Civil War songs

[major bill]

Both sides had some favorite songs and each side had songs that were mostly for their side. I think Dixie is a good example of this. It was also popular to take an existing song and add new words. Some of these new words set to older songs were patriotic or silly. I will start with a "Union song".

Union Dixie words: anonymous

Away down South in the land of traitors,
Rattlesnakes and alligators,
Right away, come away, right away, come away.
Where cotton's king and men are chattels,
Union boys will win the battles,
Right away, come away, right away, come a away

Then we'll all go down to Dixie,
Away, away,
Each Dixie boy must understand,
That he must mind his Uncle Sam,
Away, away. And we'll go down to Dixie.
Away, away, And we'll all go down to Dixie.


I will skip the next two verses as I think we can see the view of this song. Feel free to add a song but let's keep it PG-13.

 

[jackt62]

Dixie happens to be one of my favorite tunes. I never knew there was a Union version. Thanks for posting!

 

[major bill]

A Southern version set to Dixie Land; words by Albert Pike

Southrons, hear your country call you!
up, lest worse than death befall you!
To arms! To army! To arms! In Dixie
Lo@ all the beacon fires are lighted--
Let all hearts be now united!
To arms! arms! To arms! In Dixie!

Chorus:
Advance the flag of Dixie!
Hurrah! Hurrah!
For Dixie's Land we take our stand,
And live or die for Dixie!
To arms! To arms!
And conquer peace for Dixie!
To arms! To arms!
And conquer peace for Dixie!

 

[2nd Dragoon]

Well how about Civil War Poetry:

MELT THE BELLS

By

F.Y. ROCKETT


Melt the bells, melt the bells,

Still the tinkling on the plain,

And transmute the evening chimes

Into war's resounding rhymes,

That the invaders may be slain

By the bells.


Melt the bells, melt the bells,

That fore years have called to prayer,

And , instead, the cannon's roar

Shall resound the valley's o'ver,

That the foe may catch despair

From the bells.


Melt the bells, melt the bells

Though it cost a tear to part

With the music they have made,

Where the friends we love are laid,

With pale cheek and silent heart,

'neath the bells.


Melt the bells, melt the bells,

Into cannon, vast and grim,

And the foe shall feel the ire

From the heaving lungs of fire,

And we'll put our trust in Him,

And the bells.


Melt the bells, melt the bells,

And when foes no more attack,

And the lightning cloud of war

Shall roll thunderless and far,

We shall melt the cannon back

Into bells.


Melt the bells, melt the bells,

And they'll peal a sweeter chime,

And they remind of all the brave

Who have sunk to glory's grave,

And will sleep through coming time

'neath the bells.


These lines were written when General Beauregard appealed to the people of the south to contribute their bells, that they might be melted into cannon. F. Y. Rockett, was an experienced journalist before the war and was the first editor of the Memphis Public Ledger in 1856.

 

[2nd Dragoon]

But if you must have a song how about this one.

The Southern Cross

By St George Tucker



Air- The Star Spangle Banner



Oh, say, can you see, through the gloom and the storm,

More bright for the darkness, that pure constellation?

Like the symbol of love and redemption its form,

As it points to the haven of hope for the nation.



How radiant, each star, as the beacon afar,

Giving promise of peace, or assurance in war;

Tis the Cross of the South, which shall ever remain,

To light us to Freedom and Glory again!



How peaceful and blest was America's soil,

Till betrayed by guile of the Puritan demon,

Which lurks under virtue, and springs from its coil

To fasten its fangs in the life-blood of freemen.



Then loudly appeal, to each heart that can feel,

And crush the foul viper 'neath Liberty's heel!

And the Cross of the South shall forever remain,

To light us to Freedom and Glory again!



Tis the emblem of peace, tis the day-star of hope,

Like the sacred Labarum, which guided the Roman;

From the shores of the Gulf to the Delaware's slope,

Tis the trust of the free, and the terror of foemen.



Fling its folds to the air, while we boldly declare

The rights we demand, or the deeds that we dare;

And the Cross of the South shall forever remain,

To light us to Freedom and Glory again!



But if peace should be hopeless, and justice denied,

And war's bloody vulture should flap his black pinions,

Then gladly to arms while we hurl in our pride,

Defiance to tyrants, and death to their minions,

With our front to the field, swearing never to yield,

Or return, like the Spartan, in death on our shield;

And the Cross of the South shall triumphantly wave

As the flag of the Free, or the pall of the brave.



