|
Battle Hymn of the Republic/My Eyes Have Seen/Glory, Glory Hallelujah
Public Domain Old-Time, Gospel Julia Ward Howe/ William Steffe,
ARTIST: Julia Ward Howe/ William Steffe,
CATEGORY: Traditional and Public Domain Gospel;
DATE: 1862 words; 1855 music
RECORDING INFO: The Battle Hymn of the Republic - Julia Ward Howe/ William Steffe,
At - Glory, Glory Hallelujah
Rm - Grasshopper Sittin'/Sitting on a Sweet Potato Vine
Sm - John Brown's Body; Pass around The Bottle
Mf - Solidarity Forever; Teacher Hit Me With a Ruler; He Was Sorry That He Did It; Up Went Nelson; Move On Over ; Mine Eyes Have Seen; Tongue Twister Song; Keep Smiling; S-M-I-L-E; Wage Workers, Come Join the Union
Pb - Marvin ; Glory Flying Regulations; Battle Hymn of Women; Hurry, Hurry, Hurry; Speed Up Song; Whiskey Shops Must Go; Battle Hymn of Toil; Battle Hymn of the Workers
Snyder, Jerry (arr.) / Golden Guitar Folk Sing Book, Hansen, Fol (1972), p 20
de Ville, Paul (ed.) / Concertina and How To Play It, Carl Fischer, sof (1905), # 81 (Glory Hallelujah)
Lynn, Frank (ed.) / Songs for Swinging Housemothers, Fearon, Sof (1963/1961), p211
Chapple, Joseph Mitchell / Heart Songs, Chappell, Bk (1909), p312
Fowke, Edith & Joe Glazer (eds.) / Songs of Work and Protest, Dover, Sof (1973/1960), p172
Kennedy, Charles O'Brien (ed.) / American Ballads - Naughty, Ribald and, Premier Book, sof (1956/1952), p199
Kennedy, Charles O'Brien (ed.) / Treasury of American Ballads; Gay, Naug, McBride, Bk (1954), p167
Sandburg, Helga (ed.) / Sweet Music, Dial, Bk (1963), p 19
Lift Every Voice. The Second People's Song Book, Sing Out, Fol (1953), p48
Boni, Margaret Bradford (ed.) / Fireside Book of Folk Songs, Simon & Schuster, Bk (1947), p220
Lorenz, Ellen J.(ed.) / Men's Get-Together Songs, Lorenz, Fol (1938), p 97/#140
Silverman, Jerry / Folksingers Guide to Note Reading and Music Theory, Oak, Sof (1966), p20
Parsons, Getrude B.(ed.) / High School Song Book, Silver Burdette, BK (1919), p244
Jackson, Richard (ed.) / Popular Songs of Nineteenth Century America, Dover, Sof (1976), p 22 [1862] (Glory, Glory Hallelujah)
Glazer, Tom / Treasury of Songs for Children, Songs Music, Fol (1964/1981), p 28
Johnson, Charles (ed) / One Hundred & One Famous Hymns, Hallberg, Bk (1982), p 91
Herder, Ronald (ed.) / 500 Best-Loved Song Lyrics, Dover dn500/500, Sof (1998), p 29b Baez, Joan. Joan Baez in Concert, Part 2, Vanguard VRS-9113, LP (1963), trk# B.08
Baez, Joan. Siegmeister, Elie (arr.) / Joan Baez Song Book, Ryerson Music, Sof (1971/1964), p148
Bowers, Bryan. By Heart, Flying Fish FF 313, LP (1984), trk# B.01
Country Gentlemen. Country Gentlemen, Rebel RLP 1478, LP (1966), trk# 3
Cumberland Three. Songs of the Civil War, Rhino R2 70739, CD (1991/1960), trk# 23
Ferretti, Silvio. Banjo Newsletter, BNL, Ser (1973-), 1981/06,p10
Harman, Bob; and the Blue Ridge Descendants. Music of the Blue Ridge, Galaxie, LP (198?), trk# A.04
Holland, Carmen. All Time Favorite Sacred Songs on the Autoharp, Sound Productions, LP (197?), trk# B.08
Jimerson, Douglas. Abraham Lincoln Sings On, Amerimusic AM 1001, CD (1998), trk# 21 Odetta. My Eyes Have Seen, Vanguard VRS-9059, LP (1960), trk# B.07
Pringle, Valentine. I Hear America Singing, RCA (Victor) LSP 2689, LP (1963), trk# A.06
Rucker, Sparky and Ronda. Blue and Gray in Black and White, Flying Fish FF70 611, CD (1992), trk# 8c
OTHER NAMES: John Brown's Body; Pass around The Bottle
Solidarity Forever; Teacher Hit Me With a Ruler; He Was Sorry That He Did It; Up Went Nelson; Move On Over ; Mine Eyes Have Seen; Tongue Twister Song; Keep Smiling; S-M-I-L-E; Wage Workers, Come Join the Union
PARODY: Pass around The Bottle; Marvin; Glory Flying Regulations; Battle Hymn of Women; Hurry, Hurry, Hurry; Speed Up Song; Whiskey Shops Must Go; Battle Hymn of Toil; Battle Hymn of the Workers
SOURCES: Wiki; Folk Index; Mudcat
NOTES: The gospel song, "The Battle Hymn of the Republic" is a public domain hymn by Julia Ward Howe and William Steffe. The poetry by Julia Ward Stowe of The Battle Hymn of the Republic was first published in The Atlantic magazine in February, 1862. The tune was based on the song, “John Brown’s Body.”
