Rally 'Round the Lyrics
A famous Civil War song paired with not-so-famous words. And a trip back to childhood
Over Fourth of July season, I got to listening, as one does, to Leonard Pennario playing Gottschalk’s arrangement of “The Battle Cry of Freedom.”
I’ve known this song for years. When I worked nights for the Niagara Gazette, my friends and I would go in the middle of the night to Nietzsche’s and hear the Thirds perform, and they often sang this song
The Union forever! Hurrah, boys, hurrah!
Down with the traitor! Up with the star!
There is a Southern version to the song as well. Apparently it was really popular in the Civil War era. Gottschalk was friends with the composer, George Root. Gottschalk loved the song and thought it should be our national anthem.
It really is a stirring anthem. “Down with the traitor” — judging from the comment section on that video, people love that lyric. It’s not my favorite, I have to admit. Lincoln wanted the country to go forward as one, and I agree with Lincoln, and I see no point to prolonging unpleasantness.
I got to thinking about all this because on my piano was sprawled an old book of “Favorite Songs Of Every Character,” from the Scribner Radio Music Library. And there, on page 170, was “The Battle Cry of Freedom.”
It has words I’d never seen before!
I mean, most of them are the words I knew. The big exception is the chorus.
The Union forever! Hurrah, boys, Hurrah!
Bright in its glory shines every star…
I like those words!
The third verse is a shocker:
Oh! then rally round our flag, boys, wherever it may wave,
Shouting the battle cry of Freedom;
From the Northland tried and true, from the Southland ever brave,
Shouting the battle cry of Freedom.
Wow! I have never heard those words, and I like them. Maybe World War II had something to do with them. The country may have felt finally it had moved on.
I may have a scoop here. I can’t find these lyrics referred to anywhere. But here they are, in my handy Scribner Radio Music Library. I am not making them up.
The Scribner Radio Music Library — this edition is from 1946 — is I think eight volumes. Our friends George and Anne Apfel found this set at a sale and gave it to Howard and me. I will forever be grateful for that gift.
It is a treasure!
Speaking of Civil War songs…
When my brothers and sisters and I were little kids, we had a small bunch of records we played over and over. We weren’t allowed to watch TV, and we didn’t have a lot of records, so these were in practically daily rotation, literally. Some were by Frank Luther, who sang music for kids, and some were by Burl Ives. Burl Ives is a whole other story for another day.
Another much-played record was Schubert’s “Trout” Quintet. I still can’t hear that wonderful work without knowing exactly where our record would skip. My siblings would immediately know that too. And another big record was an album of Civil War songs, featuring the Smith Brothers.
The Smith Brothers! I always remembered that name. But only just now did I have the idea to look for it on YouTube.
And lo!
“The Battle Cry of Freedom” is not on this record. One side was for the North and one side was for the South. I guess we had our favorites, because I know some of the songs better than others. “Yellow Rose of Texas” — we loved that. “When This Cruel War Is Over” — I think that was Northern. I would say it’s bipartisan.
“Lincoln and Liberty”— no memory of that. “Dixie” — I remember that, with all these banjos. It feels funny to hear it again, after all these years. Proust would understand.
“When Johnny Comes Marching Home.” We liked that.
And our favorite? There was no contest.
Hands down, it was “Goober Peas.”
When you’re 7 or 8 you can’t resist that.
That was a Southern song. The Georgia Militia, eatin’ goober peas!
Didn’t matter that our great-grandfather had fought in the Union Army. “Goober Peas,” we couldn’t stop laughing at that. Goober Peas were peanuts. We learned that somehow.
It feels funny to hear the song again, after all these years. I remember every inflection the Smith Brothers, whoever they were, gave it.
Just before the battle, the general hears a row,
He says, the Yanks are coming, I hear their rifles now!
He turns around in wonder, and what do you think he sees?
The Georgia militia, eating Goober Peas!
And the last verse (there aren’t many):
I think this song has lasted almost long enough
The subject’s interesting, but the rhymes are rough.
I wish this war was over — free of lice and fleas
We’ll kiss our wives and sweethearts, and gobble Goober Peas!
Funny how the songs of the North and the South shared one sentiment at least: I wish this war was over. Well, whatever. This takes me back to childhood.
I can’t get over hearing this again!
Further Reading
Click here to hear Pennario play Gottschalk’s “Battle Cry of Freedom.”
Click here for “We’re Going In: A Hiking Challenge.” We should be getting out of the house, not sitting inside listening to music.
Click here to listen in on the latest Mozart premier.
And if the spirit moves you…
My grandfather had a farm in Blossom which went bust in one of the panics following WWI, so they moved to the Hertel neighborhood west of Elmwood so he could work as a cabinetmaker at Kittinger. My grandmother first enrolled my dad at St. Florian's, but that didn't last because they spoke Polish there, so then it was Holy Spirit. My great-uncle had the house on Arden, so then they moved there, and my dad could watch them putting the bells in the tower of St. Gerard's from his 8th-grade classroom. Now my baptismal font is down in Georgia. Other piano rolls (many from QRS) were "Night and Day" (with the verse), "Every Little Movement," "The Old Lamplighter" and "Old Buttermilk Sky."
I have that record somewhere!
I've always loved Civil War era music. I first fell in love with it back when I was 13. I was, as previously stated, a unique child. That summer my parents let me decide where I wanted to go on vacation. I chose every kid's dream vacation. Gettysburg! It was the 140th anniversary of the battle and there were plenty of folks around. I found this great string band playing southern wartunes appropriately named "Un-Reconstructed" (they're still around and going strong, look them up on Facebook or YouTube ). They ignited my love of Civil War era music. "Goober peas" has always been a favorite! One of my favorite parts of collecting the old records is finding songs like this that were recorded while the veterans were still among us.
One of my favorites is "Kingdom Coming". Lyrics were written in "dialect" as was common in the time, but the song is about slaves being freed and taking over their plantation after the master runs off seeing union troops closing in.