Note: I have a book entitled: The Songs and Ballads of the Southern People 1861-1865, collected and edited by Frank Moore. 317 Pages. Published in New York: D. Appleton and Company 1, 3, & 5 Bond Street. Published in 1886.

 

[archieclement]

post war musicians needed to be versatile

 

[Albert Sailhorst]

"The Good Ol' Rebel" uses the tune from a song called "Joe Bowers"...Here's info on "Joe Bowers": https://books.google.com/books?id=D...Q6AEISjAG#v=onepage&q=joe bowers song&f=false

Here is a rendition of "Joe Bowers" by Bobby Horton

 

[archieclement]

"The Good Ol' Rebel" uses the tune from a song called "Joe Bowers"...Here's info on "Joe Bowers": https://books.google.com/books?id=Dn0cSe2ecuoC&pg=PA421&lpg=PA421&dq=joe+bowers+song&source=bl&ots=i7iaNpPsoD&sig=HZr4TJ3OsFpfOjtgWk_Ggg5CH6E&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwi73dLwiYvYAhUX02MKHYbnDx4Q6AEISjAG#v=onepage&q=joe bowers song&f=false

Here is a rendition of "Joe Bowers" by Bobby Horton

good thing they jazzed up the tempo a bit

 

[major bill]

An old book from my personal library. Well real old, almost as old as I am.

 

[Borderruffian]

A Southern version set to Dixie Land; words by Albert Pike

Southrons, hear your country call you!
up, lest worse than death befall you!
To arms! To army! To arms! In Dixie
Lo@ all the beacon fires are lighted--
Let all hearts be now united!
To arms! arms! To arms! In Dixie!

Chorus:
Advance the flag of Dixie!
Hurrah! Hurrah!
For Dixie's Land we take our stand,
And live or die for Dixie!
To arms! To arms!
And conquer peace for Dixie!
To arms! To arms!
And conquer peace for Dixie!

Evetbodys Dixie Lyrics by Gen. A. Pike

 

[Jimklag]

I always liked the old favorites Lorena and Kathleen Mavourneen.

 

[James Brenner]

I suspect we're all pretty familiar with the more common songs, Goober Peas, Marching through Georgia, etc. What I find just as interesting are those songs written for specific units or individuals that seldom, if ever, are played or heard. For example, while researching the 1st Regiment of Ohio Light Artillery, I came across a newspaper report of a waltz written for Battery D of that regiment. About a year later, I accidentally came across the actual sheet music for it. I have no musical ability and could not figure out the melody. The point is, I'd like to know what the waltz sounds like (it could be a stinker) and, taking that one step further, I have often wished that a musical preservation society would release a CD of such tunes.

 

[NH Civil War Gal]

In 1965 I was singing Goober Peas. We had a music teacher come in once a week at school. For a few weeks we learned Civil War and early Americana tunes and I loved it. I still sing Goober Peas when I'm alone. I can also remember I Have an Old Mule Her Name is Sal....

 

[archieclement]

I suspect we're all pretty familiar with the more common songs, Goober Peas, Marching through Georgia, etc. What I find just as interesting are those songs written for specific units or individuals that seldom, if ever, are played or heard. For example, while researching the 1st Regiment of Ohio Light Artillery, I came across a newspaper report of a waltz written for Battery D of that regiment. About a year later, I accidentally came across the actual sheet music for it. I have no musical ability and could not figure out the melody. The point is, I'd like to know what the waltz sounds like (it could be a stinker) and, taking that one step further, I have often wished that a musical preservation society would release a CD of such tunes.

However it actually was a regt not a brigade......1st Mo Inf Regt 6th Div MSG

 

[mofederal]

 

[mofederal]

 

[Borderruffian]

However it actually was a regt not a brigade......1st Mo Inf Regt 6th Div MSG

Quite possibly my favorite WBTS song. Kelly commwnded the Washington (St Louis) Blues a temperance unit the Regt also contained the ST Louis Grays reportedly made up of Irish Firemen.

 

[jackt62]

I also happen to enjoy the song "Aura Lee." Elvis Presley repurposed the tune with different lyrics as "Love Me Tender."