| "The Battle of New Orleans" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Single by Johnny Horton | ||||
| B-side | "All for the Love of a Girl" | |||
| Released | April 1959 | |||
| Genre | Country | |||
| Length | 2:33 | |||
| Label | Columbia | |||
| Writer(s) | Jimmy Driftwood | |||
| Johnny Horton singles chronology | ||||
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"The Battle of New Orleans" is the title of a song written by Jimmy Driftwood. The song describes the 1815 Battle of New Orleans from the perspective of an American soldier; the lyrics are evidently intended to be comical. It has been recorded by many artists, but the singer most often associated with this song is Johnny Horton. His version scored number 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1959 (see 1959 in music).
In Billboard magazine's rankings of the top songs in the first fifty years of the Billboard Hot 100 chart, "The Battle of New Orleans" was ranked as the twenty-eighth song overall[1] and the number-one country music song to appear on the chart.[2]
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The melody is based on a well-known American fiddle tune "The 8th of January", which was the date of the Battle of New Orleans. Jimmy Driftwood, a school principal in Arkansas with a passion for history, set an account of the battle to this music in an attempt to get students interested in learning history. It seemed to work, and Driftwood became well known in the region for his historical songs. He was "discovered" in the late 1950s by Don Warden, and eventually was given a recording contract by RCA, for whom he recorded 12 songs in 1958, including "The Battle of New Orleans".
"The Battle of New Orleans" is often played during North American sporting events, and is commonly heard during home games of the NHL's Calgary Flames . Original Horton 45 r.p.m. discs of the song are now worth many times the original cost.
| Chart (1960) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| U.S. Billboard Hot Country Singles | 1 |
| U.S. Billboard Hot 100 | 1 |
| Canadian RPM Top Singles | 1 |
| Australian Singles Chart | 1 |
| U.K. Singles Chart | 16 |
As noted, Johnny Horton's 1959 version is the best-known recording of the song, which omits the mild expletives and many of the historical references of the original. Horton also recorded an alternative version for release in British Commonwealth countries which did not have unfavorable lyrics concerning the British: the word "British" was replaced with "Rebels", along with a few other differences.
Many other artists have recorded this song. Notable versions include the following:
| "The Battle of Kookamonga" | |
|---|---|
| Single by Homer and Jethro | |
| from the album Homer and Jethro at the Country Club | |
| B-side | "Waterloo" |
| Released | 1959 |
| Genre | Country, Parody |
| Length | 2:38 |
| Label | RCA Victor |
| Writer(s) | Jimmy Driftwood, J. J. Reynolds |
Country music parodists Homer and Jethro had a hit when they parodied "The Battle of New Orleans" with their song "The Battle of Kookamonga." The single was released in 1959 and featured production work by Chet Atkins. In this version, the scene shifts from a battleground to a campground, with the combat being changed to the Boy Scouts chasing after the Girl Scouts.
| Preceded by "Kansas City" by Wilbert Harrison |
Billboard Hot 100 number-one single (Johnny Horton version) May 26, 1959 – July 6, 1959 (6 weeks) |
Succeeded by "Lonely Boy" by Paul Anka |
| Preceded by "White Lightning" by George Jones |
Hot C&W Sides number one single by Johnny Horton May 18, 1959 - July 20, 1959 (ten weeks) |
Succeeded by "Waterloo" by Stonewall Jackson |
| Preceded by "Oh Lonesome Me" by Don Gibson |
Billboard Hot C&W Sides number-one single of the year 1959 |
Succeeded by "Please Help Me, I'm Falling" by Hank Locklin |
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