap the Stars and Stripes around his breast<br />It's time to shout those noble words of Lincoln<br />And stand up for the land that gave your birth<br />That the nation of the people<br />By the people<br />For the people<br />Shall not perish from the earth!<br /><br />Boys of America, get ready<br />Your motherland is calling you<br />Boys of America, be steady<br />For the old Red White and Blue<br />When Yankee Doodle comes to town<br />Upon his little pony<br />Be there, staunch and true!<br /><br />Charles Hart was born on May 16, 1884, on South Halsted Street in Chicago to parents who had emigrated from Germany. <br /><br />The parents were named Henry and Elsabe (Timm) Hart. The father worked as a civil engineer, became alcoholic, and deserted his family when Charles was four. <br /><br />The tenor took his father's name when he began singing professionally, calling himself Charles Henry Hart, which is why some labels give his name as Charles H. Hart. <br /><br />Working as a solo artist, Hart had his first session with a major company on April 23, 1917. For Victor, Hart cut two songs issued in July: "Thou Shalt Not Steal (a Heart Away)" (18294; the reverse side featured the American Quartet) and "It's Time for Every Boy to be a Soldier" (Victor 18300; the reverse side featured the Peerless Quartet). A month later, Hart performances were issued on Victor 18319: "A Tear, A Kiss, A Smile" and "That's Why My Heart Is Calling You." <br /><br />Victor's August supplement features a photograph of Hart. A Victor disc with a lower record number than the above was issued in November 1917: "'Forever' Is A Long, Long Time" (18283), recorded on June 29. For "Give Me the Moonlight, Give Me the Girl," issued in February 1918 on Victor 18410, Hart was given a pseudonym ("Henry Jordan"), which is curious since the material and delivery are typical for Hart.<br /><br />He was an original member of Victor's popular Shannon Four, which began recording in mid-1917 and consisted of Hart, Harvey Hindermyer, Elliott Shaw, and Wilfred Glenn. The first Shannon Four disc was issued in September 1917, "I May Be Gone For A Long, Long Time" (18333), followed in October by "Wake Up, Virginia" (18355). <br /><br />He was also a member of the Crescent Trio, which usually consisted of Hart, Shaw, and James.<br /><br />Lewis James was a duet partner at many sessions, and until late 1923 Elliott Shaw was another. <br /><br />He began recording for Edison in 1917 as a member of the Shannon Four, later called the Lyric Male Quartet by the company. <br /><br />He married soprano Esther Nelson. They recorded a handful of duets between 1922 and 1924.<br /><br />In late 1923 he left the Shannon Quartet (creating an opening for Franklyn Ba
