Alfred Bryan was a distinguished Canadian lyricist born on September 15, 1871, in Brantford, Ontario. He received his early education in parochial schools and later attended the Collegiate Institute in London, Ontario. In the late 1880s, Bryan moved to New York City, where he began his career in songwriting and worked as an arranger for several music publishing firms. His first major success came in 1910 with the song "Come Josephine in My Flying Machine," composed by Fred Fisher, which became a No. 1 hit.

Bryan was a prolific lyricist, contributing to over 1,000 songs, with 229 registered with the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP). He collaborated with numerous composers, including Fred Fisher, Al Piantadosi, Alfred Gumble, and George Meyer. His 1915 song "I Didn't Raise My Boy to Be a Soldier," with music by Al Piantadosi, was a significant hit, selling 650,000 copies in its first three months and reflecting the American public's anti-war sentiments.

Throughout his career, Bryan contributed to several Broadway scores, such as The Shubert Gaieties of 1919 and The Midnight Rounders of 1920 and 1921. In the 1920s, he relocated to Hollywood, where he wrote songs for film scores. His works include well-known songs like "Peg O' My Heart," "Oui, Oui, Marie," and "Who Paid the Rent for Mrs. Rip Van Winkle?"

Bryan was a founding member of ASCAP in 1914 and was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1970 and the Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2003. He also published a book of poetry titled "Pagan Love Lyrics" in 1925. Alfred Bryan passed away on April 1, 1958, in Gladstone, New Jersey, leaving behind a legacy as one of Canada's most prolific lyricists.