Zack
First Sergeant
- Joined
- Aug 20, 2017
- Location
- Los Angeles, California
Besides the simple, catchy tune, part of what made the John Brown song so fun and popular was that anyone could come up with lyrics for it as long as they fit the tune. In the spirit of that, here are some of the verses I've found for the song (sources at bottom).
Please post more verses you've seen in diaries or letters or memoirs or wherever. Or make up your own verse (just mark it as such)
John Brown’s Body Lies A-Moulderin’ in the Grave (x3)
But his truth keeps marching on!
He’s gone to be a soldier in the army of the Lord! (x3)
His soul is marching on!
John Brown’s knapsack is strapped upon his back! (x3)
His soul is marching on!
His pet lambs will meet him on the way; (x3)
They go marching on!
They will hang Jeff. Davis to a tree! (x3)
As they march along!
We'll hang Jeff Davis from a sour apple tree (x3)
As they march along!
We'll feed old Jeff Davis sour apples (x3)
'til he gets the diarhee.
Now, three rousing cheers for the Union; (x3)
As we are marching on!
Old John Brown's body is a-mouldering in the dust,
Old John Brown's rifle's red with blood-spots turned to rust,
Old John Brown's pike has made its last, unflinching thrust,
His soul is marching on!
This version is from the First Arkansas, an African-American regiment in the Union Army:
Oh, we’re the bully soldiers of the "First of Arkansas,"
We are fighting for the Union, we are fighting for the law,
We can hit a Rebel further than a white man ever saw,
As we go marching on.
Sources:
https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/americanexperience/features/brown-history-john-browns-body/
https://www.battlefields.org/learn/articles/lyrics-ca-1861
https://www.digitalhistory.uh.edu/active_learning/explorations/brown/music1.cfm
Please post more verses you've seen in diaries or letters or memoirs or wherever. Or make up your own verse (just mark it as such)
John Brown’s Body Lies A-Moulderin’ in the Grave (x3)
But his truth keeps marching on!
He’s gone to be a soldier in the army of the Lord! (x3)
His soul is marching on!
John Brown’s knapsack is strapped upon his back! (x3)
His soul is marching on!
His pet lambs will meet him on the way; (x3)
They go marching on!
They will hang Jeff. Davis to a tree! (x3)
As they march along!
We'll hang Jeff Davis from a sour apple tree (x3)
As they march along!
We'll feed old Jeff Davis sour apples (x3)
'til he gets the diarhee.
Now, three rousing cheers for the Union; (x3)
As we are marching on!
Old John Brown's body is a-mouldering in the dust,
Old John Brown's rifle's red with blood-spots turned to rust,
Old John Brown's pike has made its last, unflinching thrust,
His soul is marching on!
This version is from the First Arkansas, an African-American regiment in the Union Army:
Oh, we’re the bully soldiers of the "First of Arkansas,"
We are fighting for the Union, we are fighting for the law,
We can hit a Rebel further than a white man ever saw,
As we go marching on.
Sources:
https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/americanexperience/features/brown-history-john-browns-body/
https://www.battlefields.org/learn/articles/lyrics-ca-1861
https://www.digitalhistory.uh.edu/active_learning/explorations/brown/music1.cfm