When Johnny Comes Marching Home

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“When Johnny Comes Marching Home”
Cover of the 1863 publication of "When Johnny Comes Marching Home"
Cover of the 1863 publication of "When Johnny Comes Marching Home"
Song
Writer Louis Lambert (lyrics)

"When Johnny Comes Marching Home" (sometimes "When Johnny Comes Marching Home Again") is a popular song of the American Civil War that expressed people's longing for the return of their friends and relatives who were fighting in the war.

Contents

[edit] Origins

Some believe the tune is that of the Irish antiwar song "Johnny I Hardly Knew Ye", presumed to be the original on the basis of oral and textual evidence, although no published version is known to pre-date "When Johnny Comes Marching Home Again" [1]. However, expert James Fuld, author of the standard text on popular music, The Book of World Famous Music, states on page 640 of that volume that Donal O'Sullivan, the Irish authority, has written the Library of Congress that he does not consider the melody of "When Johnny Comes Marching Home" as Irish in origin. As stated, no printed music of Irish origin has been discovered that predates American publication in September of 1863 by Henry Tolman in Boston under the title "When Johnny Comes Marching Home". Library of Congress records do show a title "Johnny Fill Up The Bowl" that was published in July of 1863 by John J. Daly that appears to contain the song's melody.

The lyrics, written by Irish-American bandleader Patrick Gilmore, and published under the pseudonym 'Louis Lambert', effectively reverse those of "Johnny I Hardly Knew Ye", in which Johnny returns home blind and crippled, to the woman he abandoned in order to join the army.

The "Johnny" so longed for in the song is Patrick Gilmore's future brother in-law a Union Light Artillery Captain named John O'Rourke. The song was written by Patrick for his sister Annie Gilmore as she longed for the safe return of her Captain from the Civil War. ("The House that O'Rourke Built" Patti Jo Peterson The Plattsmouth Journal August 30, 2007 page 5, AND "The O'Rourke House" Patti Jo Peterson The Plattsmouth Journal June 15, 2006 page 11)

[edit] Other versions

Quite a few variations on the song, as well as songs set to the same tune but with different lyrics, have appeared since When Johnny Comes Marching Home was popularized. The alleged larcenous tendencies of some Union soldiers in New Orleans were parodied in the Confederate lyrics, "For Bales", to the same tune. A World War I variation appeared in 1914, with the similar title, "When Tommy Comes Marching Home."

  • Malvina Reynolds wrote different lyrics for the tune in her song "The Judge Said" (1977).
  • A French version (without vocals) "Johnny Revient d'la Guerre" was recorded by Bérurier Noir, on the album Macadam Massacre (1983).
  • Guns N' Roses used a part of the song for their song "Civil War" (1991).
  • The melody for the song was used as an intro to "Heaven's Hung in Black" by W.A.S.P. on their 2007 album Dominator.
  • The tune was used with distinctly British lyrics by Anglo Saxon for their song 'When Daddy comes marching home'. released on itunes (2007).
  • The same tune is used for the children's songs "The Ants Go Marching One By One" and also "The Animals Went in Two by Two".
  • Also, Supertramp saxophonist John Helliwell played the first part of the song as part of his saxophone solo during the "Jerusalem"/explosion section of "Fool's Overture" on the 1980 double live album Paris.
  • On their "Dahmer" album (2000), Macabre uses the same theme in the song In The Army Now with modified lyrics, telling about Jeffrey Dahmer during his conscription in Germany.
  • An obscene version prevalent in military and Rugby-football circles also exists - beginning "Three German Officers Crossed the Rhine"

[edit] Popular Culture

The song, or its tune, has also been used in the soundtracks of several movies, including Stalag 17 (1953), The Horse Soldiers (1959), How The West Was Won (1962), Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb (1964) and Die Hard With a Vengeance (1995). It's even used in the episode "G.I. Homer" of "The Simpsons".

It can also be heard in the film Gone with the Wind (1939). A band plays the song in the background of a scene taking place in Atlanta.

It was also partially used in Charlie Chaplin's "The Great Dictator".

The music for this song is used (with different lyrics) by The Clash for their song "English Civil War" (1979). Country music group Boy Howdy released a version of the song in 1991.

Iced Earth used a part of the song for their song "The Devil to Pay" on The Glorious Burden (2004).

Parts of the song were performed by U2 during the Vertigo Tour (2005) as a medley with "Bullet the Blue Sky."

Paul Wall & Chamillionaire used the melody of this song for both versions of "True" from Controversy Sells (2005).

The tune was used with distinctly British lyrics by Anglo Saxon for their song 'When Daddy comes marching home'. released on itunes (2007) The tune was copied for the song "Na bole tum" in the Hindi-language film "Baton Baton Mein".

For their 2007 tour, Streetlight Manifesto used two instrumental verses to introduce the first song, "Everything Went Numb."

A version referencing gays in the military was sung by Bill McNeal (Phil Hartman) on NewsRadio. "When Johnny comes marching home, He's Gay! He's Gay!"

The tune serves as the basis for the "Armband Song" sang by supporters of Liverpool Football Club in tribute to Spanish striker Fernando Torres, and was also sung by them on their F.A. Cup run in 1965 with the words "Was on the way from Villa Park".

[edit] Lyrics

When Johnny comes marching home again
Hurrah! Hurrah!
We'll give him a hearty welcome then
Hurrah! Hurrah!
The men will cheer and the boys will shout
The ladies they will all turn out
And we'll all feel gay when Johnny comes marching home.

The old church bell will peal with joy
Hurrah! Hurrah!
To welcome home our darling boy,
Hurrah! Hurrah!
The village lads and lassies say
With roses they will strew the way,
And we'll all feel gay when Johnny comes marching home.

Get ready for the Jubilee,
Hurrah! Hurrah!
We'll give the hero three times three,
Hurrah! Hurrah!
The laurel wreath is ready now
To place upon his loyal brow
And we'll all feel gay when Johnny comes marching home.

Let love and friendship on that day,
Hurrah, hurrah!
Their choicest pleasures then display,
Hurrah, hurrah!
And let each one perform some part,
To fill with joy the warrior's heart,
And we'll all feel gay when Johnny comes marching home.

[edit] External links