this is the 1859 song when 1859 a writer dan emit was writing a song there was no such thing as recording technique and folk want to sing this song but when folks want to sing this they want to play there pianos. the tune got more in other folk songs the first was a scots tune that is still played on accordion and fiddle in many shows the tune is played often in shows and it is a dance tune calld the dashing white sergeant, a tune that shows the first line of emit's 1859 song. in the 1950s many songs phrases of parts of dan emits song and writing there one words and the tune has been sung with new words were sung the time. among them were in 1955 pete seeger did a show and played this to gt to get folks ready for singing and scots songs were sung including a the dance of the sergeant was also turned to a song in the 7 and 7 and 8 and the rest the song has folks putting their own words and making them in to folk anthem this is to go and think that that we can do more to keep the the old songs alive .