When Ives proposed the publication, at his own expense, of a major collection of his own songs (a project that appeared in 1922 as 114 Songs), he found that he had to omit some of his best work because he could not get permission to print the texts of the songs. One notable absence, for that reason, from 114 Songs is the Vachel Lindsey setting "General William Booth Enters Into Heaven."

In the end, only one poem set by Ives was included in 114 Songs for which copyright clearance had not been obtained. That is Rudyard Kipling's Tarrant Moss. The book quotes the first four words of the poem, plus "etc." and in a footnote Ives explains that "[p]ermission to use this verse had not been obtained from Mr. Kipling at the time of going to press."

Presumably, he wanted the music to be known, anyway. The 1902 song is relatively conventional, in the style of a Celtic heroic ballad that makes the way Kipling's words were to be set to music pretty obvious, if one knew or had a copy of the poem. Thus it could readily be sung, at least in private music-making.

The song is in 4/4 throughout (except for one interpolated 2/4 measure) and is one of Ives' most conventionally macho songs. Prominent in the accompaniment is a march-like drum figure in open fifths planted firmly on the tonic of C Major.

The text is both ironic and tragic: A warrior has fought on behalf of Tarrant Moss and in the midst of being hailed for his bravery and noble motives, he is personally reflecting that the deaths he caused in the battle were not motivated for regard for the people of Tarrant Moss, for the fighter was duped into battle by a false-hearted woman.

Virtually the only hint of the radical Ives style is the very final chord: There is the same C-G open fifth in the bass, but, to underscore the bitterness of the hero's emotions, is another open fifth sonority, F sharp-C sharp-F sharp, in the treble. The resulting tritone and minor seconds—harsh, bitter dissonances all—end the song on a fitting and bitter yelp. Otherwise, the song is conventional and appropriate to the swaggering tone of Kipling's words.



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