Did You Know There Are Words To “Taps”?
If you attended a Memorial Day event such as the one at the 4 Seasons Center, you probably heard "Taps" played. There were actually words written to this bugle call.
In 1848 a Captain Tidball of West Point began playing "Taps" at military funerals. In 1862 during the Civil War a soldier was killed but for military reasons permission was not granted to fire three shots over the man's grave. Tidball instead played "Taps" and it gradually got picked up by others and became a common practice. There is another story that a Union Soldier had them played at the funeral of his son who was a Confederate soldier.
Though I can't recall ever hearing it played with words sung, a man by the name of Trim is said to have written words to go along with the song. They are as follows:
Day is done, gone the sun,
From the lake, from the hills, from the sky:
All is well, safely rest, God is nigh.
Go to sleep,
Peaceful sleep,
May the soldier
Or sailor,
God keep.
On the land
Or the deep,
Safe in sleep.
Love, good night,
Must thou go,
When the day,
And the night
Need thee so?
All is well.
Speedeth all
To their rest.
Fades the light:
And afar
Goeth day,
And the stars
Shineth bright,
Fare thee well,
Day has gone,
Night is on.
Thanks and praise,
For our days
Neath the sun,
Neath the stars,
Neath the sky,
As we go,
This we know,
God is nigh.
If you check around there are other versions with a variation of words also written to be sun to "Taps".
With or without words, it is a most haunting and mournful tune.
A sign of summer is the 11 at 7 concert series. The first one is this Thursday.