Song Name: John Brown's Body
Year of Release: 1861
Written By: James E. Greenleaf, C.B. Marsh, C.S. Hall, and others (music). The exact lyricist remains unknown, but claims have been made by members of the 2nd Massachusetts Infantry Battalion, William Steffe, Thomas Brigham Bishop, Frank E Jerome, and others
Released by: First performed at a flag ceremony in Boston in 1861, though recordings exist; artists such as Pete Seeger have recorded and released the song
Key Lyrics: "John Brown's body lies a-mouldering in the grave" x3
"He's gone to be a soldier in the army of the Lord" x3
"They will hang Jeff Davis to a sour apple tree!" x3
Description: The song was based on the tune of "Say, Brothers, Will You Meet Us?"; the latter's origins are unknown, though theories suggest it originated from African American folk music, an African American wedding song, or a British sea shanty that was derived from a Swedish drinking song. Other theories suggest that enslaved African Americans in the South used it to rally the abolition cause, making its later transformation into an anthem to honor a fallen abolitionist appropriate. The lyrics describe John Brown fighting on as a soldier in heaven and call for Confederate President Jefferson Davis to be hanged from an apple tree, showing the intensity of the hate that the sides felt for one another. The song's melody would later inspire Julia Ward Howe to write "Battle Hymn of the Republic," which would also become important to the Union cause.
Why It Was Important: The song turned what was a national tragedy in the Union into a call for mobilization; its lyrics describe Brown as a soldier who fights on for abolition, even in death. The song also directly attacks Jefferson Davis and calls for him to be lynched, showing the intensity of the hate that caused the war. On May 1st, 1865, after the war was over, white missionaries and recently freed African Americans (including 3,000 children) held a march to commemorate the re-interment of 257 Union soldiers; during the march, they sang this song. That march also marked the first-ever observance of Memorial Day. The song's influence extended half a century beyond the war, as American consul to Russia Richard T. Greener reported that Russian soldiers sang it during the 1905 Russian Revolution, and British socialists in the 1940s would sing it at Labor Party rallies
Recordings:
John Brown's Body (studio version, Pete Seeger version)