In 1861 the story of anti-slavery zealot John Brown's death is told: "John Brown's body lies a-mould'ring in his grave (x3); his soul goes marching on." "He captured Harper's Ferry with his nineteen men so true...." On October 16-18, 1859 John Brown and 20 others (fifteen of them, including Brown's three sons, are white) attack the arsenal at Harper's Ferry, Virginia, hoping to gather the weapons needed for a slave rebellion. Forces led by Robert E. Lee soon attack the rebels; only Brown and four others live to be captured and placed on trial. On Dec 2, 1859 John Brown was hanged at Charlestown, Virginia.
The "John Brown" words were composed within months of his death, and had spread throughout the Union by the early stages of the Civil War. Others argue that the "John Brown" of the song was not the abolitionist but an obscure American soldier (Irwin Silber describes him as "Sergeant John Brown, a Scotsman, a member of the Second Battalion, Boston Light Infantry Volunteer Militia," who later joined the Twelfth Massachusetts). At any rate the song was tied to John Brown’s hanging and became a ralling cry for the soldiers during the Civil War. Here are the lyrics:
JOHN BROWN'S ORIGINAL MARCHING SONG J. H. Johnson, song publisher, Philadelphia, n. d. (1860-61) American Memory; Tune- Brothers, Will You Meet Me.
John Brown's body lies a-mouldering in the grave; 3x
His soul's marching on!
Chorus:
Glory, halle-hallelujah! Glory, halle-hallelujah!
Glory, halle-hallelujah! His soul's marching on!
John Brown's knapsack is strapped upon his back! 3x
His soul's marching on!
His pet lambs will meet him on the way; 3x
They go marching on!
They will hang Jeff Davis to a tree! 3x
As they march along!
Now three rousing cheers for the Union; 3x
As we are marching on!
John Brown’s Body is sung to the melody of “Brothers, Will You Meet Me” or sometimes titled "Say, Brothers, Will You Meet Us." According to James Fuld: “On Dec. 19, 1857, there was a copyright entry by Charles Dunbar, Camp Meeting Harp and Revival Chorister. Though no copy of a book with this title has been found, a book entitled The Union Harp and Revival Chorister, with the collection selected and arranged by Charles Dunbar, and a statement that it was published in Cincinnati in 1858, has been found; and it contains at page 264 the music and words of "My Brother Will You Meet Me." The opening words are "Say my brother will you meet me." The music of the Glory Hallelujah chorus is present, but not the words. No copyright entry was made for this book in 1858, although Dunbar copyrighted several other books during that year and copyrighted the second edition of The Union Harp and Revival Chorister on April 30, 1859.”
This revival song has been attributed to William Steffe and some controversy has arisen over Stefe’s claim to be the composer of the tune to the “Battle Hymn.” Here are some lyrics to Brothers, Will You Meet Me:
"My Brother Will You Meet Me."
Say my brother will you meet me
Say my brother will you meet me
Say my brother will you meet me
On Caanan’s happy shore.
To complicate matters, the chorus of a song titled "She Had Such Wheedling Ways" at The Lester S. Levy Collection of Sheet Music is sung to the tune of "Battle Hymn." According to the Levy Collection description, it was published in 1855 (the date may be in error). This may be the earliest printed version (view on-line at Levy collection) of the melody "Battle Hymn of the Republic." "She Had Such Wheedling Ways" precedes Steffe claim that he wrote the melody by several years.
BATTLE HYMN OF THE REPUBLIC- Howe and Steffe 1862
Mine eyes have seen the glory of the coming of the Lord:
He is trampling out the vintage where the grapes of wrath are stored;
He hath loosed the fateful lightning of His terrible swift sword:
His truth is marching on.
(Chorus) Glory, glory, hallelujah!
Glory, glory, hallelujah!
Glory, glory, hallelujah!
His truth is marching on.
I have seen Him in the watch-fires of a hundred circling camps,
They have builded Him an altar in the evening dews and damps;
I can read His righteous sentence by the dim and flaring lamps:
His day is marching on.
(Chorus) Glory, glory, hallelujah!
Glory, glory, hallelujah!
Glory, glory, hallelujah!
His day is marching on.
I have read a fiery gospel writ in burnished rows of steel:
"As ye deal with my contemners, so with you my grace shall deal;
Let the Hero, born of woman, crush the serpent with his heel,
Since God is marching on."
(Chorus) Glory, glory, hallelujah!
Glory, glory, hallelujah!
Glory, glory, hallelujah!
Since God is marching on.
He has sounded forth the trumpet that shall never call retreat;
He is sifting out the hearts of men before His judgment-seat:
Oh, be swift, my soul, to answer Him! be jubilant, my feet!
Our God is marching on.
(Chorus) Glory, glory, hallelujah!
Glory, glory, hallelujah!
Glory, glory, hallelujah!
Our God is marching on.
In the beauty of the lilies Christ was born across the sea,
With a glory in His bosom that transfigures you and me:
As He died to make men holy, let us die (live) to make men free,
While God is marching on.
(Chorus) Glory, glory, hallelujah!
Glory, glory, hallelujah!
Glory, glory, hallelujah!
While God is marching on.
He is coming like the glory of the morning on the wave,
He is Wisdom to the mighty, He is Succour to the brave,
So the world shall be His footstool, and the soul of Time His slave,
Our God is marching on.
(Chorus) Glory, glory, hallelujah!
Glory, glory, hallelujah!
Glory, glory, hallelujah!
Our God is marching on.
|