When Johnny Comes Marching Home

[samgrant]

Spurred by Rose's toy cannon post, I got to thinking about that song.

Thinking as 'Johnny; was a reb, I thought it a Southern song, but it was written by a Northerer in 1863.

Here is some of what I have found:

http://delong.typepad.com/sdj/2005/0...ohhny_com.html

http://www.psgilmore-society.org/

http://memory.loc.gov/cocoon/ihas/lo...4/default.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Patrick_Gilmore

http://www.instantknowledgenews.com/johnny.htm

http://www.lilesnet.com/patriotic/mu...rchingHome.htm

Any musicians amongst us who might add to the history of this song?

[gary]

Marching Through Georgia and Bonnie Blue Flag both have something in common. They're adapted from old Hiberian tunes. Both are certainly a lot better than our National Anthem of which the tune was originally sung to a drinking song. It's not that I'm not patriotic. Rather, I hate the tune since the lyrics can't be sung to those awfully high notes. Give me Hail Columbia instead.

[Miss Markie]

I'm not sure if the persons on the first site you included were serious when they made remarks about the original words of "Johhny We Hardly Knew Ye" as 'spurious anti-war propaganda', but as a woman of Irish descent, I can tell you that the original purpose of the song was a lament, not necessarily anti-war, but a woman's sad lament that her Johnny would never be the same after the horrors of war. If you hear the song played by Irish musicians, it is always a lament.

"When Johnny Comes Marching Home" is much more jubilant.

[ole]

Miss Markie. The depth of your observations is truly awesome. My compliments ma'am. (He says as he pulls his forelock in deep respect.}
Ole

[Rad2duhbone53]

For those who just can't seem to remember the tune, here it is.

[ole]

Miss Markie: I, too, thought the tune was originally Irish. Somehow, it became southern. "Johnny, I hardly knew, ye." And "When Johnny comes marchin home" come to mind. "Danny Boy" is a particular tear-jerker. Having absolutely nothing to do with the WBTS and everything to do wiith the Irish rebellion, it must have drawn a bit of moisture from soldiers on both sides. The pipes are callin'. Can't even think about it now.
Ole

[civilwarbuglertn]

It is common for songs of this period to be ripped off and have new words added. John Browns Body or Battle Hymnn of the Republic is just one good example The soilders did not care which side a song was written for if they liked it. One excellently document example of this happening is not from a soilder, but from Lincoln.
On the night that Lee surrendered Lincoln asked the band that came to serinade him to play Dixie because he like the song. There are many songs that we associate with on side or the other that were just written to be sung not to support a side.

[ole]

Jason:
Yes, Lincoln liked Dixie. Everybody liked Dixie. I think it was Grant, or quite probably somenody else, said something like "I know two tunes, one is Dixie, the other one isn't."

It has always been a wonderment how "John Brown's Body" transmogrified into "Mine eyes have seen the glory..."

[samgrant]

Jason:
Yes, Lincoln liked Dixie. Everybody liked Dixie. I think it was Grant, or quite probably somenody else, said something like "I know two tunes, one is Dixie, the other one isn't."

It has always been a wonderment how "John Brown's Body" transmogrified into "Mine eyes have seen the glory..."

I thought it was "Yankee Doodle" and the other wasn't. ???

[ole]

I thought it was "Yankee Doodle" and the other wasn't. ???

Close enough, you get a cigar. I will ponder your answer for a few minutes, and then, go to bed.
Ole

[Miss Markie]

Now ole, I don't know if you are teasing me or not, but I'll take your remarks as a compliment (I will not lie and say I do not look for such things, , female that I am...)

I would also like to mention that "Danny Boy" is often erroneously thought to be a song that a woman is singing about her lost love gone to war. But that is not true, the singer of the song is the father of Danny Boy, who is lamenting he was too old to go off to war, and now his son, who does his duty, is off to war, and the old father is dying. He knows his son did the right thing by going off to fight, but misses him terribly, and knows that he will not live to see that son come back, but hopes to see him in eternity.

Geez o pete, now I'm making myself cry...

[ole]

Geez o pete, now I'm making myself cry...

Danny Boy will getcha every time.