Song Name: Lorena
Year of Release: 1857
Written By: Joseph Philbrick Webster and Henry D. L. Webster
Released by: No original recording exists, though later renditions are available
Key Lyrics: "A hundred months have passed, Lorena/Since I last held that hand in mine/And felt the pulse beat fast, Lorena/Though mine beat was faster than thine."
Description: The song was written before the Civil War and was inspired by Henry Webster's love for a girl named Ella Blocksom, whom he met at the church where he served as a minister. Her family disapproved of the idea of her being with a poor preacher, causing her to leave him. In her parting letter, she penned the words, "If we try, we may forget," which worked their way into the song's lyrics. Henry would later meet Joseph Webster (no relation), who was looking for a lyricist on one of his songs, and partnered with him to write the song that would later become "Lorena." Writing about his lost love, Henry Webster changed the title from "Ella" to "Bertha" and then again to "Lorena," becoming the song we know today. The lyrics describe a man recounting memories of his old lover and reminiscing about what could have been.
Why It Was Important: The song's lyrics about a lost lover heavily resonated with soldiers during the Civil War. Many soldiers, Union and Confederate alike, thought of their wives and girlfriends back home when hearing the song, as the lyrics recount the soldier lamenting that it has been a long time since he has seen the woman he loves. The song was present during notable events during the war, such as the Confederate defeat during the Battle of Atlanta; Confederate general John Hood and his men sang the song as they left the city. One Confederate officer went so far as to attribute the South's defeat to the song, claiming that the Confederates grew homesick and lost their effectiveness as a fighting force when they heard it. In terms of popular culture, the song has featured in multiple episodes of filmmaker Ken Burns' documentary Civil War, as well as being featured as an instrumental tune in the classic film Gone With the Wind.
Recordings:
Civil war Song:Lorena (YouTube rendition)