Taps

This article is about the musical piece. For the pipelines, see Trans-Alaska Pipeline System (TAPS) or Trans-Afghanistan Pipeline (TAP).

"Taps" ("Butterfield's Lullaby"), sometimes known by the lyrics of its second verse, "Day is Done," is a famous musical piece, played in the U.S. military during flag ceremonies and funerals, generally on bugle or trumpet. The tune is also used at night to signal "lights out."

The bugle call was composed by Brigadier General Daniel Butterfield, an American Civil War general who commanded the 3rd Brigade of the 1st Division in the V Army Corps of the Army of the Potomac. Butterfield wrote the tune at Harrison's Landing, Virginia in July 1862 to replace the customary firing of three rifle volleys at the end of burials during battle. "Taps" also replaced "Tatoo," the French bugle call to signal "lights out." Butterfield's bugler, Oliver W. Norton of Chicago, was the first to sound the new call. Within months, "Taps" was used by both Union and Confederate forces.

"Taps" concludes nearly 15 military funerals conducted with honors each weekday at the Arlington National Cemetery, as well as hundreds of others around the country. The tune is also played at many memorial services in Arlington's Memorial Amphitheater and at gravesites throughout the cemetery.

"Taps" is sounded during each of the 2,500 military wreath ceremonies conducted at the Tomb of the Unknowns every year, including the ones held on Memorial Day. The ceremonies are viewed by many people, including veterans, school groups, and foreign officials. Taps is also played nightly at 10 p.m. in military installations to indicate that it is "lights out." When Taps is played, it is customary to salute if in uniform, or to place the right hand over the heart if out of uniform.

Lyrics

While there are no official lyrics, and the original version was purely instrumental, there have been several later lyrics added. The most common form is shown below:

Fading light dims the sight

And a star gems the sky, gleaming bright

From afar drawing nigh,

Falls the night.

Day is done, gone the sun

From the lake, from the hills, from the sky

All is well, safely rest;

God is nigh.

Then goodnight, peaceful night;

Till the light of the dawn shineth bright.

God is near, do not fear,

Friend, Goodnight.

See also: Silver Taps

The British and Commonwealth equivalent is the "Last Post."

Legends

There are several urban legends concerning the origin of Taps. The most widely circulated one states that the a Union Army infantry officer, whose name is often given as Captain Robert Ellicombe, first ordered the song performed at the funeral of his son, a confederate soldier killed during the Peninsular Campaign. The story claims that Ellicombe found the tune in the pocket of his son's clothing and performed the song to honor his memory.

In fact this story is undoubtedly apocryphal [1] (http://www.snopes.com/music/songs/taps.htm)[2] (http://urbanlegends.about.com/library/bltaps.htm) [3] (http://www.breakthechain.org/exclusives/taps.html). That Daniel Butterfield composed Taps has been sworn to by numerous reputable witnesses including Oliver Norton [4] (http://www.pmel.org/Taps.htm), the bugler who first performed the tune. While scholars continue to debate whether or not the tune was original or based on an earlier melody, no serious researcher doubts that Butterfield is responsible for the current tune.

Furthermore there is no record of any man named Robert Ellicombe holding a commission as captain in the Army of the Potomac during the Peninsular Campaign[5] (http://www.truthorfiction.com/rumors/t/taps.htm). The story, while poignant, is unquestionably a fabrication.

External links

• Public domain article about Taps (http://www.army.mil/soldiers/may95/p28.html)
  • A different story about the composition of Taps (http://www.sgaus.org/tap1.htm)
  • ...and another. (http://www.sgaus.org/tap3.htm)
• History of Taps (http://www.tapsbugler.com/24NotesExcerpt/Page1.html)
• The Progression of Taps (http://44tennessee.tripod.com/dutchman/taps.html)
• Image of Taps sheet music (http://www.tapsbugler.com/24NotesExcerptphotos/15.-24Notes.jpg)