Immortal Songs of Camp and Field: The Story of their Inspiration together with Striking Anecdotes connected with their History — John Shaqi
Immortal Songs of Camp and Field: The Story of their Inspiration together with Striking Anecdotes connected with their HistoryBanks, Louis Albert
History
Immortal Songs of Camp and Field: The Story of their Inspiration together with Striking Anecdotes connected with their History
Banks, Louis Albert
National songs -- United States
"We'll see the angels coming
Through the old churchyards,
Shouting through the air
Glory, glory hallelujah!"
Whatever may have been the origin of the melody, when fitted by
Greenleaf to the first stanza of _John Brown's Body_, it became so great
a favorite with the Glee Club of the Boston Light Infantry that they
asked Mr. Hall to write the additional stanzas.
As has been the case with popular tunes in every age, verses have been
often added to it to meet the occasion. While the words are not of a
classical order, the air is of that popular kind which strikes the heart
of the average man. During the Civil War it served to cheer and inspire
the Union soldiers in their camps and on the march, and was sung at home
at every popular gathering in town or country. It seemed to be just what
the soldiers needed at the time, and served its purpose far better than
would choicer words or more artistic music. No song during all the war
fired the popular heart as did _John Brown's Body_. It crossed the sea
and became the popular street song in London. The _Pall Mall Gazette_ of
October 14, 1865, said: "The street boys of London have decided in favor
of _John Brown's Body_, against _My Maryland_, and _The Bonnie Blue
Flag_. The somewhat lugubrious refrain has excited their admiration to a
wonderful degree, and threatens to extinguish that hard-worked,
exquisite effort of modern minstrelsy, _Slap Bang_."
After the original song had gained world-wide notoriety, the following
words were written by Henry Howard Brownell, who died at Hartford,
Connecticut, October 31, 1872, aged fifty-two. Mr. Brownell entitled his
poem, "Words that can be sung to the _Hallelujah Chorus_," and says: "If
people will sing about Old John Brown, there is no reason why they
shouldn't have words with a little meaning and rhythm in them."
"Old John Brown lies a-mouldering in the grave,
Old John Brown lies slumbering in his grave--
But John Brown's soul is marching with the brave,
His soul is marching on.
Glory, glory hallelujah!
Glory, glory hallelujah!
Glory, glory hallelujah!
His soul is marching on.
"He has gone to be a soldier in the Army of the Lord,
He is sworn as a private in the ranks of the Lord--
He shall stand at Armageddon, with his brave old sword,
When Heaven is marching on.
"He shall file in front where the lines of battle form--
He shall face the front where the squares of battle form--
Time with the column and charge with the storm,
Where men are marching on.
"Ah, foul tyrants! do you hear him where he comes?
Ah, black traitors! do you know him as he comes?
In thunder of the cannon and roll of the drums,
As we go marching on.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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